Gathic Studies

8/10/2019 Gathic Studies

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VOHU MANAH : The Good Mind

Vohu Manah is one of the Amesha Spentas, the

seven great emanations of Ahura Mazda, the oneWise Lord. Though there is no hierarchy among the

seven Emanations, Vohu Manah is often ranked

first by Zoroastrian thinkers, because it is so

important in the Zarathushtrian revelation.It

means "Good Mind," but some translators also

translate it as "good thought" or "good thinking."

These translations have different connotations and

lead to different views of what the Prophet meant

by the term.

It is first of all the faculty of reason in human

beings, which connects with the Reason of God. In

Zoroastrianism, God is a God of reason, not ofarbitrary whim. The virtue of good thinking, or

reason, is a Divine gift to human beings, and every

time we use our reason and our intellectual

abilities, we are using our Vohu Manah.

Zarathushtra, in presenting his revelation, invites

his hearers to think about what he is saying andreason it out for themselves before they accept it.

This is not like other religious revelations which are

filled with strange or irrational ideas which must be

taken on faith.


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Zoroastrianism is almost unique among ancient

faiths for its reliance on reason and the mind,

rather than faith, non-rational experience, and the

"heart." It puts tremendous emphasis on reason,

(called Vohu Manah, or Good Mind in the Gatha

hymns of the Prophet) rather than the arbitrary

and mysterious will of an all- powerful God. Vohu

Manah is one of the ways that God communicates

with us - through the use of our reason. Whenever

we use our Vohu Manah, we are actually entering

into communion with God. Through Vohu Manah

come our best ideas, our inspirations, our finer

thoughts.

Zarathushtra valued Vohu Manah so highly that in

the first canto of his Gathas, Yasna 28 (song 1) he

mentions it in every one of the 11 verses. This is

the canto of great invocations that begins the

Gathas. In these verses one can see the many

meanings of Vohu Manah that are part of

Zarathushtra's religious/philosophical thinking.

There is, first, the personal aspect of Vohu Manah,that leads to inspiration and, indeed, mystical

communion. Zarathushtra says that he approaches

God through Good Mind (vohu manah, verse 2).

He attunes his soul to Good Mind, in verse 4, and


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he prays for the wisdom of Good Mind so that he

may serve the living world (verse 1).

Then there is the theological Vohu Manah.Zarathushtra addresses Vohu Manah as an entity,

a personification which later led to the

characterization of Vohu Manah and the others as

"archangels." It is God's Mind as well as ours. God

is the revealer of Good Mind (yasna 31, song 4,

verse 17). Though some scholars (like Ali Jafarey)

deny that any actual personification goes on in the

Gathas, many Zoroastrians agree that Vohu Manah

is a hypostasis,a term which means a spiritual

entity which is an embodiment of certain principles:

here, Good Mind.

There is also a political Vohu Manah. In yasna 31,(song 4) verse 10,Zarathushtra describes how the

world chooses a protector against oppression - this

protector must be a lord of truth and a seeker of

Good Mind. The ideal ruler is not just one who is

strong and powerful, but who abides by Truth and

the virtues of Good Mind, which includecompassion, tolerance, and understanding. This

concept also occurs in the yatha ahu prayer.

According to one translator, Taraporewala, the

gifts of Good Mind are for those working for the


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Lord of Life. According to Jafarey, the Good Mind in

the prayer belongs to those who choose the proper

leaders.

Some scholars (Stanley Insler, of Yale U. among

them) translate Vohu Manah as "Good Thinking."

This gives a kind of humanistic flavor to his

translation of the Gathas, and avoids any idea of

Vohu Manah as a spiritual entity - it is just good

thinking, a human virtue. To translate Vohu Manah

as "Good Mind" adds the idea of it as a spiritual

entity, in fact even a mystical Divine Mind in which

we participate. I prefer this translation.

Throughout the Gathas Vohu Manah is cited as an

"instrument" (that is, in the instrumental case) so

that one constantly sees prayers, actions,

invocations, "through Good Mind." It is the

foundation of right thought, word, and action, as it

is through Vohu Manah that we know what is right.

In later Zoroastrian traditions, the seven Amesha

Spentas, including Vohu Manah, were personified

and became living spiritual entities sometimescompared to "archangels." Each one of these was

considered the guardian of one sector of the

created world. Vohu Manah, in this tradition, is the

guardian of the Animal world, and is often


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associated with cattle and the life-giving cows

which were so important to Zarathushtra's people.

The reasons for the association of Good Mind with

Animals are unclear, but it is in keeping with

Zoroastrian reverence for the living world that

Good Mind includes caring for animals, without

cruelty or exploitation. Zarathushtra's ideal person,

in the Gathas, is often called a "herdsman," which

is analogous to the Biblical "shepherd." To

participate in the Good Mind of Ahura Mazda

means to preserve and renew the whole world,

which is often symbolized by the Prophet as a "joy-

bringing cow." Thus through Good Mind we know

the Good, for animals, human beings, and the

wider world, and thus reach the God who is the

source of all that is good.

vohu gaidi manangha (Come to us, O Lord,

through Good Mind)

ASHA VAHISHTA: Truth, Righteousness,

Cosmic Order

The Divine Attribute ASHA, or Truth/Righteousness,

is perhaps the keystone of Zoroastrian


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thought.What does ASHA mean, and how is it

important in Zoroastrianism?

The Avestan word Asha is related to the Sanskritroot RTA which means "eternal law and order." The

Indo-European word- root became, in modern

languages, such words as "right," "righteousness,"

"ritual," and "rite." Asha means many related

things, and is untranslatable by one English word.

You need a whole constellation of words to

translate it: righteousness, law, cosmic order,

truth, justice. It is one of the seven Amesha

Spentas, the seven primal emanations of God,

through which God's will is done and through

which we reach God. What really is Asha, as the

Prophet Zarathushtra conceived of it in his poetic

Gathas?

Asha is first of all Truth, the opposite of the Lie,

and encompasses all clear and objective vision, all

honesty and unclouded thought, word, and deed.

Then it is "Righteousness," which involves a

commitment to good actions that build society andlead toward health, peace, and good will. These

actions are not prescribed, as they are in Jewish or

Islamic sacred Law, but they will vary as the

conditions of history or society vary. However, the


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underlying call to right action remains the

same.Asha is also LAW - not a prescribed set of

commandments, but a description of the laws that

rule our lives and the universe around us. Asha is

impersonal. In Zoroastrianism, Ahura Mazda is not

the type of God who will suspend the laws of

reality in order to make a point or to help someone.

In Zarathushtra's concept of divine governance,

there are no suns standing still, miraculous

healings, miraculous plagues or deliverances, no

resurrections from the dead. In all the Gathas

there are no miracles or supernatural occurrences;

this is astonishing for something composed 3500

years ago. In the way of Asha, God set up the laws

of reality, both in the natural world and the social

world - and he will not break them.

Thus the law of Asha describes what actually

happens, not what should happen. It encompasses

the law of gravity and all physical laws

discoverable by science as well as the laws of

consequences governing our own behavior, which

are discoverable by (sometimes painful)

experience. Throw a rock in the air, and, if

unhindered in its descent, it will come down - that

is Asha. Overindulge in liquor one night, and wake


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up with a painful hangover - that is also Asha, the

law of consequences. If you do wrong, quite often

the world itself will punish you, either by its own

laws, or by someone taking the law into his own

hands. But what of those who do wrong and

prosper, who die happily after a life of evil? Then

one must look to the world to come, which is also

under the rule of Asha, where, as Zarathushtra

states, the "Best Existence" (heaven) is waiting for

those who choose good in this world, and where

the "Worst Existence" (hell) is reserved for those

who do evil. This "hell" is not eternal, since all

things will be purified in the end of time, but it is

long enough to purify evildoers.

Therefore, to praise Asha as the "best" (Avestan,

vahishta) is to put yourself in harmony with cosmic

order, and to commit yourself to the search for

Truth in your spiritual, moral, and work life. Asha

indwells within you, as it does in everyone, and it

is divine. Every time you do a righteous deed, no

matter how small, you are bringing yourself closer

to God through Asha Vahishta.

The text of the Gathas itself demonstrates just how

important Asha is for Zoroastrian thought and

practice. Almost every single verse of these poetic


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light be changed, or the laws of mathematics or

physics? The scientific method applies to Asha.

There is no immutable Scripture telling us what

Asha is; we learn by experience, hypothesis,

experiment, proof, and demonstration. If what

seems to be Asha doesn't make sense, it is not

that Asha is wrong, but our own idea of it, our

ignorance of Asha as it truly is - and it is necessary

for us to return to our investigations.

The later traditions of Zoroastrianism, taking

inspiration from ideas in Zarathushtra's Gathas and

other early Zoroastrian teaching and practice, have

associated ASHA with the "element" of Fire. In the

Gathas, Fire is not only a means of illumination

and warmth but the fire of purification and refining,

such as goes on in smelting ore. It is also a symbol

of ever-vigilant Justice. As the Divine Attributes

became personified as theAmesha Spentas,Asha

became the Amesha Spenta whose creation and

jurisdiction was that of Fire. The primal

prominence of Fire in Zoroastrian religious life only

underscores just how central Asha is in the

Zoroastrian Way.


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KSHATHRA: The Kingdom and the Power

Kshathra is one of the great Principles exalted by

Zarathushtra, and is numbered among the AmeshaSpentas, the "Bounteous Immortals" who are the

personified attributes of God in Zoroastrian

theology. Kshathra means "Dominion," or "Power,"

and it is also translated as "Kingdom." The word is

Avestan, the ancient language of the Zoroastrian

scriptures. According to Avesta scholar Dr. Ali

Jafarey, "Kshathra" comes from the root-

word kshiwhich means "to settle," as in to create

stable social order, dwellings and peace. It is

related to the Sanskrit wordkshatriyawhich

denotes the Hindu warrior caste, and in later

transformations, Kshathra becomes the Persian

word shahror "settlement," and the more famous

word shah, or Ruler.

Kshathra appears frequently in the Gathas, the

hymns of the Prophet Zarathushtra which are the

primary texts of the Zoroastrian faith. Though

Kshathra in later Zoroastrianism is a personifiedspiritual entity, in the Gathas Kshathra has very

little personification. It is portrayed as an abstract

principle, yet it is clearly defined. Like most of

Zarathushtra's great abstract terms, it has many


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layers of meaning. In this article I will briefly

explore some of Kshathra's many meanings.

The Zoroastrian tradition presents Kshathra asmoral, political, and theological. The MORAL

aspects of Kshathra are set forth in the Gatha

hymn which is named for this Attribute: the "Vohu

Kshathra" Gatha (Yasna 51, song 16). This is how

the hymn begins: "1. The good dominion (vohu

kshathra) is to be chosen. It is the best dividend.

In fact, it is devotion for the dedicated, who, Wise

One, moves best within righteousness by his deeds.

It is for this dominion that I am working for all of

us now." (Jafarey translation)

Kshathra is often referred to as vairya, or

"chosen." This phrase of "Kshathra vairya" became,in later Persian, "Shahrivar," and it is by this word

that modern Zoroastrians refer to Kshathra. The

idea of a "chosen Dominion" emphasizes that the

righteous moral life is one of CHOICE. In

Zarathushtra's, and later Zoroastrian moral theory,

human beings must actively choose the Good.They are not destined to be good or evil by the

karma of previous lives, nor by God's

predestination or inscrutable Fate. Choice is the

root of all human power - humans can choose to


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follow the way of ASHA or righteousness, and build

up God's world, or they can choose to be

indifferent or even evil, acting to destroy God's

world. This power of Choice is the moral essence of

Kshathra. In this sense, Kshathra refers to your

personal power, something which every conscious

person has - the power to say yes or no, the power

to create or hinder or damage. In the Zoroastrian

view, no one is powerless. God's Kshathra reaches

everyone, and in exercising personal power by

choosing to do good things, human beings are

acting in union with God.

Kshathra concerns the individual, but also, perhaps

more importantly, the collective power of human

beings together. This brings us to the POLITICAL

Kshathra. Another translation of the same Gatha

verse (51.16), this time by an earlier scholar, D. J.

Irani, brings this political aspect out much more

clearly:

"A righteous government is of all things the most

to be wished for,Bearing the greatest blessings and good fortune to

people,

Guided by the Law of Truth, worked with all

wisdom and zeal,


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It blossoms indeed into the Best of Rule, a

Kingdom of Heaven!

To effect this for us, I will work now and ever."

(D.J. Irani translation)

Zarathushtra's Gathas are often cited for their

moral and inspirational content, but they are also

highly political texts. The Prophet explicitly states

his vision and recommendations not only for

individuals, but for families, communities, and

states.

All of Zarathushtra's political thought can be

symbolized by the concept of "Vohu Kshathra" or

"Good Rule." This is almost always paired with

ASHA (Righteousness), as it is in the verse I have

cited. Zarathushtra preached his concept ofRighteous Government, a government not

dependent on the will or the whims of a strongman

or dictator but on an impersonal, universal Law,

which everyone from ruler to laborer must heed.

D.J. Irani was inspired by the Biblical "Kingdom of

Heaven" in his translation, but indeed theZarathushtrian Kshathra is not all that different

from the Judeo-Christian idea of righteous

temporal rule under God's Grace and Law. There is

only one law of ASHA - not a changeable set of


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customs which privileged rulers can break as they

wish. In the days of the Prophet, when his

civilization was threatened by lawless warlords,

this was a revolutionary idea - and it is still a

revolutionary idea in many parts of the world.

The political Kshathra is again embodied in the

great prayer formula known as the "Ahunavar," or

the "Yatha Ahu Vairyo." This prayer is said by

devout Zoroastrians many times a day, and may

have been composed by Zarathushtra himself. The

last line of the prayer says:

kshathrem-cha ahurai a yim drigubyo dadat

vashtarem

Which is translated in many different ways:

"...The dominion of God is well-established, in

which the chosen person becomes the

Rehabilitator of the rightful who are

oppressed." (Jafarey)

"....the power is committed to Mazda Ahura

whom (people) assign as a shepherd to thepoor." (Humbach-Ichaporia)


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"....He dedicates to Him the Divine Attribute of

Power by being the pastor of the poor." (D.J.

Irani)

These translations, though different in details,

agree on the nature of the political work that a

righteous ruler, under God, will do: be a

"shepherd" who cares for the poor and the

oppressed. This call to social justice echoes

throughout the Gathas, and, from the

Zarathushtrian source, enters the ongoing teaching

of Zoroastrian tradition forevermore.

This idea of kingship or Dominion under God's Law

is evident in the rock-cut inscriptions left by the

Iranian kings of the Achaemenid Empire (c.600

BC-330 BC). King Darius advertised his lawful rulein this inscription: "Within these countries (of the

Persian Empire) the man who was accommodating,

him I treated well; (him) who was false I punished

well. By the favour of Ahura Mazda these countries

showed respect for my law; as was said to them by

me, thus it was done." (Quoted in Richard Frye,THE HERITAGE OF PERSIA) This Law is not meant

to imply the personal will of King Darius, but

impersonal law, the reflection of ASHA, as

interpreted by Persian law-courts. This concept of


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Good Rule also shows in some of the names

chosen by Achaemenid rulers: Xerxes is a Greek

transformation of the Avestan "Kshaya-arsha" or

"Sovereign Righteous." And "Artaxerxes" is the

Greek hearing of "Arta- kshathra," or "Righteous

Power" (artabeing a linguistic variant of ASHA).

As more than one scholar of Zoroastrianism has

pointed out, even in later Zoroastrian times, when

the text of the Gathas was inaccessible except

through unclear translations, the essence of the

moral and political teaching of Kshathra remained

strong, so that Zoroastrians used what power they

had, whether of money or of influence, to do works

of charity and righteousness in their Indian and

Iranian lands.

In the Gathas and in their related early texts,

Kshathra remains an abstract Attribute of God. But

in the centuries after Zarathushtra, as the religion

developed, the Attributes of God became

personified into great guardian entities, sometimes

compared to Archangels. These entities, namedthe "Amesha Spentas" or "Bounteous Immortals,"

each became associated with a sector of the

material world, a Creation of God. Some of these

guardianships are hinted at in the Gathas, as if


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Zarathushtra may have already made the

association; others entered into the teaching much

later. In the Gathas, there is no Creation assigned

to Kshathra, but during the later era of the faith,

Kshathra became the guardian of metals and

minerals - the inorganic treasures of the earth.

The renowned scholar of Zoroastrianism Mary

Boyce theorizes that the association of Kshathra

with metals may have originally come from the

idea of Kshathra as the guardian of the sky, which

was thought by the ancients to be made of rock-

crystal. Since rock-crystal was considered by the

ancient Iranians to be a form of metal, Kshathra

was then given guardianship over metals as well. A

more mundane explanation is that in the ancient

world (as in the modern one) possession of

valuable metals, especially steel for weapons,

gives power to the owner, and thus Kshathra's

power was naturally associated with metal.

However the association came about, by the later

era of Zoroastrianism, Kshathra had, at least in thewritten texts, lost its abstract meaning of Good

Dominion and had become a symbol for the world

of metals, or even metallic objects themselves. In

the Vendidad, the compendium of mythology,


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custom, and law which is considered the latest

book of the Avesta (possibly written down c. 400

AD) Kshathra is used as a synonym for "metal

tool." In Fargard 20 of the Vendidad, the story is

told of the culture hero Thrita, the first healer: "He

asked for a source of remedies; he obtained it

from Kshathra-Vairya, to withstand sickness and to

withstand death..."(Fargard 20,3; Darmesteter

translation). Kshathra's gift is understood in the

traditions to be a metallic instrument: the

surgeon's knife. In Zoroastrian ritual practice,

Kshathra is symbolized by the various metal

vessels and implements which are used in both the

simple Jashan ceremony and the great Yasna

liturgy.

This identification of Kshathra, Dominion, with

metal and minerals is more profound than many

Zoroastrian scholars are willing to admit. This is

the THEOLOGICAL Kshathra rather than the moral

or political. Rather than being a "primitive"

identification of an abstract Attribute with a

material substance, it is a symbolic statement of

the Immanence of God in the material world.

Zoroastrianism, in identifying the Amesha Spentas

as guardians of the various Creations, has assured


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its believers throughout its long history that the

material world, flawed though it may seem to us

who live in it, is filled with the goodness and

presence of God. Modern Zoroastrian thinkers,

meditating on Kshathra, have found a way to link

the moral, political, and theological aspects of this

Attribute. The Zoroastrian scholar Dr. Farhang

Mehr served as Iran's oil minister to OPEC, and

later as minister of economic matters in the pre-

revolutionary Cabinet. In these positions, he was

well aware of the relationship between mineral

(fossil fuel) resources and economic power. For

Mehr, Kshathra is the symbol not only of personal

and political choice and power, but of the process

by which natural resources can be wisely used to

enhance the economic life and power of a nation.And the Zarathushtrian element of choice is still

very much present, even on this macroscopic scale,

for the powers of a nation can also choose to waste

or misuse these resources, forfeiting Good

Dominion.

In this way of thinking, Kshathra can be honored

on all levels of reality, from moral and

philosophical abstraction to the hard, bright

realities of the metal and mineral world.


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SPENTA ARMAITI: Spirit of serenity

Spenta Armaiti is one of theAmesha Spentas,theseven "Bounteous Immortals" of the Zoroastrian

tradition. These are emanations of the one God

Ahura Mazda, which are sometimes personified and

sometimes considered as abstract concepts. Of all

the Seven, Spenta Armaiti is perhaps the most

difficult to translate and explain. Theterm Spentais itself hard to translate into English;

it means "increasing" or "growing" but with a

connotation of goodness, holiness, and

benevolence. Ali Jafarey translates it prosaically as

"progressive."Armaitiis even more difficult to

convey in English. Scholars of Avesta haverendered the name as "divine wisdom," "devotion,"

"piety," "benevolence," "loving- kindness," "right-

mindedness," "peace and love," or even "service."

Jafarey, using the later Persian word aramatior

"tranquillity" as his model, translates Armaiti as

"serenity." Thus his translation of Spenta Armaiti is"Progressive Serenity," a rather opaque term. Dr.

Farhang Mehr has translated Spenta Armaiti with

the more gracious "universal bountiful peace."


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Whatever the translation may be, Spenta Armaiti

was very important to Zarathushtra in his

revelation. The Gathas are filled with references to

Armaiti. And Armaiti in the Gathas has as many

meanings as there are translations. Sometimes the

prophet has used Armaiti as an independent being,

sometimes as an abstract idea, and sometimes as

an adjective or a description of a human virtue.

Here are some of the ways Armaiti appears in the

Gathas of Zarathushtra, the core text of the

Zoroastrian religion. I am using the Jafarey

translation, so wherever he mentions Serenity,

that is Armaiti.

Armaiti appears as an active agent, an

independent being, in many passages. Two of themost interesting are in Yasna 28 (song 1), verses 3

and 7:

28.3: I shall likewise praise the Wise God (Ahura

Mazda) and those for whom Serenity promotes the

unconquerable dominion.

28.7: And you, Serenity, grant Vishtaspa (royal

patron of Zarathushtra) his wish and mine, too.


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Armaiti will also appear as a virtue, an aspect of

the Good:

47.6: ...because with the growth of serenity andrighteousness, it (God's spirit) shall convert many

a seeker.

49.5:...every person who has linked his religion

with good mind...is a person of serenity through

righteousness.

Armaiti is something that should be chosen as part

of the choice of the Good, a holy objective or goal:

32.2: The Wise God...has responded to them: "We

have chosen the good and progressive serenity for

you."

In this verse God Him/Herself chooses serenity forthe human world.

44.7: This I ask you, tell me truly, Lord. Who

fashioned precious serenity with dominion?

"Precious," in Avestan berekhdam,is more than

once used as an epithet for Armaiti. Armaiti isoften paired with Asha, or "righteousness," a fellow

Amesha Spenta:


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34.11: ...The sovereignty of Good Mind and

serenity with righteousness promote steadfast

strength and courage.

46.16... where serenity accompanies

righteousness...

And, finally, Armaiti lives in the text as a fully

personified being:

45.4: ...the good-working Serenity is his (God's)

creation.

Here, the word "creation" is actually dugedaor

"daughter," so that Zarathushtra is using a

particularly human metaphor to describe the divine

origin of Spenta Armaiti.

Here I am using the translation of Taraporewala,which makes this more clear:

31.12: "Directly through his Spirit, Armaiti appeals,

for She stands by to solve his doubts."

Ichaporia translates this more simply as "his piety

will overcome the doubt of his spirit." Jafareychooses another possible translation which avoids

the personification entirely, translating Armaiti

here as a description rather than a person: "One


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enjoying serenity may ask himself: where will the

two mentalities lead?"

The Avestan text, however it is translated, makesone thing very clear: Spenta Armaiti is

a feminineentity. Of the seven Amesha Spentas,

one (Spenta Mainyu) is beyond gender, three are

male, and three are female - among them, Spenta

Armaiti. This gender balance may be just a

linguistic accident, the result of the genders of the

various Avestan titles (actually, the male titles are

linguistically neuter) but more likely it is not.

Zoroastrianism from the beginning has recognized

the feminine aspect of the divine. Though

Zoroastrian culture eventually became as

patriarchal as other ancient cultures, its spirituality

always recognized what we moderns might call the

"divine feminine", whether in the form of the

female Amesha Spentas, or the re-adapted female

yazatas such as Ardvi Sura Anahita or Ashi

Vanguhi, the spirit of piety and prosperity.

In later Zoroastrianism, Spenta Armaiti becomesthe patron of the Earth, the fertile land, and of

sacred space. She is invoked when a new piece of

land or a building is consecrated. In ceremonies,

Spenta Armaiti is symbolized by the white sheet or


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HAURVATAT AND AMERETAT - Wholeness and

Immortality

Haurvatat and Ameretat are the last two of theseven Amesha Spentas, the emanations of God

which Zoroastrians call the "Bounteous

Immortals." They are not last in precedence, as

there is no clearly defined hierarchy among the

Seven, but they are last in that they are the latest

to appear in the divine scheme of things. They are

the virtues and gifts of the future, things devoutly

to be hoped for, the signs of the Renewal at the

End of Time.

The two Emanations, which are almost always

referred to together, are both female in gender;

this can be considered a result of linguistics, sincethe Avestan words Haurvatat(Wholeness)

andAmeretat(Immortality) are of the female

gender. But in the later thought of Zoroastrianism,

in which the Bounteous Immortals become

personified, these are indeed female entities.

Zarathushtra, in his Gatha hymns, mentions

Haurvatat and Ameretat in many verses, though

not as often as he does the other Amesha Spentas.

Unlike other of the Seven like Asha or Vohu Manah,


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he does not treat Haurvatat and Ameretat as

"instruments," (that is, in the Avestan

"instrumental" case) through which Divine work

may be done. Rather, they are either gifts attained,

offered, or, in other interpretations, themselves

the bestowers of divine gifts.

Zarathushtra describes Wholeness and Immortality

as God's gifts to the righteous person in Yasna 31

(song 4),21:

"God Wise grants wholeness, immortality,

abundance of righteousness, independence in

dominion, and a lasting good mind to him who is

His companion in mind and action." (Jafarey

translation)

In Yasna 34 (song 7),1, Haurvatat and Ameretat

are themselves offered by the singer of the Gathas:

"The deed, the word, and the veneration by which

I give immortality, righteousness, and the motive

for wholeness to the people, are very much offered

by us, Wise Lord, to You." (Jafarey trans.)Yet another translation of that same verse

attributes Haurvatat and Ameretat to the Lord,

offered through the believers:


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"The action, word and worship through which you

acquire immortality, truth, and the power of

integrity (haurvatat), O Mazda Ahura, (a share) of

these is offered to you by us who are present in

large numbers." (Humbach-Ichaporia translation)

The whole idea of Haurvatat and Ameretat is

colored by how their Gathic verses are translated.

Avestan, the language of the Gathas, is a highly

ambiguous language, in which meanings of the

words change according to the word-endings.

Many times the same word-ending can have two

different meanings. Thus major theological

concepts depend on how different translators use

the Avestan text.

In the case of Haurvatat and Ameretat, in manyGatha verses it is ambiguous whether the two are

subjects or objects of the poet's sentence. In

Yasna 45 (song 10),5, Dr. Ali Jafarey takes

Haurvatat and Ameretat as objects:

"....Those who pay it (the prophetic word)

attention and reverence, shall have wholeness and

immortality." Whereas Irach Taraporewala, an

earlier translator, has taken them as subjects:


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"...Those who obey them (Words) truly in their

hearts,

To these shall come Perfect Immortal Life(Haurvatat and Ameretat)...."

In another Gatha verse, Y. 34 (song 7).11, the two

are clearly the subject:

"Both wholeness and immortality lead to your

splendor..." (Jafarey trans.)

In the Gathas, all the Amesha Spentas, or "Primal

Principles" as Dr. Jafarey likes to call them, are

highly abstract. But Zarathushtra does personify

these concepts in his hymns, some more than

others; Haurvatat and Ameretat are probably the

least personified of the Seven. As the Zoroastrianreligion developed, the personifications of all of

them became more distinct until they attained a

status similar to "archangels" in Zoroastrian

spiritual life, ritual, and prayer.

In Zoroastrian tradition, each Amesha Spenta has

guardianship over a sector of Creation, thusrepresenting the Presence of God in the natural,

physical world. In this doctrine, Haurvatat

represents Waters, and Ameretat represents Plants.


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This attribution may go back to the Prophet himself.

In Yasna 51 (song 16),7, the verse contains praise

of God, the creator of the natural world:

"You, Wise One, Who have fashioned the world,

the waters, and the plants by Your most

progressive mentality, grant me, in accordance

with good mind's doctrine, immortality, wholeness,

steadfast strength, and endurance." (Jafarey)

Here waters and plants are paired with Haurvatatand Ameretat, and may be early evidence of the

nature-connections of the Amesha Spentas. In the

later texts of the Avesta, this is explicit, and in the

Yasna, the great liturgical text of Zoroastrian ritual,

Haurvatat and Ameretat are repeatedly honored:

one as the divine guardian of the water and otherliquids used in the libations of the ritual, the other

as the guardian of the plant materials used in the

ritual such as wood for the Fire, and the plants,

fruits, and flour that make up the foods

consecrated at Zoroastrian ceremonies.

There is, in this sense, also an ecological meaning

to these two guardians and their Creations: in

pairing Waters and Plants, the Zoroastrian tradition

has realized how inseparable these two factors are


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in the natural world. And, since God is present in

these Creations through the life of Haurvatat and

Ameretat, it is of prime importance to keep Waters

and Plants pure, unpolluted, and healthy. This is

the ecological vision of ancient Zoroastrianism

which is even more important for our own day and

age.

The tradition also sees a spiritual dimension in the

pairing of Haurvatat and Ameretat as waters and

plants: these entities represent heavenly food

which will be given to the righteous in the heavenly

world. To return to the Gatha verse Y. 34.11, an

alternate translation gives Haurvatat and Ameretat

this meaning:

"Both integrity and immortality serve you asfood..." (Humbach-Ichaporia). The word here

translated as "food," in the original Avestan,

closely resembles the word for "splendor," and

thus the Prophet's ambiguity - or sacred wordplay

- leads to very different interpretations. The

interpretation of food, both earthly and heavenly,is reinforced by the frequent pairing of Haurvatat

and Ameretat with two other abstract words which

mean "steadfast strength and endurance," the

result, perhaps, of earthly and heavenly


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depict the eternal communion with God." (Dr. Ali

Jafarey, THE GATHAS, OUR GUIDE)

Dr. Farhang Mehr, in his book THE ZOROASTRIANTRADITION, is even more mystical - almost Neo-

Platonic - when describing Haurvatat and Ameretat:

"Perfection, Haurvatat, purports self-realization

and wholeness...Immortality, Ameretat, is the

quality of eternity and immutability. Life in its

widest connotation is in God, with him, and for him.

He is not begotten, nor perishable and has no

beginning and no end. Through him the universe

exists and life is sustained. Ameretat is free from

time and space." (Mehr, pg. 28)

The Zoroastrian philosopher K.D. Irani takes a

more psychological approach. To him, Haurvatat,translated as "Integrity," represents the undivided

self, "freedom from guilt, resentment, and regret,"

a state of "peaceful and prosperous harmony with

the world around him....Haurvatat is the state of

the self where the mind has grasped the Truth and

acted accordingly." Attaining Haurvatat meansrejecting irrational thoughts and motives, rising

above fanaticism, self-righteousness and delusion,

transcending self- interest in order to attain

Integrity. Ameretat, for Dr. Irani, means not just


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immortality, but an immortality of bliss, even

Heaven, earned through righteous deeds - "an

extension and elaboration of the perfection of

Haurvatat into eternity." (Dr. Kaikhosrov D. Irani,

from an article published in "AN INTRODUCTION

TO THE GATHAS OF ZARATHUSHTRA," March 1990)

This is high and lofty thought, but what might

these two Virtues mean for us, struggling with life

on earth, far from Heaven? As with the other

Amesha Spentas, the Zoroastrian spiritual way

teaches that we can strive to realize these divine

Attributes in ourselves. Thus Asha in us makes us

righteous and truthful, Vohu Manah in us makes us

intelligent, rational, and thoughtful; Kshathra in us

teaches right use of power, while Armaiti makes us

devoted, loving, and benevolent. Realized within us,

Haurvatat leads us to wholeness and health of both

body and mind. Ameretat leads us to hope of

immortality, a bright goal for us to strive for.

In the course of our lives, whenever we have

moments of health and clarity, vitality and hope,there are Haurvatat and Ameretat. Whenever we

look forward joyfully to a future of accomplishment

and achievement - rather than a despairing life of

drudgery, poverty, and declining health - there are


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Haurvatat and Ameretat. We may, during our daily

life, only have a glimpse or two of these Attributes

- a shining foretaste of things which might be so.

But with time, these glimpses may become more

common, the result of spiritual work and fervent

hope. In a way, the attainment of Haurvatat and

Ameretat is similar to what other faiths might call

Enlightenment or the Beatific Vision. It is an

attainment which we know is possible, but for now

it remains on the luminous horizon.

Zarthustra's Essential Teachings, and Their

Transformation Over the Ages

Article in two Parts, by Adi J. Davar, Falls Church,

Virginia, USA

Part One: Zarathustras Essential Teachings

Introduction


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I was raised in a traditional religious environment.

The smell of sukhar-loban (sandalwood and

incense) and chants of satum prayers at dawn and

nyashes and yashts in daytime, wafted daily in my

home. As in ancient Zoroastrian times, a glowing

coal hearth -- representing the light of Ahura

Mazdas wisdom and creation -- was reserved in

our kitchen for prayers. During my exam days, it

blazed with the sukharI piled on it, while praying

loudly for Ahura Mazdas and the Yazats boon of

doing well in them. Since childhood, I was taken to

fire temples, jashans, muktads, obsequies and

various religious ceremonies. That ours is a strictly

monotheistic faith, born between 1700-1500 BC,

based on continuing struggle between forces of

good and evil and exclusive to those born into it,were drummed into me.

In early adulthood, I mused over how strict

monotheism could be compatible with: the worship

of Ahura Mazda and at the same time, of a divine

pantheon of Amesha Spentas and Yazats (the

archangels and angels in other faiths); an ongoing

struggle between two forces, one of good and one

of evil; the belief that Ahura Mazda and Ahriman --

an evil spirit -- were co-equals; man(1)receiving


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guidance from a supernatural fravashi, and not

from Ahura Mazda in a faith its Prophet named

Daena Vanghui (religion of good conscience).

Such casual thoughts were replaced by distinct

unease when work took me to lands touched by

Zoroastrianism -- from China to Central Asia,

Turkey to Greece, and Egypt to the Middle East. I

saw evidence that people of many ethnicities had

long practiced it. In Xian (in China), I visited a

mosque having clear traces of originally being a

fire temple and a tomb of a Zoroastrian Chinese

wife of a Chinese lord. Izedi Kurds in Iraq, who

claimed to be Zoroastrians, took me to their fire

temple (in a cave) vaguely resembling ours.

Behistuns rock relief carvings in Iran and statues

in ancient fire temples in Armenia, made me

wonder why an unseeable Creator and yazats were

depicted like idols. I stared dumb-founded at rock

relief carvings of our Asho Farohar, but with a

circle instead of a human face, atop a 2200 BC

temple in Egypt, and those with a human face on

900 BC temples of the polytheistic Assyrians in

Iraq. Gothas (statues of five-legged winged bulls a

human face and a crown) guarding entrances to

our fire temples, lay scattered in Mosul and


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Baghdad Museum as sacred Assyrian relics. These

are examples.

How could I then reconcile them with traditional

religious beliefs ingrained in me from

childhood? Or, those beliefs -- which included

revering Ahura Mazda as well as primordial forces

and divinities -- with Zarathustras revolutionary

teachings (2)predicated on the omnipotence of

one ever-existent invisible transcendental power of

immeasurable wisdom and intellect who created

the universe and all in it? Or, elaborate priest-

performed rites, rituals and ceremonies other than

socio-religious ones like navjots, weddings,

jashans and obsequies, with his teaching that

mans path towards Ahura Mazda lay in veneratingHim through personal prayers, simple personal

rituals to reinforce devotion, and living by the

faiths basic principles by using the key of good

words, thoughts and deeds? Or, by so doing, man

can perfect his urwan and the world, and earn

afterlife in heaven? Or, Zarathustra offered hisfaith to all who might choose it?

To resolve my growing discomfort, I ventured on

the journey of studying our faith in some depth. I


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tried to understand what Zarathustra really taught,

the allegorical meanings in his words, and how and

when they got transformed to what is now

practiced.

As I probed, I was astonished that no godheads,

primordial forces or divinities had place in

Zarathustras teachings and in fact, he denounced

them. Yet, they are integral to todays Zoroastrian

beliefs and practices. As my knowledge deepened,

I was asked to chair or participate in scholarly

discussions of the faith. That put me in contact

with renowned scholars. Some, like Dasturji

Minocherhomji, Farhang Mehr, Ali Jafarey and

Stanley Insler, even befriended me. We explored

various aspects of the faith. Some of their

explanations, e.g. about the forces of good and evil

as moral vs. cosmic dualism, forced me to think

deeper to find more satisfying answers.

I am sharing what I found, only because I believe

that many Zoroastrians may also want to ponder

over information that is not easily available tothem. Part I of this article gives in simple terms,

the essence of Zarathustras real teachings. Part

II in the next Hamazor, explores the magnitude of

their transformation over the ages. There are


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probably some errors in my findings. But hopefully,

the essential thrust is in the right direction.

His Essential Real TeachingsAhura Mazda

Zarathustra gave a double name to the omnipotent

power creating the universe -- Ahura Mazda.

Ahura means Lord of Life and Mazda,Creator of

Matter or simply, the Wise Lord. He called the

teachings, revealed to him by Ahura Mazda for the

benefit of all mankind, Daena

Vanghui.

Creation

Eons ago in the Spiritual Universe (Menog), Ahura

Mazda drew up a Divine Plan to create a MaterialUniverse (Getik). It was to be governed by His

immutable laws of nature, with their actions and

consequences (i.e., Asha or Absolute Truth).

Zarathustra speaks lyrically in his divine songs, the

Gathas, about the physical and moral aspects of

creation (e.g., Has. 30 and 44), but casts little

light on the methodology of creation. He talks (Ha.

31.7) of streaming lights from far-away heavens

(suggesting universes birth in a cosmic big bang


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that occurred some 14 billion years ago?), and a

universe that is progressing, expanding, renewing

and unfolding in accordance with Ahura Mazdas

Divine Plan until it will reach ultimate Perfection

(Ha. 34.7, 43.5, 51.6). A part of that Plan was the

worlds progressive Perfection in moral and ethical

terms, through the active participation of the

righteous human mind.

The Prophet taught that Ahura Mazda created the

universe and everything in it, through His Spenta

Mainyu (Creative Mentality) Mentality that is innate

within Him (Ha. 44.7, 51.7). He does not mention

help from any pre-Zarathustrian divinity,

supernatural or primordial being. Indeed, he

repeatedly denounces them as non-existent and

false. Neither does he mention Amesha Spentas,

Yazats or fravashis, all of whom are so integral to

the beliefs and rituals of Zoroastrianism today.

Twin Mentalities The First Step in Creating

the Material Universe

The choice between good and wickedness (called

evil only by later day Zoroastrians) or truth and

deceit, constitutes the bedrock of Zarathustras

ethical and moral teachings. What necessitates


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these choices, is explained through his percept of

the Twin Mentalities (ta mainyus). Mazda did

create them (Ha. 30.1) at Creations dawn (Has.

30.4, 45.2), as His first step in creating the

Material Universe. He elaborated (Ha. 30.4): As

twin co-workers, they reveal themselves. Yet, in

each thought, word and deed, these two are ner

agreed. Ones Good (Vayo), the other Bad

(Akem) (Has. 30.3, 45.2). And When together

did they foregather at Creations early dawn, Life

(Gaem) did one make, and the other made Non-

Life (Ajyaitim). And thus,Creations purpose is

achieved. Dark is the mind of those that cling to

the false, but brightly shines the Mind that holds to

truth.

Many scholars regard this as a moral or cosmic

choice between good and wickedness or truth and

deceit. But Dr. Irach Taraporewala has, to my

mind, correctly interpreted that the essential

difference between the two is not so much as

between Good and Bad, as between the positive

and negative in everything in creation (Divine

Songs of Zarathustra, p.141). In other words,

Zarathustra explained in allegorical terms that

Ahura Mazdas first act of creation was to set up


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and not some supernatural spirit. The opposite of

Ahura Mazdas abstract Attribute of Asha (Truth),

he calls Druj -- which translates as Wickedness,

not Evil.Druj was dropped as Ashas opposite

centuries after, when later scriptures replaced it

with Angre Mainyu, the primordial and personified

Evil.

As Taraporewala reminds us (ibid, pp. 500-502),

Zarathustra used words like angra, angro and anro

in only three places (Has. 43.10, 44.12, 45.2). But

none mean Evil or Evil spirit. They mean: (a) doer

of wickedness (angra),a person with an inborn

wicked nature, who therefore generates cruelty,

deceit, fury, greed, wars and the like which assail

or embroil other men; (b) wicked one (angro), aperson who becomes wicked through the wrong

choices he makes; and (c) victim of wickedness

(anro),a person forced into wickedness by the

wicked environment around him. These usages

suggest that wickedness has no substance on its

own. Rather, it is man who gives it substance andmakes it a reality, when he chooses to use his

inborn capacity for wickedness instead of that for

good. The key to the destruction of wickedness,


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therefore also lies in mans hands, by making a

choice to ally with the essence of good instead of

wickedness.

By doing so, man can contribute to the moral and

ethical perfection of the world. Because, when he

sheds his propensity to be wicked or choose

wickedness, he gradually contributes to his urwans

perfection. When he does that, he also makes a

positive impact on events surrounding him, his

family, society and country. He thus progressively

contributes to making the world around him more

morally and ethically perfect.

The Support System

Ahura Mazda created man as His helper (Astis)

(Ha.31.22) and friend (Urvar) (Ha.45.11) who

would make the world morally and ethically perfect

by choosing to perfect himself (Ha.31.11). To cope

with that responsibility, and also for the fate of his

urwan in afterlife, Ahura Mazda endowed man with

the following support system.

(i) a destructible body (Tanu) and an

indestructible eternal soul (Urwan);


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(ii) a Daena, a faculty to receive Ahura Mazdas

guidance throughout life about what the righteous

choices might be (voice of conscience in modern

terminology);

(iii) a capacity to receive that guidance

through Serosha, His Divine Messenger Mentality;

(iv) a Mind (Mano) that is free to accept or reject

Daenas guidance; and

(v) six abstractQualities, akin to Ahura Mazdas

six perfect Attributes innate within Him(Spentas),

which man can make increasingly Spenta-like

when he uses his Mano to choose whether to

contribute to his urwans and the worlds

perfection.

The linkage between the availability of such a

support system and the freedom given to man

whether to opt to avail of it or not -- thus reaping

its consequences in his afterlife, is a teaching

unique to Zoroastrianism. It goes beyond the

popular belief that man can go to heaven simplyby worshipping the Creator through constant

personal prayers and/or practice of religiosity. It

implies living his earthly life by the faiths

basic teachings.


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Let us now understand the meaning of these six

abstract Attributes and Qualities:

Ahura Mazdas DivineAttributes

Mans Qualities

Asha(Male Gender)

Absolute Truth or

Righteousness

Embodies:comprehension of

the immutable Laws of

Nature, whose acts and

consequences govern

everything in the universe

process.

Asha

Absolute Truth or

Righteousness

Capacity: to live

righteously in

accordance with those

laws and thus help the

process of perfection.

Asha's opposite is not

Evil, it is Drug -- Lies o

Wickedness, or

Dragvartim -- Untruth)

Vohu Mano(Male Gender)

Good Mind/Divine Love

Embodies: good mind (the

means), good thinking (the

process) and good though

Vohu Mano

Good Mind/Love

Capacity: to choose

Good and Love, that

encompasses all. (Voh


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(result); thus, a Good Mind

comprehending Truth and

Love

Manos opposite is not

Evil Mind: it is Aka

Mana Bad Mind OrAchista Mana Worst

Mind

Armaiti (Female Gender)

Divine Service/Devotion

Embodies: unswervingdevotion, service and loyalty

to Truth, to make it a reality

through righteous thought,

word and action

Armaiti

Service/Devotion

Capacity: to serve allwith devotion, thus

bringing substance in

thoughts, words and

actions to Truth.

Armaitis opposite is

Taromaiti)

Khshathra(male gender)

Divine Energy/Power

Embodies: Creators

energy/power to advance

Truth and Good in theuniverse

Khshathra

Human

Energy/Power

Capacity: human

energy/power to servemankind, by bringing

Truth, Love and Servic

to fruition


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Truth from that of Untruth in earthly life. It is

unclear what the Prophet prescribed as death

ceremonies (obsequies) to be done by priests.

They are meant to comfort the relatives of the

deceased and his urwan as it awaits Ahura Mazdas

judgment. But they cannot sway it. It will be based

only on life the deceased led on earth.

The ultimate reward for a man who followed Truth

and used his Qualities to perfect his urwan

progressively, is its absorption in Ahura Mazdas

emanation. Zarathustra refers to it allegorically as

living eternally in His Abode of Song and

Light, Garo Damane (Ha. 45.8, 50.4, 51.15). For

a man who followed Untruth and did not use his

Qualities, it is eternal life in His Abode of Woe and

Misery, Druj Damane (Ha. 46.11, 49.11, 51.14).

These Abodes are therefore not physical heavens

or hells, promised by later prophets.

Zarathustra speaks of only these two Abodes. He

does not mention any intermediate one for urwans

who followed Truth and Untruth in an equalmeasure in earthly life. While perfection in one

lifespan seems difficult to achieve, the Prophet

does not mention reincarnation, except in Ha

49.11. But its scholarly interpretation is


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controversial.

Zarathustras Guidance for ImplementingThese Teachings

Understanding Zarathustras real basic teachings is

one thing. How to implement them is another.

Fortunately, they do provide guidance (3) on how

man can achieve the goal of perfecting his urwan

and contributing to the worlds gradual moral andethical perfection.

As we understood in the preceding paragraphs,

man is born with Qualities akin to Ahura Mazdas

abstract Attributes, as well as with an inborn

capacity to generate Wickedness. However, he can

evolve from this mix, by choosing paths which can

help his urwan attain a Spenta way of being (Ha.

47.1) and thus, Immortality in his afterlife.

How can man achieve that? Byvenerating

Ahura Mazda and His Attributes through personal

prayers, simple personal rituals that reinforce his

devotion, and living according to the faiths basic

principles. The keys for living in that manner, are

good thoughts, words and deeds although


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Zoroastrians mistakenly believe them to be the

faiths basic principles. When man pursues them

consistently, his Qualities progressively begin to

personify Ahura Mazdas Attributes more fully (Ha.

28.2, 33.8, 34.1, 45.10, 47.1, 50.4).

What does such veneration achieve? Besides

enabling man to grow spiritually through deliberate

choice, it also fulfills three other purposes of his

earthly life, namely, to: (i) help defeat Wickedness

which he often brings to life by letting his free Mind

ignore his Daenas guidance to choose Truth

instead; (ii) contribute to making the world

ethically and morally more perfect, by

progressively renovating his urwan; and (iii) help

realize this objective which is Ahura Mazdas very

purpose for creating him.

Mans reward is that as his Qualities gradually

strengthen, his urwan advances towards Perfection

and Immortality (Has. 28.10, 31.21, 33.13, 43.10,

45.4). The other is that this development positively

influences not his urwan alone, but also advanceshis family, society and country and thus the world,

towards moral and ethical perfection.


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Why, and how, does that happen? Because

mans Qualities are both, what generate the

reward and the reward itself, the result is an

incremental process towards their Perfection. For

example, pursuit of Good Thinking strengthens

Good Thinking within man (Ha.28.10, 33.13,

34.21). Pursuit of Truth, strengthens Truth within

him (Ha. 31.21). Thus, more he venerates Ahura

Mazda and His Attributes as guided by his Daena,

his understanding of Good Thinking, Truth and

Service becomes keener, and he can more fully

hone the Qualities of his urwan and advance it

towards Immortality in afterlife (Ha. 45,4).

What then are theconsequences of wrongful

thought, word or action? In the short-run, it

may change a man for the worst. But in

Zarathustras unique paradigm, in the longer-run,

worship and veneration of Ahura Mazda and His

Attributes will help man begin the process of

defeating his inborn capacity for Wickedness.

What isthat paradigm? Zarathustra taught thatAhura Mazdas way of defeating Wickedness is not

through fear of punishment. That merely

suppresses Wickedness, not prevent, defeat, or

eliminate it. The right way is to get man to


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To put it another way, Ahura Mazdas justice is

predicated on enlightenment.For example, Has.

41 through 44 talk of changing the minds of both

factions, namely, of those who pursue Truth or

Wickedness, so that both are enlightened into

taking steps to perfect their urwans and the world.

Ahura Mazdas goal is to enlighten mans free Mind

so that it falls into a pattern of invariably choosing

to live by the faiths basic principles.

What then is at the core ofZarathustras

teachings?Neither devout adoration and rote

worship of Ahura Mazda, nor practice of religiosity

and rites dedicated to Amesha Spentas or Yazats

(both are not even mentioned in his teachings) to

seek their boons, are what he teaches.

Unfortunately, that is the common Zoroastrian way.

What lies at the core, is personal worship and

simple rituals. These, and living according to the

faiths basic teachings, can alone strengthen mans

devotion to the Divine, offer him pathways to

comprehend His Wisdom, Divinity and Perfectionand enable him to become Ahura Mazdas effective

helper, to thus fulfill the purpose of his creation.


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To understandthis simple yet profound message,

consider these questions: What are the: (i)

attributes of Wisdom which personify Ahura Mazda?

(ii) Qualities given to man, that he is capable of

honing? (iii) rewards for honing them? (iv) ways to

defeat Wickedness, other than through punishment?

(v) ways for a man to perfect himself and fulfill

Ahura Mazdas purpose in creating him? (vi) ways

to reach Ahura Mazda and spend afterlife in His

Abode of Song and Light by becoming part of His

emanation?

The answer is the same to each question: (a)

Truth (Asha); (b) its comprehension (Vohu

Mano); (c) its devout pursuit in thought, word and

act (Armaiti); (d) power and energy to achieve

their realization (Khshathra); (e) attainment of

Perfection (Hauvratat); and, (f) thereby,

attainment of immortality (Ameretat).

Part Two: Their Transformation Over the Ages

Introduction


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Zarathustras real teachings/1 were briefly

explained in Part I of this article in Hamazors last

issue. They need to be kept in mind to understand

the magnitude of their transformation over the

ages and how different our beliefs and practices

are today.

Clearly, no religion flourishes over thousands of

years in a vacuum of its own. A revealed religion,

particularly one as ancient as Zoroastrianism, is no

exception. Being revolutionary in its teachings, it

transforms individual and societal ways of thinking,

defies established religious and political institutions

and undercuts traditional bases of wealth and

power. It has to withstand and grow in the milieu

of deep-rooted traditional beliefs, ideologies and

practices it replaces, whose beneficiaries are loath

to give them up.

Such forces usually manifest themselves through

changes in a religions rituals, rites, practices,

traditions and religious leadership. But basic

doctrine and their underlying theology, remainessentially intact. This has been the case with all

major religions, except Zoroastrianism. Over the

ages, its reformist monotheistic teachings were

increasingly blended with pre-Zarathustrian deities


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and percepts denounced by Zarathustra. Religious

practices and religiosity that he castigated, were

also reintroduced. Moreover, some modifications

made in them in one era, were altered in

subsequent ones.

As their sweep is too expansive for a brief article,

the transformation/2 will be explored illustratively

through a limited number of topics, over 3 time

periods:

The Gathic Period (GP), from around 1700 up to

1400 BC;

The Younger Avestan Period (YAP), from around

1400 BC up to 250 AD (the advent of the

Haptanghaiti Gathas until the end of the Parthian

era); and

The Later Avestan Period (LAP) , from about 250

to 900 AD (Sassanian/ Islamic era) up to the

present times.

Topic 1: Ahura Mazdas Attributes & Mans

Qualities.

In the GP, belief continued in Zarathustras

teachings that Ahura Mazda created everything


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through His innate Mentalities and abstract

Attributes, and He endowed man/3 with Qualities

akin to His Attributes so that he could help perfect

the world by perfecting his urwan. They were:

Asha (Absolute Truth /Righteousness), Vohu Mano

(Good Mind/ Divine Love); Armaiti (Divine

Service/ Devotion); Khshathra (Divine

Power/Energy); Haurvatat (Perfection); and

Ameratat (Immortality).

Such monotheistic teachings made it difficult for

the priests of the pre-Zarahustrian faith to

generate fear in the laity that it had to perform

expensive rites and rituals to assuage various

godheads, primordial and supernatural divinities.

Faced with the resulting loss of influence and

income, they began agitating against the new

teachings.

During the YAP, such opposition intensified.

Zarathustras weak successors could not resist the

rebelling priests who were determined to revert to

pre-Zarathustrian beliefs and practices to regain

wealth and power. Ultimately, a grand

compromise was forged between them. It is

reflected in the Haptanhaiti Gathas, and later


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scriptures. In essence, the syncretism introduced,

was to retain the concept of Ahura Mazda in name,

while blending pre-Zarathustrian entities and

practices into many of the strictly monotheistic

doctrinal underpinnings of the Prophets teachings.

How was it all done? It began by keeping Ahura

Mazda as supreme, but subtly eroding His

omnipotence. His six innate Attributes were

personified into primordial Amesha Spentas. He

was than only placed at their head, to form

Heavenly Council of 7 Holy Immortals. For the

first time in our faith, a divine Zoroastrian

pantheon was thus created. Amesha Spentas held

first rank like that enjoyed by archangels of

subsequent faiths. Each personified Attribute was

made responsible for a physical earthly domain:

Vohu Manah, for the Cattle Kingdom; Asha, for Fire;

Spenta Armaiti, for Mother Earth; Khshathra Vairya,

for the Mineral Kingdom; Haurvatat, for the Water

Kingdom; and Ameretat, for the Plants Kingdom.

Many of Zarathustras percepts were abandoned.For instance, that: Ahura Mazda endowed man

with Qualities akin to His Attributes, so that he

could cope with his responsibility for deciding

whether to perfect his urwan and thus the world,


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Ardvi Sura, Vayu, Tishtrya, over fire, water, wind,

rain, etc.. Later in this period when Persian

empires expanded, the polytheistic gods of

conquered nations began to be absorbed for

political reasons into Zoroastrianism as Yazats.

Their numbers therefore multiplied.

Elaborate ceremonies, rituals and religiosity

reentered the faith, achieving the rebelling

priesthoods goal of regaining lost wealth and

power. Yashts were composed to honor every

major Yazat. Man recited them to seek boons,

benedictions and help from the Yazats. Such

reliance further eroded mans responsibility for

making choices relevant to the perfection of his

urwan and the world.

Zarathustra had taught that Ahura Mazda endowed

each man with a Daena, which received His

guidance through His Divine Messenger Mentality,

Serosha. Their role was now played by the new

concept of fravashis. Both were also demoted, as

celestial Yazats.

Zarathustra, and Ahura Mazda, are now often

called Yazats. Even the juice of the intoxicating

ephedra plant, Hoama, whose consumption and


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Topic 3: Fravashis:

In the GP, there was no belief in fravashis. They

had no place in Zarathustras teachings.In the YAP, fravashis were introduced into

Zoroastrian theology for the first time, as part of

the grand compromise. They are holy souls

who existed since the dawn of time, i.e. before

the creation process began. Another primordial

force was thus blended into Zarathustrasrevolutionary monotheistic faith. Fravashis joined

Ahura Mazda, Amesha Spentas and Yazats in the

creation process. Ahura Mazdas omnipotence in

the creation process was thus further diluted and

His Spenta Mainyu Mentalitys role cut out.

Zarathustras teaching that Ahura Mazda guides

every mans Daena through His Serosha Mentality,

is discarded altogether. Instead, man receives

guidance from his heaven-based fravashi, or

guardian spirit. Everyone and everything, even

Ahura Mazda and the Amesha Spentas, have

fravashis. One of the oldest Zoroastrian prayers

written in this period, the Fravardin Yasht, lists

about 300 fravashis, some primordial and others of


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persons who played invaluable roles in spreading

Zarathustras teachings in many lands.

The new prayers, including those composed forsocio-religious occasions, invoked not only Ahura

Mazda help, but also that of fravashis, Yazats and

Amesha Spentas.

In the LAP, fravashis, renamed farohars,

underwent a transformation from the preceding

period. It is Ahura Mazda, renamed Ormazd, whocreated them before He decided to create the

universe.

Yet another major transformation in

Zoroastrianisms theology was, that farohars

agreed to Ormazds request not to live with Him in

heaven, but on earth within man to serve as his

guide in earthly life and return to heaven only

when his body dies. Zarathustras original concepts

of Daena and Serosha, as well as the change made

in them in the YAP, were thus discarded. As the

world today has over 7 billion persons, it now has,

by implication, over 7 billion fravashis instead of

about 300 in the Fravardin Yasht.

Whatever a mans transgression may be, his

fravashi always intercedes on his behalf with Ahura


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Mazda. It accompanies his urwan across Cinvat

Bridge, to plead for him with its 3 Judges. It also

does that in his after-life. The monotheistic

teaching that man is responsible for the fate of his

urwan in afterlife is thus watered down.

Topic 4: Angre Mainyu or Ahriman:

In the GP, there was no belief in Angre Mainyu, It

was simply not part of Zarathustras teachings. As

explained in Part I of this article, he mentions

Wickedness (called Evil in later scriptures) in 3

places, in the context where the word means a

doer of wickedness, wicked person or victim of

wickedness. This suggests that Wickedness has no

substance, until man gives it life by choosing to

think, speak or act wickedly.

In the YAP, Wickedness is personified for the first

time in Zoroastrianism as Angre Mainyu, the Evil

Spirit. As part of the grand compromise, it

emerges as a primordial spirit that is always inopposition to Ahura Mazdas innate Spenta Mainyu

Mentality (His Creative Mentality). That Mentality is

thus turned into a personified primordial spirit.


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Angre Mainyus goal is to overthrow Ahura Mazda

and lure men into becoming his allies. Although

Zarathustra had castigated belief and worship of

daevas and divs, they re-enter Zoroastrianism as

Angre Mainyus panoply of the evil forces. They are

always engaged in perpetrating evil in the universe

and persuading men to commit evil.

Towards the end of YAP, in the Achamanean era

(549-330 BC), the Zurvanite heresy gained

credence amongst Zoroastrians. Namely, that

Zurvan (i.e., Time), not Ahura Mazda , was the

father of both Spenta Mainyu and Angre Mainyu.

In the LAP, Angre Mainyu was renamed Ahriman.

From his position as the rival of Ormazads Spenta

Mainyu Mentality in the YAP, he is now madeOrmazads co-equal. This was done through the

Avesta-Zend compiled in the Sassanian era. In

other words, it was only 1,700 years ago that the

name as well as co-equality of Ahriman with Ahura

Mazda was introduced in our 4,000 year-old faith.

Is that duality compatible with Zarathustrasteaching of monotheism?

Ahriman swears vengeance against Ormazd and

His creations. He vows to destroy them. He creates


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all evil in the universe, including falsehood, disease,

pestilence, war and death. With his panoply of

daevas and divs, he spreads and deepens evil in all

forms everywhere. When any man abandons the

worship of Ormazd, Ahriman makes him his

partner. He is determined to prevent Frasho-keriti

(Ultimate Renovation of the Universe), a concept

also grafted into Zoroastrianism in the Sassanian

era. All this is a drastic change in Zarathustras

teaching that evil has no substance until man

makes it a reality.

A further change occurred in Sassanian times. In

place of the Achamanean heresy of Zurwan,

Zoroastrians now believed that Zurwan fathered

Ormazd and Ahriman as twins. Learned scholars

like Mary Boyce have concluded that most

Sassanian kings, and presumably many

Zoroastrians at the time, were Zurwanite in their

belief.

Topic 5: Religious Prayers and Rituals:

In the GP, man followed Zarathustras teaching of

venerating Ahura Mazda, His Mentalities and

Attributes, by reciting individual prayers with


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outstretched arms (Ha. 50.8), doing simple rituals

to reaffirm devotion and by living life according to

the faiths basic principles. This was done before

an ever-burning hearth fire, whose light was

symbolized by the Prophet as Ahura Mazdas light

of Wisdom and Creativity. Since Zarathustra had

denounced rites and rituals that led to the loss of

the wealth and influence of the pre-Zarathustrian

priests, it might be safe to assume that

Zoroastrian priests only performed socio-religious

ceremonies. No one seems to know what prayers

they than recited. But presumably, they only

invoked Ahura Mazda and drew upon the relevant

stanzas of those Gathas that Zarathustra had

composed to teach his faith.

The YAP however witnessed a revival of many

ceremonies and rituals of the pre-Zarathustrian era,

inclusive of animal sacrifices, gift offerings and

libations. Since Amesha Spentas, Yazats and

fravashis were now blended into the faith, prayers

recited at all rituals and socio-religious prayer

ceremonies, invoked their blessings and help

besides that of Ahura Mazda.

The Hoama ritual was revived and new ones

introduced. For example, certain days of the year


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were earmarked as fravardigan days, when the

Fravardin Yashts 300 fravashis come down to

earth. Man had to propitiate them in order to

persuade them to look after the urwans of their

deceased family members. New expensive

ceremonies like the afringan, faroksi and varsi had

to be performed throughout the year to help those

urwans. Such practices transformed Zarathustras

basic teaching that a mans urwan pays in after life,

for living or not living according to the faiths basic

principles.

In the LAP, the expensive Nirang and Vendidad

ceremonies were added. But animal sacrifices and

gift offerings ceased. Fire, milk, fruits, metal

objects, water and an oil lamp, the earthly

domains that were assigned to the 7 Aspandads in

this period, were used instead. Religiosity and rites

increasingly become mans means of venerating

Ormazd, rather than through individual prayers

and simple personal rituals.

As in the YAP, eminent priests continued tocompose prayers invoking Amesha Spentas, Yazats

and Fravashis, besides Ahura Mazda. But phrases

from the Gathas were now interwoven into them to

give them the authenticity of reflecting


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Zarathustras teachings. That was also the purpose

of inserting the surviving 17 Gathas composed by

Zarathustra, in the middle of the 72 chapters of

the Avesta-Zend.

By the Islamic period (around 632 AD), the

number of fravashis swelled to 9,999. Yet another

change was introduced in fravardigan practice.

Fravashis of the deceased relatives accompanied

Fravardin Yashts 300 fravashis. Family members

propitiated them to cajole them into taking care of

their relatives urwans. That practice again

changed in later centuries. On favardigan days,

only the fravashis of the deceased family members

came in the company of their urwans. But since

the last 200 years, urwans of the

deceased relatives alone came , so that their

families could remember them.

Topic 6: Heaven and Hell

In the GP, belief continued in Zarathustrasteaching that a man who had lived according to the

faiths principles and perfected his urwan, is

rewarded on crossing Cinvat Bridge by being

absorbed in Ahura Mazdas emanation, the


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allegorical Abode of Light and Song. Those who

had not, went to the allegorical Abode of Woe and

Misery.

In the YAP, a four-fold division for both heaven and

hell replaced the GPs two-fold division. Heavens 4

divisions were: Anaghra Roaocha (endless light),

where Ahura Mazda, Amesha Spentas, Yazats and

the fravashis of perfected souls dwell as reward for

having perfected themselves on earth; the

remaining 3 lower heavens, in a descending order,

awaited those who had led less perfect lives,

namely, those of Humata (Good Thought),

Hukhata (Good Words) and Huvarshta (Good

Deeds). Hells 4-fold divisions, in a descending

order, were those of Dushmata (Evil Thought),

Dushukhta (Evil Words), Dushvarashta (Evil Deeds)

and Angra Temati (Endless Darkness). In addition,

man who lived life with an equal measure of good

and wickedness, went to Misvana Getu (place of

mixing), a mid-way place between heaven and hell.

In the LAP, these divisions remained. But theurwans for whom no obsequies were done by their

relatives, went to a lower level of heaven. Those

for whom they were done, ascended to its highest

level, Garotman. Locations of heaven are set in


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different parts of the cosmos. From the lowest to

highest, they were between stars to moon, moon

to sun, and sun to Garotman and Garotman to

endless light where Ahura Mazda resides. The 4

location of hell are in the middle of the earth,

below Cinvat Bridge. Each is distinguished by

increasing gradation of punishment meted by

Ahriman and his divs to the urwans. The midway

heaven is located between the earth and stars.

Summary & Conclusions

The objective of this article is simply to provide

information not easily available to most

Zoroastrians. Readers might ponder over it and

reach their own conclusions as to whether what

they practice as their faith, reflects Zarathustras

original strictly monotheistic teachings. Or,

whether it is closer to the practice of the Sassanian

era, by which time Zarathustras teachings had

regressed through blending pre-Zarathustrian

divinities, primordial and supernatural beings into

them and also rituals to propitiate them.

It seems to the author that the extensive blending

initiated through the grand compromise reflected


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in the Haptanhaiti Gathas, was deepened in our

later scriptures because Zarathustras teachings

had become dimmer and dimmer by that time.

This was probably due to the inability over those

centuries to understand the ancient Gathic

language in which Zarathustra had composed them.

Together, they succeeded in drastically changing

most of his strict monotheistic teachings, not

merely the faiths rites, rituals, practices, traditions

and religious leadership - as it happened in other

major faiths.

The net result was: to preserve the concept of

Ahura Mazda, not as the sole omnipotent Creator,

but as one who relied on supernatural beings and

forces even in the process of creation itself; to

personalize His innate Mentalities and abstract

Attributes, and turn them into supernatural forces;

to create a hierarchial divine pantheon of Amesha

Spentas and Yazats, akin to arch angels and angels

of later faiths; to revere Ahura Mazda not only

through personal prayers, but increasingly through

expensive and frequent rituals and ceremonies

invoking such divinities and forces; for mans

Daena not to receive Ahura Mazdas guidance

through His Serosha Mentality, but instead be


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guided by a supernatural guardian angel, a mans

fravashi, that Zarathustra mentioned nowhere.

Further results were: to continue venerating AhuraMazda, along with the supernatural Amesha

Spentas, Yazats and fravashis who had no place in

Zarathustras teachings; for man to no longer be

the one who gives substance to Wickedness, but

instead pass the blame to a primordial Evil,

Ahriman; to make him equal to Ahura Mazda; for

man to rely on supernatural Yazats and fravashis

to help him perfect his urwan and the world, rather

than choosing to lead life based on the faiths basic

principles; to nourish hope of a better fate for his

urwan in afterlife through the intercession of his

fravashi and obsequies done by relatives, rather

than reap the benefit of, or the penalty for, the

way he lived on earth.

The reality seems to be, that Zoroastrianism today

rests on beliefs and practices that do not reflect

Zarathustras pristinely monotheistic teachings.

Should Zoroastrians practice it as it has evolvedby tradition, in the erroneous belief that it is

what Zarathustra taught? Or, should they practice

the faith only as he taught it? Or, while doing that,

should they also respect the traditions that have


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grown up over the ages, while recognizing that

they are merely time-honored traditions which do

not reflect the Prophets real teachings? Each

Zoroastrian must confront this dilemma alone, and

live with his personal decision.

As followers of a tolerant faith premised on the use

of mans Good Mind and Truth, is it possible to

consider engaging in a productive discussion about

what has happened in Zoroastrianism? In such a

dialogue, can we remain firm in our beliefs without

demonizing those with just as strongly held

different convictions? Can we thus come to some

common understandings, which can be passed on

as a legacy to future generations? Is it too much to

hope for such a mutually beneficial outcome?

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Gathic Studies