Zarathustra was the ancient Aryan poet/prophet whose birth coincided with the celebration of spring, new dawn and renewal of vitality. His philosophy and ancient poetry is as well based on the Celebration of life/light, the will to excel and thrive, splendid new dawn, powers of renewal, and arising of the immanent Godhood within nature and man.
In his poetic gathas, the seer/prophet sings: “arise within me ahura” ûs-möi ûz.árešvá ahûrá, referring to the ascension of Godhood within nature and man. Zarathustra teaches to bring out the god within, and to nurture, develop the inner creative artist, and the skillful gardener of the worlds.
The religious sentiments of Zarathustra come straight from the heart; and there is a distinctively personal and passionate note about them. His poetic gathas sing of a luminous vision of the ahuras (Norse aesir,) and are a roadmap to become like the Immortal Gods, tãm daænãm ýá ḵšmá.vatö ahûrá.
The keynote of Zarathustra’s religious doctrine is that we share the same ingenious/brilliant essence as the Immortals, and bear likeness to Godhood in lofty mind, purity, radiance, goodness and genius.
The gathas/songs of the ancient Aryan prophet start with the phrase ahiiá yásá. The word ahiiá “essence of being” is the equivalent of Vedic asiiá, and refers to sharing “the same essence as” the Immortal Gods/Godhood per the ancient Avestan commentaries. The second word yásá is a cognate of Greek zelós, and connects “essence of being” to “intense desire, passion, yearning, the quest for never-ending excellence.”
There is, indeed, nothing more characteristic of Zarathustra, than the conviction that we are impelled by the very constitution of our nature to wrestle and strive towards betterment, Godhood and excellence. Cosmic order/truth according to the famous ašem vôhü formula is about becoming ever better, and striving to excel ever higher.
According to the poet/prophet of the ancient Aryans, the supreme control of the universe and mortals belongs not to a blind or implacable fate, but to watchful and discerning ahuras, hvö vîčirö ahûrö//aθá-né aηhat ýaθá hvö vasat. The wisdom and will of Godhood impel the chariot of time forward. In the gathas, and the Avestan lore time is always cyclical. But the cyclical movement of time has a purpose and plan. The rotation of the wheel of time is not a blind movement, but an intelligent march of titans forward. See Yasna 44.17 concerning the wheel of time and chariot imagery in the poetic gathas.
In Zoroastrianism, the march of time will ultimately bring to fulfillment the triumph of the spirit, the will of the Immortals, and the overcoming of all limitations and flaws.
The wheel of Time rotates forward to create/redesign a more splendid, loftier creation always. There is no falling back to the age of reptilian monsters and apes in Zoroastrianism.
Godhood for the Aryan poet/prophet is ONLY the “odyssey of mind power, creative imagination, consciousness, the sacred Will to overcome limitations, the passionate desire to excel and thrive.”
Zarathustra teaches that visions/ideas are the real prime mover force, and that the secrets of the universe are encoded in the rhythms, modes, frequency, and vibrations of mind energy, imagination and consciousness.
He declares himself to be the prophet of the supreme god of “mind power and inspiring creativity” MAZDA. In Indo European sacred lore, MAZDA is closest to ODIN, “the wanderer wisdom.” Yet, etymologically MAZDA is related to Greek MUSES, who personified mind/will power, remembered all things that had come to pass, and gave artists, philosophers and individuals the necessary inspiration for creativity and innovation.
The gathas of the Aryan prophet talk of Mazdá and his ahûrás (in plural.) These ahûrás of the gathas have become the later Zoroastrian Auspicious or Brilliant Immortals.
The nature of ahûrás is connected to cosmic order/truth and eternal quest for excellence. Per the holiest mantra of Zoroastrianism: To become ahü or godlike is “one and the same as” becoming the knower of riddles of the cosmic order ratü, that is to know all the rites and formulas of the universe.
There is NO diversity of interests and clash of contending wills among the different Immortals or aspects of Godhood in Zoroastrianism, See Yasna 51.20.
Zarathustra teaches the Oneness of Godhood in “inspiring creativity, goodness, genius and truth,” but in NO remote way implies biblical kind of monotheism. Almost every poetic verse and metre in the gathas is an ode to the Brilliant Immortals.
The association of Zoroastrianism with monotheism is fairly recent, and goes back to 19th century Protestant Evangelist Martin Haug. NO ancient Greek, Roman, Babylonian, Assyrian, Hebrew, Christian, Chinese or Arab account of Zoroastrianism says or confirms ANYTHING about monotheism in relation to Zoroastrianism. More importantly, there is absolutely nothing in the Zoroastrian sacred lore that remotely resembles the shema of the Old Testament or hints at possible Old Testament like monotheism.
In the gathas and the rest of the Avestan lore, the Immortals are ONE LUMINOUS FORCE. Godhood headed by Mazdá is the force that “discovers, imagines, innovates, thinks, overcomes limitations and ever designs a more splendid creation.” Immortals are the author of goodness, genius, discovery and brilliance ONLY.
Zarathustra objected to the idea of the gods acting for some deranged pleasure of theirs. Immortals are exempt from the lower passions incident to human nature. In the vision/religion of Zarathustra Immortals are incapable of deception, cruelty, and infliction of misery. The Gods “know not sadism, flaws nor imperfections. They are pure goodness, genius and splendid mind power that press for the advantage and betterment of creation.
Powerful beings that ask for blood sacrifices of innocent animals, who show sadistic pleasure in tormenting mortals, who trick and deceive are NOT Gods but devils daævás. There is no killing of innocent animals in the gathic doctrine of Zarathustra. The only acceptable offering to Immortals is holy water, purity, good thoughts, good words, good deeds, and becoming ingenious/brilliant like Immortal Gods themselves.
Zarathustra does NOT believe in the doctrine of the envy of the Gods either. In the eyes of the seer/prophet of the ancient Aryans, the divine nature is NOT jealous or petty, and the so called gods that will not suffer any but themselves to think high thoughts or excel are NO Gods but “devil gods and demons” daævás, who are not worthy of worship.”
Man in Zoroastrianism is a free moral agent, not a slave. Zoroastrianism entirely rejects the notion of victimhood, and believes in consequences of choices, will power and the eventual triumph of the spirit. Mortal man in Zoroastrianism is the co-creator and fellow warrior of the Immortal Gods. The ultimate prize in the gathas belong to the fellow/co creators of the Immortals, those who write new, ever better songs in the celestial abode of music garö demánæ, where Mazdá, the supreme god of “mind power and inspiring creativity” arrived first and foremost See Yasna 51.15. This makes the Zoroastrian notion of immortality and glory pretty novel and unique.
Zoroastrian faith is not simply a very ancient Indo European religion, but a spiritual way of life meant for the noble ones. It is about the triumph of the sacred will to excel/overcome, and is exclusive to the co-workers of the Immortals, the wanderer wise, the philosopher warrior, and the noble stewards of the creation. Zoroastrianism is not and has never been a faith for the sheepish and the masses.
The Aryan seer/prophet Zarathustra brought into prominence the nobler and more ideal features of the Indo European pantheon, and purified the traditional theology of Aryans to its pristine purity according to the Avestan lore. May splendid glory be always to the Mazda worshipping religion, the teaching of the wise ahuras ahûra-tkaæšö.
ardeshir
