Zoroastrianism

Good thoughts, good words, good deeds — and the fire.

All 108 concepts

• Ahura Mazda - The Wise Lord — The supreme deity of Zoroastrianism, the creator of all good things.
• Asha - Cosmic Truth and Order — The fundamental principle of truth, righteousness, and cosmic order.
• The Six Amesha Spentas — The six divine attributes of Ahura Mazda that govern creation.
• Vohu Manah - Good Mind — The divine attribute of good thought, wisdom, and right thinking.
• Spenta Mainyu - Holy Spirit — The creative, beneficent spirit of Ahura Mazda.
• The Light of Mazda — Light as the symbol and manifestation of divine truth.
• Divine Wisdom — Ahura Mazda's infinite wisdom guides creation and moral law.
• The Creator of All Good — Ahura Mazda creates only good; evil is the work of the opposing spirit.
• Khshathra Vairya - Divine Dominion — The divine attribute of righteous power and the ideal kingdom.
• Spenta Armaiti - Holy Devotion — The divine attribute of devotion, piety, and right-mindedness.
• Haurvatat - Wholeness and Health — The divine attribute of wholeness, health, and completeness.
• Ameretat - Immortality — The divine attribute of immortality and eternal life.
• Unity of Ahura Mazda — Despite divine attributes, Ahura Mazda is fundamentally one.
• Knowing Mazda — Humans can know Ahura Mazda through righteous living and devotion.
• The Two Spirits — The fundamental choice between the spirit of truth and the spirit of falsehood.
• Angra Mainyu - The Destructive Spirit — The spirit of evil, falsehood, and destruction opposing Ahura Mazda.
• The Cosmic Battle — Good and evil are engaged in a cosmic struggle with an assured outcome.
• Human Choice — Each person must choose between truth and lie, good and evil.
• Druj - The Lie — The fundamental principle of evil, falsehood, and disorder.
• Ethical Dualism — Zoroastrian dualism is ethical rather than metaphysical.
• The Daevas — Evil spirits serving Angra Mainyu who lead humans astray.
• The Yazatas — Beings worthy of worship who serve Ahura Mazda.
• Origins of Suffering — Suffering exists because of Angra Mainyu's corruption of creation.
• Humans as Allies of Good — Each human is called to be an ally of Ahura Mazda in the cosmic struggle.
• The Limited Time of Evil — Evil's power is limited; it will be completely destroyed in time.
• The Three Periods — Cosmic history divided into creation, mixture, and separation.
• Victory of Good — The ultimate and complete victory of Ahura Mazda is certain.
• Humata - Good Thoughts — The first pillar of Zoroastrian ethics: cultivating good thoughts.
• Hukhta - Good Words — The second pillar: speaking truthfully and beneficially.
• Huvarshta - Good Deeds — The third pillar: acting righteously in the world.
• Unity of the Three — Thoughts, words, and deeds must be aligned and consistent.
• Truthfulness — Speaking and living truth is the highest virtue.
• Hospitality — Welcoming strangers and sharing one's goods is a sacred duty.
• Charity — Giving to those in need as expression of righteousness.
• Hard Work — Diligent labor in productive work is a religious duty.
• Care for Creation — Protecting and nurturing the natural world is a sacred duty.
• Family Life — Marriage and family are sacred institutions supporting creation.
• Justice — Upholding justice and fairness in all dealings.
• Moderation — Avoiding excess in all things, following the middle way.
• Courage — Standing firmly for truth even in the face of opposition.
• Active Virtue — Righteousness requires active engagement, not passive avoidance.
• Sacred Fire — Fire as the visible symbol of Ahura Mazda's truth and presence.
• Atar - Fire as Divine Presence — Atar is the yazata of fire, representing divine presence in the world.
• Fire Temple (Atash Bahram) — The sacred building where eternal fire is maintained and venerated.
• Grades of Fire — Sacred fires are classified into different grades of holiness.
• Fire and Purity — Fire represents and maintains purity, essential to Zoroastrian life.
• Daily Fire Prayers — Zoroastrians pray facing fire or a source of light.
• Light Against Darkness — Light symbolizes good; darkness symbolizes evil in the cosmic struggle.
• Fire in the Home — Maintaining fire in the home as a sacred practice.
• Fire and Truth — Fire reveals truth - oaths were sworn over fire for this reason.
• Sun Veneration — The sun as the greatest fire, representing Ahura Mazda in the sky.
• Caring for Fire — Proper care for sacred fire as a religious duty.
• Inner Fire — The spiritual fire within each person that must be cultivated.
• Fire and Water — Fire and water are both sacred elements requiring protection.
• Frashokereti - The Final Renovation — The ultimate renewal of creation when evil is permanently destroyed.
• Resurrection of the Dead — All the dead will rise bodily at the final renovation.
• Individual Judgment — Each soul is judged at death based on thoughts, words, and deeds.
• Heaven - House of Song — The destination of the righteous soul after judgment.
• Hell - House of Lies — The temporary destination of wicked souls before final renovation.
• The Saoshyant — The savior figure who will bring about the final renovation.
• Purity Laws — Maintaining ritual purity as essential to righteous living.
• The Kusti Ritual — Daily untying and retying of the sacred cord with prayers.
• The Sudreh — The sacred inner garment worn by all initiated Zoroastrians.
• Navjote - Initiation — The ceremony initiating a child into the Zoroastrian faith.
• The Five Daily Prayers — Prayers recited five times daily corresponding to the watches of the day.
• Nowruz - New Year — The most important Zoroastrian festival, celebrating the new year at spring equinox.
• Yasna - The Central Liturgy — The main liturgical ceremony centered on fire and haoma.
• Exposure of the Dead — Traditional practice of disposing of the dead without polluting earth, fire, or water.
• The Magi — The priestly class responsible for ritual and religious teaching.
• Environmental Responsibility — Protecting earth, water, fire, and air as sacred duty.
• Animal Welfare — Kind treatment of animals as sacred duty.
• Marriage — Marriage as sacred duty supporting creation and righteousness.
• Children and Education — Raising children in righteousness as primary duty of parents.
• Wealth and Poverty — Honest acquisition of wealth and care for the poor.
• Agriculture — Farming as sacred work that supports and continues creation.
• The Fravashi — The eternal spiritual aspect of every soul that pre-exists birth.
• Conscience (Daena) — The inner guide that leads toward truth and judges after death.
• Free Will — Humans have genuine freedom to choose between good and evil.
• Mithra — The yazata of covenant, light, and judgment.
• Sraosha — The yazata of obedience, hearing the divine word.
• Anahita — The yazata of waters, fertility, and wisdom.
• Prayer and Meditation — Regular prayer and meditation as means of connection with the divine.
• The Avesta — The sacred scriptures of Zoroastrianism.
• The Gathas — The hymns composed by Zarathustra himself, the holiest texts.
• Zarathustra - The Prophet — The founder and prophet of Zoroastrianism.
• The Conversion of Vishtaspa — The king whose conversion established Zoroastrianism.
• Zoroastrianism and Other Religions — Zoroastrianism's influence on Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.
• The Persian Empire — Zoroastrianism as the religion of the great Persian empires.
• Cyrus the Great — The Persian king known for tolerance and justice.
• The Islamic Conquest — The Arab conquest changed Zoroastrianism's position in Persia.
• The Parsis — The Zoroastrian community in India.
• Iranian Zoroastrians — The Zoroastrian community remaining in Iran.
• Zoroastrian Diaspora — Zoroastrian communities worldwide in the modern era.
• Conversion Debates — Contemporary discussions about accepting converts.
• Intermarriage Questions — Debates about maintaining faith identity in mixed marriages.
• Gender Equality — The relatively equal status of women in Zoroastrian tradition.
• Science and Religion — Zoroastrianism's positive view of knowledge and learning.
• Happiness as Goal — Zoroastrianism affirms happiness as legitimate life goal.
• The Physical World — The material world is good, created by Ahura Mazda.
• Body and Soul — Body and soul together form the complete person.
• Progressive Revelation — Truth unfolds progressively in human history.
• Individual Responsibility — Each person is responsible for their own choices and spiritual fate.
• Community and Solidarity — The importance of community support in the righteous life.
• Hope — Fundamental optimism based on the assured victory of good.
• Daily Renewal — Each day offers opportunity for spiritual renewal and recommitment.
• Sacred Time — Observing sacred times through the Zoroastrian calendar.
• Legacy and Influence — Zoroastrianism's enduring impact on world civilization.
• Living the Truth — The ultimate call to embody Asha in daily life.

Essays on Zoroastrianism

• What Zoroastrianism says about good and evil — The two spirits, the Lie, free choice and an evil with an end date. Ten Zoroastrian concepts on good and evil, with sources.
• What Zoroastrianism says about balance — Zoroastrian balance is not a truce between good and evil. Nine concepts on moderation, wholeness and the goodness of the body.
• What Zoroastrianism says about time — Three world ages, five daily prayers and an end that is fixed. Ten Zoroastrian concepts about time, sourced where the library names them.
• What Zoroastrianism says about truth and lying — Asha and Druj, oaths sworn over fire, Mithra's punishment of promise-breakers, and why Zoroastrianism calls hypocrisy a lie: ten concepts on truth.
• What Zoroastrianism says about habit and discipline — The kusti retied five times daily, a home fire never let out, and a moderation rule that limits devotion itself: Zoroastrian discipline in ten concepts.
• What Zoroastrianism says about illness and the body failing — Health as a divine attribute, disease blamed on Angra Mainyu, purity laws that burden the sick, and bodily resurrection: ten concepts on illness.