Zoroastrianism (or Mazdaism)

Zoroastrianism is a monotheist religion that was founded in the late 7th or early 6th centuries BCE by the Persian prophet Zarathustra, or . After Zoroaster’s death, his religion spread throughout Persia and was the state religion of several powerful empires from c550 BCE to the 600s CE, including the Persian Empire. Islam had replaced Zoroastrianism as the main southwest Asian religion by the 800s, when a small group of believers settled in Gujarat, northwestern India. Today, there are at least 250,000 Zoroastrians worldwide, living in more than 17 different countries. Over 3,000 live in North America A ritual meeting among Zoroastrians but the majority live in India, where they are known as Parsees (or ), or in .

Basic teachings Zoroastrianism teaches concern for truth, ● Good will triumph in the struggle over evil, charity, chastity, justice, compassion, and care and the dead will be resurrected. Both living for the natural elements. Main beliefs include: and dead will then be judged; hell and the ● One eternal god, Mazda, the creator of wicked will be destroyed, and there will be all things good and “Lord of ” paradise on Earth ● Angra Mainyu (or ) is the destructive ● Fire is sacred, and believers must pray in the principle of greed, anger, and darkness presence of fire, five times a day

Sacred texts and amesha spentas ● , the holy book, consisting of prayers, The yazatas are lesser good spirits created by hymns, rituals, instruction, practice, and law to help him govern; amesha ● , hymns attributed to Zoroaster spentas are the six chief yazatas. Each is ● Pahlavi, literature worshipped separately and has a special month, festival, flower, and element. ● Vahishta (Excellence, Order, Truth) presides over justice, fire, and spiritual knowledge ● (Good Mind) presides over divine wisdom, illumination, and love and welcomes souls to paradise ● Khshathra Vairya (Desirable Dominion) presides over metal and represents the power of Ahura Mazda's kingdom ● (Beneficent Devotion; female), the spirit of devotion and faith, presides over Earth and guides devotees ● (Wholeness or Perfection) and (Immortality), the sisters, preside over plants and water Representation of Ahura Mazda