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We live in troubled times today, when danger,
uncertainty, deception and ignorance seem to be rampant. Terrorist acts
occur with alarming frequency and outbreak of war in different parts of
the world appears to be imminent. Disclosure of financial frauds and scams
occurs often and even the highest courts of the lands try to subvert the
established decisions of the past. The stability of our lives seems
threatened, and our expectations for a peaceful and prosperous future
appear to be undermined and thwarted by these malicious actions.
Frustration, despair and disillusionment are commonplace, and the search
for positive changes among these depressing situations seems to lead
nowhere. At every turn we encounter disappointment; anxiety gnaws at our
brains and emotions.
We feel all these disturbing things strongly
because we are part of these vexing times, and they impinge upon every
aspect of our lives. Our pain is a living pain, and there seems to be no
remedy at hand that can quiet it. But these unfortunate and often
disastrous situations have occurred throughout history, and in many cases
they have been documented in detail. This was especially true in the 20th
century, when literacy and communication had developed on a global scale,
matching only the development of the means of mass destruction. But if we
reach back further into history, we also find ample evidence and testimony
of such malicious acts and depressing conditions that were recorded for
future generations. Remarkably, nowhere have these matters been noted with
such clarity and such passion as in a small collection of poetic hymns
that stand at the beginning of Iranian literary and religious history.
Here I am referring to the Songs of
Zarathustra, an extraordinary collection of some 250 poetic verses
composed by a remarkable philosopher and religious innovator whose name is
the basis of the world religion known as Zoroastrianism. Zarathustra
lived sometime in the very early centuries of the 1st
millennium before our era, and he taught and preached most probably in the
northern reaches of Iran. All that survives from his fertile and
penetrating mind is a small set of sacrificial hymns chiefly dedicated to
Ahura Mazdā, The Wise Lord, who was his supreme god. Despite the
scantiness of this collection of hymns, known as gāthās in his
language, Zarathustra left an indelible imprint on the subsequent history
of Iran.
Zarathustra’s times were as troubled as ours
today. He informs us in his work that evil rulers attack just and
innocent people, that the rich rob the poor, that the judges produce false
decisions in order to aid their benefactors. Zarathustra goes on to say
that fury and violence assault the people and that everywhere deceit and
deception hold the upper hand. Like us, Zarathustra often expresses his
despair and frustration to Ahura Mazdā, and although he longs for change,
he sometimes wonders whether such positive change will ever take place.
However, driven by anguish and yet moved by
what he called the disease of his world, like a physician Zarathustra
sought to find a remedy to heal and cure it. He began his quest by
searching for those things which were unchanging and immutable, things
that resisted the perfidy and upheavals in the world that surrounded him.
These he found in the elements of nature, such as the sun, moon, stars,
wind, waters, plants and the like. Moreover, Zarathustra noted that these
elements reappeared with both reliability and regularity. The sun rose and
set each day, the moon cycled each month, the stars reappeared every
night, the flow of rivers was constant, plants and crops grew anew every
year. All these elements clearly obeyed an overarching principle of
nature that both maintained them in an unchanging manner and also imparted
order to their existence. Like his Indoiranian forefathers, Zarathustra
called this principle truth.
But who created these immutable elements of
nature and who formulated the principle of truth that controlled
the order of these things in the world? Furthermore, what was the purpose
in doing so? Surely only a being of great power and wisdom was capable of
fashioning these elements and creating the principle of truth that
gave rise to their eternal design and rhythm. This divine and superior
being Zarathustra named Ahura Mazdā, the Wise Lord, and for the prophet,
Ahura Mazdā was the only true and valid god. Furthermore, Zarathustra
understood why the Wise Lord had fashioned these things. Ahura Mazdā had
also created all living beings, and through his good thinking the
Wise Lord realized that there had to be a way to sustain and nourish these
creatures. This was the purpose of the harmonious and unchanging design
of nature. It was created for the good of the living world. Through these
reflections, Zarathustra conceived of a totally new religious system in
which wisdom, truth, and good thinking were its highest
principles, a system intended to produce well-being and
continuing life in the world of mankind.
However, if it had been Ahura Mazdā’s
intention to create a good life on earth, why was the world of man beset
by unsettling, dangerous and menacing conditions? Zarathustra easily saw
the answer. It was because evil also existed in the world. In fact,
everywhere Zarathustra looked, he found an evil counterpart to every good
condition. Besides peace and friendship, abundant food and water there
were war and enmity, starvation and drought; besides knowledge and
understanding, loyalty and respect there were ignorance and prejudice,
opposition and disrespect. In all his reflections on the human condition,
Zarathustra realized that for every bright aspect of life there was also a
dark side, and consequently he was able to systematize all of human
existence and human endeavor into two camps: the side of good and the side
of evil.
What, then, was the cause of evil? If truth
was the principle that organized the good and beneficial aspects of
life, then its counterpart must be responsible for what is evil and
destructive in the world. In Zarathustra’s conception, that counterpart
was deceit. Deceit, in all its manifestations, was the
corrosive principle of existence that viciously strove to undermine the
principles of the good life. Consequently, for the founder of this new
and innovation religious and philosophical system, there was no middle
ground, no centrist position. There existed only two opposing forces in
the world, and these were truth and deceit. Furthermore,
every man was free to choose to ally himself either with the side of
truth or the side of deceit. There was no predestination in
Zarathustra’s religion. There was only free will, and every responsible
person was obliged to choose sides in the continuing and dynamic conflict
between good and evil.
Out of these profound reflections Zarathustra
envisioned a different world order that he called the good vision.
It was the vision of the world of mankind governed by the same harmonious
and reliable principle of truth that controlled the order of the
immutable elements of nature, and it could be promoted among men through
understanding and good thinking. Whether as individuals or
as ruling authorities, Zarathustra believed that this rule of truth and
good thinking could be enacted on earth through good thoughts, good
words and good deeds, if people understood that it was
necessary to eliminate every form of deceit in their world . These
were the only means to achieve well-being and continuing life
on earth.
Zarathustra’s life was not easy. His ideas
were too radical for the traditional community in which he was raised. He
tells us in his poetry that he was driven from his family and land, and
that he wandered under great hardship until he was accepted by the
nobleman Vishtaspa, whose tribe or clan became the first adherents of
Zarathustra’s teaching. This was a modest beginning assuredly, but
Zarathustra’s ideas were so persuasive that they were subsequently adopted
by the great empires that arose in Iran. Throughout history the Iranians
were famed for their great respect for truth, an enduring testimonial to
the majestic teachings of Zarathustra.
Today Zarathustra’s ideas seem in no way
radical, but offer in many respects the paradigm for building a good life
for all mankind. Organizations like The United Nations strive to bring
peace and prosperity to the world by condemning war, terrorism and
aggression, by eliminating disease, hunger, and poverty, by encouraging
understanding and discussion among disputing countries. Other
public-minded organizations attempt to control the globalization of greed
and deception. All these beneficial activities mirror ideas that are
prominent in the teachings of Zarathustra.
As individuals we must also take a firm and
unswerving stand for promoting truth in the world. Although our
personal efforts may seem useless in the broader picture of things, they
can be effective in our dealings and relations with other individuals.
Indeed Zarathustra enjoins us in his Songs to win each other
through truth because it will be of great benefit to us. The
method is simple. Through good thoughts, good words and good deeds
each of us can promote the good life on earth in our family, among our
friends and in our communities. The battle against deceit can be
won in a cumulative campaign, but it demands commitment, perseverance and
loyalty from every person who believes in truth.
[i]
Appeared in the 3000 year anniversary of Zoroastrianism (UNESCO
declaration) special issue of HAMZOR (publication of the World
Zoroastrian Organization) issue 3, 2003, pps. 36-38. |
