Zoroastrian Association of Greater New York

Category Archives: Good Life Essays

The Gathas

| Good Life Essays

Author: Farah Randelia, ZAGNY Youth

Good Life Essay

Every culture has a set of literature that is extremely important to the faith. The literature can help explain the teachings, customs, and rituals of the culture. The literature can also help explain the life of the prophet and the God of that culture. An important set of literature of the Christian faith is the Bible. Another example is the Old Testament which is also important to the Judaic faith. The Torah is important to the Judaic faith as well. In the Zoroastrian faith, the Gathas are one of the most important works of literature that we still have today. They tell us quite a bit about our culture and help us better understand our prophet Zarathustra.

The Gathas are known as the “Divine Songs of Zarathustra.” They are composed by him, and are the literal words spoken by our prophet Zarathustra. The Gathas were written around 1300 BCE in a poetic form. This was the form that was used for religious literature.

The Gathas consist of 17 chapters which are known as “Ha’s.” The Ha’s are made up of 6,000 words and 238 verses. The 17 Ha’s are now incorporated into the Yasna. The Yasna is a long prayer that consists of 72 chapters.

The Gathas are Ahunavaiti, Ustavaiti, Spenta Mainyu, Vohu Khshathra, and Vahishto Ishti. The language of the Gathas is similar to the Vedic Sanskrit.

The Gathas are religious hymns that are addressed to Ahura Mazda. Some of the hymns are directed simply for Ahura Mazda. In these hymns, Zarathustra expresses his respect and admiration to Ahura Mazda. In other hymns directed towards Ahura Mazda, Zarathustra asks for Ahura Mazda to bestow the gifts of Good Mind, the Truth, and the Spirit of Benevolence on Zarathustra and his followers so they can live a holy and pious life.

Other passages from the Gathas have Zarathustra’s teachings in them. We can learn from these passages. However, there is not one set place in the Gathas where his teachings can be located. The teachings of Zarathustra are scattered throughout the Gathas.

Thankfully, we have a complete set of the Gathas that was written down in the late sixth century common era. At this time, the present Avesta alphabet was invented. There were other copies of the Gathas in the royal treasuries from the Achemenian times. However, when Alexander the Great destroyed Persepolis, the other copies were destroyed as well.

The various hymns appear to have been composed at different periods in his life, and read chronologically. A certain earnestness and conviction in his message are apparent. While in earlier verses, Zarathustra occasionally expresses his doubts on his own suitability of the mission to understand Ahura Mazda’s messages, he never wavers in his conviction that the message is universal. Aspects of Zoroastrian philosophy are distributed over the entire collection of Gathas. There is no systematic arrangement of doctrine in the texts.

The messages of the Gathas are quite apparent as well. They include the struggle between good and evil, worshippers of Ahura Mazda, against the followers of Angre Mainyu. Other messages include the friendship of Ahura Mazda with Zarathustra, the importance of Asha, and Vohu Mano, the Good Mind.

The Gathas can also refer to the last 5 days of the Zoroastrian year. The Zoroastrian calendar, unlike the one used today, is broken down into twelve months of thirty days. This leaves five days. These are the Gatha days. On these five days, a Zoroastrian is expected to recite the respective Gatha prayers each day. Reciting the Gatha prayers is important to Zoroastrians as they are the actual words of the Prophet. One can understand the importance of these prayers as they make you feel closer to Zarathustra himself. It is almost like having a conversation or recitation of the beautiful hymns with Zarathustra by saying the Gatha prayers.

Parsi Ceremonies & Rituals

| Good Life Essays

Author : Tanaz Karai, ZAGNY Youth

Good Life Essay

Parsis are Persian Zoroastrians who emigrated to India to avoid being persecuted by the Muslims. They fled from Iran and landed into Sanjan, Gujarat, India.  The generous King Jadi Rana allowed Parsis to stay on his land with the condition that the Parsis adopt the local language, Gujarati, and the woman adopt the local dress, the Sari.  Due to the fact that Parsis had to leave their motherland, they were made to create different customs, but were also able keep their original customs as well, which was the main reason that they fled Iran.  Like other religions, Parsis have certain customs and rituals that make them unique.  The different types of rituals and ceremonies range from when a person is in their mother’s womb to when they first learn to sit on our own to when they eventually depart from earth.  Every Parsi at one point in their life will go through almost every ceremony there is in the Zoroastrian faith.  It all starts with the moment that a child is conceived, that is where every story begins and that is where ours will begin as well. 

During the fifth month of pregnancy, the Panchmasiyu ceremony is performed, in which the parents of the father-to-be gives the pregnant woman a set of new clothes.  Special big Padas (sweets) are made for this occasion and given to the mother-to-be.  Then the couple goes to the mother-to-be’s maternal house and her parents perform a similar ceremony.  In present times, this ceremony is rarely being performed.

The Agarni ceremony is performed in the seventh or in some cases, the ninth month of pregnancy.  This ceremony is performed only on a Thursday or Sunday. The pregnant woman receives a new set of clothes and a gold chain or bangles from her parents.  Specially made agarni ladvo (cone-shaped mithai) is distributed among family members and friends.  The agarni ceremony is performed by five or seven married Parsi ladies, who are mothers themselves.  For the khoro bharvani ceremony, the mother-in-law of the pregnant woman makes her daughter sit on a chair and places a coconut, wheat seeds, bananas, pomegranate and the agharni ladvo (1 and 1/4th kg) in her sari pallav. A small ses with clothes, rice, kanku (red vermillion), flower garland along with seven small agharni ladvas are also kept near the mother-to-be during the ceremony.  The mother-to-be is then taken to her maternal house, where the same ceremony is repeated and the seven ladvas are exchanged among the families.

In the olden days, the mother-to-be would go to her maternal house for her first delivery.  After the agharni ceremony is done, she would go to her maternal house on an auspicious day and stay there till the baby was about five months old.

Now when the baby is born and on the sixth day after the birth, the Chatthi ceremony is observed.  A batti is done and an entire set of new clothes for the baby are kept on a table, along with a white paper and a red pen.  According to my grandmother, the Chatthi mai or Goddess of Destiny comes to write the destiny of the child on that day.  My parents still have the white paper and red pen, on which the Goddess of Destiny has written my destiny.

In the past, women after childbirth were confined to a secluded room in the house for forty days along with the newborn.  She was not allowed to touch anything made of wood or earth, to cook or be near the fire.  After forty-one days, she had to take a nahn (ritual bath), before which a priest would come to the house and pray over the new mother with taro (consecrated bull’s urine) and pomegranate leaves.  The new mother then took a bath and the priest prayed over her again.  In present times, though new mothers don’t confine themselves to a secluded room, they do tend to get the nahn after forty-one days post-delivery.  This is called the 40th Day Nahn Ceremony.  After the nahn ceremony, the newborn is taken to the fire temple for the first time.

Long ago, when the baby is three months old, the baby’s paternal grandmother would come with some ladies to meet the grandchild, bringing with her the Vadhavo.  This comprised of five to eleven sets of clothes for the baby, some gold jewelry, cash, bibs, feeding bottles and toys for the newborn.

When the mother returned with her newborn to her house from her maternal home, there was a ceremony called Zori Pori, which was performed.  The maternal grandparents would give about five sets of clothes, cash, toys, silver cup or glass for the newborn baby.

Once the baby is about six months old and is able to sit on his/her own, the Besna ceremony is done.  The child is made to sit on sweets called Padas which are placed on a small patlo (stool) and is given new clothes and gifts.

The Pag Laddoo ceremony is done when the child begins to walk on its own.  A special ladoo is made with rice flour coating and sugary coconut sweet in the middle of it.  There are two ladoos that are made in the shape of feet also.

A birthday ritual observed in many Parsi households is to make the birthday child bathe with milk, rose petals, rose water and rice.  Then sagan would be done to the birthday child by making the child stand on patlo, where chalk has been put and a red tilo is done with his/her forehead and rice is stuck on it, he/she is made to wear a flower garland, and is given money and gifts and then ovarna is done with rice. 

Between the ages of seven and eleven, a child is initiated into the religion through the Navjote ceremony.  Navjote ceremony for girls is done between seven and nine years, as it has to be done before they reach puberty.  For boys, the navjote can be performed between seven and eleven years.  If the boy belongs to the Priest family, the navjote is usually done by nine years, after which he can go to the Madressa (wherein he gets training to become a priest) and become a Mobed.

In the Navjote ceremony, the child is given a white cotton shirt called the sudrah, which holds a small pocket over the child’s chest, known as the pocket of good deeds.  This is said to hold all of the good things that the child does in their life.  The child is also given a sacred cord called the kusti.  Before the ceremony, the child takes a Nahan, which is a special bath.  During the ceremony, the child recites prayers with a priest as a declaration of their faith.  The child then put the kusti and sudrah on for the first time with the help of a priest.  The child is then given blessings from the priest and then has a party in their honor.

Usually after a girl turns fourteen, she is made to wear a sari for the first time.  This is said to be a rite of passage for girls to mark their transition into womanhood.  Five married women help the girl put the sari on for the first time.  They tie a small knot of rice, which is a symbol of fertility, in the corner of the pallu before sprinkling it with rose water.

One of the grandest series of ceremonies and rituals are during the parsi lagan or wedding.  Weddings can be performed on any day of the week, except Wednesdays.  The pre-wedding rituals begin with Rupiya Pehravanu, which is the unofficial engagement ceremony.  Traditionally, the wedding ceremonies are for four days, the first day being the engagement or adhravanu.  Rings are exchanged between the bride-to-be and the groom-to-be, amidst the presence of family members and friends.  Then the madavsaro is performed, wherein a mango sapling is planted outside the door of the bride and groom’s house.  These are done separately at both their houses.  After the madav ceremony is performed, there are other small ceremonies like the supra ni reet, aragh vadherva ni reet, pori paththavani reet and the varni (couple of sets of clothes for the groom are taken to his house) are also performed.  Then is the ceremony of divo adarni, in which the groom’s family members go to the bride’s house and gifts her jewelry and clothes.  Finally, it is the wedding day, the day of a union, not only for the bride and groom, but a union of two families.

Both the bride and groom wear white as a sign of purity.  Before the ceremony, they are made to take a Nahan.  At the beginning of the ceremony, the bride and groom sit opposite each other and have a white cloth in between them.  Their hands are tied together to symbolize unity.  The priest starts to pray.  Before the cloth is released, both the bride and groom are given a handful of rice.  When the cloth is dropped, the first person to throw the rice is said to be the foremost in loving and respecting the other.  After this part of the ceremony is performed, both the bride and groom are asked if they are entering into this marriage willingly or not.  In some other religions, people are forced into arranged marriages and unfortunately have no way out of it.  The Zoroastrian religion is one of the only religions that gives people the option to get out of a marriage if they wish to leave.  The priest then continues to pray for the couple and ends the ceremony by blessing them and pronouncing them husband and wife.

When a person departs from this earth, there are certain death rituals and prayers that are performed to ensure the safe passage of the loved one.  Whenever you hear the news of someone’s demise, you should pray one Ashem Vohu.

In terms of the death ritual, first, the body is washed and then put into clean, white clothing.  A priest then prays before a fire until it is time to take the corpse to the Tower of Silence.  At the Tower of Silence, the body is exposed to the sun and is put there to decompose. This is called the Paidast.  The third day prayers are called the uthamanu and the fourth day prayers is called the charum.  We don’t eat meat on the first three days, but we eat some kind of meat, like chicken or goat meat, on the fourth day.  Traditionally, dhansakh is cooked with meat on that day.  Then comes the dasmu, which is the 10th day ceremony and then the monthly prayers are called the masisu.  The series of prayers usually ends on the varsi, which is the first death anniversary.

Many Parsis continue to honor and pray for the departed souls during the last ten days before the Parsi New Year.  These are called the Mukhtad Days.  They are reserved to remember the souls of our departed loved ones.  The souls are given food, flowers and prayers are said in honor of the departed loved ones.   

One important ceremony that is performed to celebrate or commemorate a joyous occasion or an important event is called the Jashan. There are two types of jashan – Zinderavan Jashan, which is performed on joyous occasions like moving into a new house, navjote, weddings, birthdays or gahambars and the Rawan Jashan, which is performed to commemorate death anniversaries of our departed souls and during muktad days.

As you can see, rituals and ceremonies play a big and essential part in the lives of Parsis.  Each ritual and ceremony has its own importance and meaning. Each occasion provides us a reason to celebrate or honor a memory. Each is designed to remind us of our faith and our Zarthosti identity.

Bibliography:

Information taken from my maternal grandmother, Bapsy Eruch Wadia

Book: Ceremonies & Rituals of Parsi Marriages & Navjotes – Shubh Shadi Prasang na Parsi Reet Rivajo  Author: Late Mrs. Perin Naval Hormusji   Translator:  Mrs. Sharda Deshmukh

http://www.iranicaonline.org/articles/children-i

http://www.avesta.org/ritual/rcc.htm

http://www.the-south-asian.com/april2001/Parsis-Ritual,Customs%20&%20Manners.htm

http://www.avesta.org/ritual/navjote.htm

http://tribune.com.pk/story/564832/wear-it-parsi-style-lady-gara/

http://www.avesta.org/ritual/zwedding.htm

http://www.culturalindia.net/weddings/regional-weddings/parsi-wedding.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parsi

http://www.fravahr.org/spip.php?breve49

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jadi_Rana

The Principals of Zoroastrianism and The Parallel in Martial Arts Philosophy

| Good Life Essays

Author: Sam Merchant, ZAGNY Youth

Good Life Essay

Zoroastrianism as well as American Isshinryu Karate make me who I am today. Whether it’s how I live day-to-day or my goals for the future, these two philosophies reinforce each other and only drive me to be a better individual. My Parents, my Sensei, my Teachers, my friends, have all helped me thus far. Now finished with my basic religion studies and finished with the beginner stage as a black belt, I’m in a curious position. As I refine my knowledge in both areas, similar messages and morals echo constantly. For two schools of thought that were created a world apart from each other, there are amazing similarities between them.

In my martial art, from day one my Sensei has told me to be the best I can, so I can make a difference in the world. He’s told us that he wants us to be outstanding young ladies and gentlemen. In the first and last sections of our Student Creed it states, “First, I will improve my self confidence and carry myself in a proper manner so that I will have a positive impact on my community and those around me… Lastly, I will use the skills I learn in karate to help protect myself, my family, and those unable to help themselves, and never to hurt another.” The Zoroastrian philosophy I learned has a similar concept, we are given free will to make a choice, to choose good deeds and to help others.

From the moment I wake up I’m ready to help however I can. This doesn’t mean I’m going to put myself in harms way. “The best fight is the one you can walk away from without throwing a single punch.” -Sun Tzu. As written in The Art of War. Even as a black belt, by no means do I consider myself a master of my art. I probably never will! There’s simply too much knowledge to uncover and comprehend. It would take the rest of my days to uncover everything, if I did nothing but eat, sleep, breath karate. Similarly in Zoroastrianism, there’s philosophy about every aspect of life. Well that’s what to be expected from a religion that’s been around since the 6th Century BCE. Zoroastrianism does not have a set of specific directives or commandments. Instead we have a broad principle and worldview from which we need to figure out what works in each situation. In this way it is relevant to all situations.

Every day of my life, I pray, I wear my Sudreh and Kushti and do the daily routine of a Zarathushti, but does this make me a proper Zoroastrian? As a Zoroastrian I’m obligated to help others in need and try to make a beneficial impact in any way I can. How we live defines us as Zoroastrians, even more than rituals we may perform. Simple gestures such as smiling and holding a door can make a world of a difference in a stranger’s life. Doing these random acts of kindness make me feel like I made a difference. If someone is having a hard time doing a task in the road, I usually offer to help. Do I have to? No, but I want to. It is my firm belief that just blindly following the customs of a faith is not what one must get out of religion. I believe that a person must know what their religion stands for, and act to pursue those goals. Zoroastrianism aims to make the world perfect. Not by force, but by good deeds, actions, and results. Causing positive change does not require violence or power. Zoroastrianism is for everyone, not just the rich, not just the poor. “All women and men have the freedom to choose between good and evil and an individual has the responsibility to make an informed decision. All women and men are equal and are equally entitled to the light of knowledge and wisdom” Asho Zarathushtra. Karate is similarly classless. As Master Gichin Funakoshi, the father of modern-day karate wrote: “It is important that karate can be practiced by the young and old, men and women alike. That is, since there is no need for a special training place, equipment, or an opponent, a flexibility in training is provided such that the physically and spiritually weak individual can develop his body and mind so gradually and naturally that he himself may not even realize his own great progress.”

As a religion, Zoroastrianism stands to make every action of each individual person’s life a battle for betterment. An individual has a choice, right or wrong. The choice is not always so straightforward. To make the “good” choice, an individual must weigh all the consequences of their decision. To make a difference in the world, one must start small. “If everyone cleaned their own doorstep, the whole world would be clean.” -Mother Theresa. Zoroaster stated that even the smallest kindnesses to a dog, cow, or goat would not go unnoticed. God is always watching so even when no one is watching, God is. A true judge of character is how a person acts when no one is watching. A Samurai virtue (Bushido) we told the karate students about this past month was Honesty. What you do when no one’s watching. Is it different than how you know you’re supposed to behave? Every group of kids we explain this to always come up with similar results. Parents telling us that suddenly their kids do things without being asked. Even this small of a topic for kids, yields results. More than ten times in the two years I’ve taught karate, I’ve been told by parents that their kid is having so much fun, and also holding doors for others, and helping around the house. One mom told me how her son had been so helpful around the class, his teacher had made a new award to give her helper. She said how all the other kids in the class wanted to help so they could get the award too! Even without being Zoroastrians, they all make decisions using a similar scale. These kids will do the same to others as I have done to them. This simple concept of honesty and helping others carries a long way.

Karate helps me to make the most of myself. Since the day I was born, I was told to try to make something of myself. To be someone who mattered. My parents told me stories about Parsis in India. JRD Tata, a Parsi who gave workers a say in the matters of the company. From cars to power sources to medicines, today the Tata name expands to nearly every field. With the example of this great man, I was inspired to try to make the most out of my own abilities and my own life.

As a martial arts student, and as a Zoroastrian, I have a duty to myself and those around me. I want to have the best impact on the world in every way I can. I chose to write about two of the most important parts of my life to give my perspective on what makes me, me. As my friends and family will account, since the day I began karate I’ve done nothing but improve. Just to perfectly set me up for this, my parents put me in religion classes at our local Zoroastrian Community center, where I essentially learned all the morals and ethics that my karate would resurface in my mind. All these morals, topics, biases, teachers, students, friends, classmates, competitors, strangers I’ve come across, all shaped who I am today and will continue to shape me into the man I want to be. A man who follows both principals, Zoroastrianism and Karate.

Works Cited

"Master Gichin Funakoshi." Master Gichin Funakoshi. N.p., 23 Oct. 1997. Web. 20 Aug. 2013.

The Good Life An Introduction to the Religion of Zarathustra. New Rochelle: Zoroastrian Association of Greater New York, 1994. Print.

Peterson, Susan Lynn, and Joe Reynolds. Legends of the Martial Arts Masters. Boston: Tuttle Pub., 2003. Print.

Exploring Dualism in Zoroastrianism

| Good Life Essays

Author: Darius Bamji, ZAGNY Youth.

Good Life Essay

One of the first monotheistic religions in the world to be practiced was Zoroastrianism. While in context today, “ monotheism” (the belief in one God) is the widely prevalent thought for the 7 billion people around the world , and widely practiced by almost all the universalizing religions, one has to give thought, to how different this idea was when it was first introduced. Way back in time, “Polytheism” (the belief in many Gods) was the accepted religious way of life. Zoroastrianism the Religion founded by the prophet Zoroaster in ancient Persia, was the first faith that proposed that there was “One God” From this single premise have grown the larger Abrahamic religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam, all of which absorbed and believed that there was One Supreme Being, or God. While the numbers of Christianity and Islam have grown exponentially since their inception, our Zoroastrian followers have been limited, mostly because the faith evolved as an ethnic faith exclusive, in that it did not seek converts – in fact actively sought to be a faith that did not want our numbers increased in any way.

However it is of some interest to make a mention that while Zoroastrianism, is monotheistic, there is the “dualism” aspect in the faith that I will now discuss. Dualism is the concept of opposing forces of Good and Evil in the World. In Zoroastrianism this is seen in the ongoing battle between Good (Ahura Mazda) and Evil (Angra Mainyu) within the universe. It is important to understand that Angra Mainyu is not God‘s equal opposite, rather that Angra Mainyu is the destructive energy that opposes God’s creative energy. This creative energy is called Spenta Mainyu. God created a pure world through his creative energy, which Angra Mainyu continues to attack, making it impure. Aging, sickness, famine, natural disasters, death and so on are attributed to this.

Many religions have discussed these opposing forces seen in the ‘good and evil, heaven and hell, life and death’ concept. Zoroastrianism is unique in that it was one of the first faiths that early on put forward – that there was a compassionate God who gave us free will to choose to do Good in thought action and deed. Choice becomes so important, because we choose to be on the side of Ahura Mazda or Angra Mainu. The faith believes when all of mankind chooses to be on the side of Good over Evil, Paradise on Earth will be finally achieved. Zoroastrianism teaches that Mankind is ultimately good, and that Time will prove that Good will triumph over Evil. This concept of ‘Good and Evil’ was adopted by other religions that came after, in the concepts of Heaven and Hell, Salvation and Damnation etc.

Going back to Zoroastrianism the opposing forces, can be seen on an individual level, (Moral Dualism) when a person chooses the path of Righteousness (asha – truth) or Evil (druj – deceit). By choosing “ Asha” a person will be happy, peaceful, and attain everlasting happiness in Heaven. In choosing Asha we choose to help Ahura Mazda. If we Chose Evil, we would be helping Angra Mainyu. This is clearly a choice that each individual makes, and is responsible for.

On another level Zoroastrianism also proposes the existence of Cosmic Dualism – this is the conflict between Good and Evil in the Universe, and it is seen in life happenings like death, sickness, famine, natural disasters etc. The religion shows how in life we have to deal with these two opposing forces. Here we have no individual choice. Life we learn, is a mixture of Good and Evil. We cannot have one without the other. The creative energy of Spenta Mainyu is always being opposed by the destructive energy that is Angra Mainyu. Ahura Mazda created purity through Spenta Mainyu, and Angra Mainyu, continues to attack it, causing disturbances and impurities. We go through our lives encountering these two forces.Our prophet Zoroaster further taught that choosing Good was not enough, we had to follow through with Good Thought Actions and Deeds (The three moral precepts which are the very foundation of our religion are: Humta – good thoughts, Hukhta- good words, and Huvarshta – good deeds) We have the ultimate choice to promote Good over Evil, and as more people do this we come closer to a perfect World. Zoroastrianism hopes to show this correct path by guiding helping and inspiring. We alone have to take responsibility for our choices in life, and then have to bear the repercussions for them.

The religion in taking on this dualistic approach was very progressive, when these first ideas were preached by Zoroaster. In ancient Persia it gained great popularity, and through it’s acceptance by Cyrus the Great, and his Successors, it grew in strength, through hierarchical diffusion. The religion has been preserved and persevered through many millennia, and modern Zoroastrianism is very positive teaching us that Good will finally prevail over Evil. Today in sheer numbers as a community we may not be impressive, but our religion is one of the oldest, and the hearth from which many others have taken their beliefs of One Supreme Being. We are a strong proud community believing, what the prophet preached – “ Good will triumph over Evil”

Bibliography

Dualism in Zoroastrianism. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://www.theosophiaistheway.com/Being_IAM/ISIS/Zoroastrianism/Zoroast_dualism.html.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/zoroastrian/beliefs/dualism.shtml. (n.d.). Retrieved from Dualism in Zoroastrianism.

Zoroastrianism: Cyrus the Great and His Cylinder

| Good Life Essays

Author: Friya Randelia

Good Life Essay

Cyrus II, also known as Cyrus the Great, was the first king of the Achaemenid Empire. He took over Media and brought together an empire like no other king before him. Cyrus the Great was born in Anshan, Persia in 580 BC to King Cambyses I. After this senior king died, Cyrus II became King of Anshan at the age of twenty-one years. During this time, Anshan was still part of the Median Empire. Cyrus II led a successful revolt against the Median Empire to form his own: the Persian Empire. He expanded his empire and conquered Lydia, Mesopotamia, Syria, and Judea. Some of these places were part of the Babylonian Empire. Cyrus II was viewed as a fair ruler, treating his subjects equally as long as they paid their taxes and did not revolt. Other rulers were not as just as Cyrus II. He was unique in that he was a monotheistic Zoroastrian when other kings were polytheistic. However, he still respected these other religions and did not impose his religion on his subjects. On the whole, Cyrus the Great was a remarkable leader.

Cyrus the Great is known for his cylinder, which holds the first known charter of rights. The cylinder is made of baked clay and was excavated in Babylon, Iraq, in 1879. The cylinder is written in Babylonian cuneiform, but some clay fragments are missing. It started with the conquest of Babylon in 539 BC. Rather than being a miserable period for the Babylonians, it was a time of great happiness and relief. Before Cyrus the Great conquered and liberated Babylon, King Nabonidus ruled the country poorly. On the cylinder, he is known for putting “a low person in charge of the country and construct[ing] false temples. He instituted improper rites and brought the daily religious offerings to a halt. He caused evil acts within the city every day, burdened the people, without relief thereby bringing ruin.” Cyrus II was said to have been ordered by Marduk, the Supreme God of the Babylonians, to go to Babylon and rescue the country from its difficulties and pains without a battle. Cyrus the Great did not want anyone to feel fearful or terrorized by his peaceable troops. He liberated them from their previous oppressor. All in all, Cyrus the Great and his cylinder were important to the people of Babylon.

The Cyrus Cylinder shows how Zoroastrianism can have an influence on others. It is said to have had an influence on leaders like Alexander the Great all the way to Thomas Jefferson with the United States Declaration of Independence. Cyrus II was part of the Achaemenid series of kings who were firm believers in the Zoroastrian religion. They were mainly moral and tried to use their religion for the betterment of others. This is evident through the creation of the Cyrus Cylinder. This is the first known documented set of human rights. Cyrus the Great established a practice of religious tolerance that would remain for the rest of the Achaemenian Empire. In the Declaration of Independence, it says that “all men are created equal,” which could have been influenced by the Cyrus Cylinder’s message of freedom. As one can see, the Cyrus Cylinder has had an influence on other cultures in various time periods.

Zoroastrianism taught these kings about Good Thoughts, Good Words, and Good Deeds. The kings themselves were also focused on following the path of Asha, which encompasses Righteousness and the Ideal Truth. Their religion provided these essential guiding principles to develop a humane and honorable system of dealing with conquered people. The Cyrus Cylinder is popular around the world, and with it, the message of Ahura Mazda’s religion is spread. The Cyrus Cylinder helps Zoroastrianism stay relevant in today’s world and prevents it from becoming a figment of the past. The Cyrus Cylinder has also helps preserve some of our basic thoughts on equality. Even though the Babylonians were a conquered people, Cyrus the Great still treated them with dignity and with humanity. They were allowed to practice their religion freely. This is similar to the Parsis’ story in India. After the Arab invasion of Iran, some Zoroastrians did not feel it was safe enough to practice their religion there. They fled to India, where they successfully sought refuge and freedom to worship Ahura Mazda peacefully alongside Hindus. Cyrus II is especially famous for allowing the Jews to be freed from their exile that they were forced into during the time of King Nebuchadnezzar starting in 597 BC. Cyrus II helped to bring back Jewish temples, like the one in Jerusalem, as well as the treasures that had been looted from them. There are several praising mentions of the Persian king in the Old Testament of the Bible, which is fundamentally from Judaism. In conclusion, the Cyrus Cylinder has contributed to preserving the Zoroastrian faith.

8 July 2013