Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-22
"REL1aIoN lor zoRoAsTER. y
Combined Both Moral and Speculative
Philosophy in Great Degree.


From the National Geographic Magazine
The Parsees are of Persian origin. of the
franic race. and are supposed to have had
a common ancestry. somewhere In west
central Asia. where man. we now know
him, Is said to have had his birth. More
than 5000 years ago their forefathers Left
the uplands of that mysterious Aryan homo
from which our own ancestors had already
gone forth. and were In all probability tho
first OF the Indo-European family to en-
brace a purely monotheistic faith.
In religion they are followers of Zorro
aster. who was q religious reformer and
founder OF this ancient Persian religion at
period probably prior to the Assyrian
conquest of Bactria, his native country,
which Is said to have taken place L. 300
years before the Christian era. AT all
tatnly claim a hoary antiquity which I'M
questionably challenges our deep respect.
The scripture of this faith, the Parses
Bible. Is called the .zend- Avesta.' or.
"Avesta and Its Zend.' While Zend is
understood to mean the translation of tho
original text and commentary. In the Zend
language. the Oldest form of Iranc speech
known, and to which DR. March gives the
name of "Old Bactrian.' the Zend-Avesta
embraces the whole Parsee religious liter
allure. ancient and modern.
The Avesta proper Is one OF the most In
teresting documents coming to us from the
early history and religion of the Indo-Euro-
pean family. 1t Is made up of several dis
tinct parts. many OF which are fragmentary
and of different ages, some OF which must
be many centuries older than our era. This
religious system is monothelsm. 1t recog-
nizes the dual principle of good or light. and
evil or darkness. Fire is its principal en-
blem as being the purest of all elements:
hence the misconception that Its adherents
are fire-worshipers. The common charge OF
worshiping fire, the sur, water and air.
brought against the Parsees. is not well
founded. The Parsees tmphafically deny
the charge, and history gives several ac-
counts of acts of hatred shown by the Par
sees toward idolatry.
God, according to the parsee faith is the
creator, preserver and ruler of the universe.
He Is the emblem OF glory and light In
view of this Parsee while engaged in
prayer is directed to stand before fire or
turn his face toward the sun, because they
appear to be the most proper symbols OF
the Almighty Such Is still the present
practice among their descendants in India
Zoroaster, the Parsee Moses, appears as
a being of supernatural endowments and as
receiving from the supreme divinity, by
personal Interviews by questions and an.
swers. the truths which he is to communi-
cate to men. The idea of future life and
the immortality of the soul pervades the
whole of Avesta literature. The doctrine
OF the resurrection Of the body at time
or the last judgment Is claimed as a geuu-
Inc Zoroastrian dogma, without the slight
est trace of Its being borrowed from a for
eign source.
with religion Zoroaster has combined
Doth moral and speculative philosophy In a
remarkable degree. In regard to man, he
lakes cogniZance OF two intellects-the
Asno-krato." the innate or born wisdom.
ana the OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES" or acquired
wisdom. The Zend-Avesta insists in en-
pnatlc terms that virtue alone is happiness
peace. F ~
;, Inc moral foundation of the Parsee re-
Hglous works is built upon three basic in
functions, which are pithily expressed I'm
lhe Axesta, viz, "Humata." 'Hukhta,'
ana Hvarshta,' which mean good
thoughts, good words and good deeds ;,