Light Prima
Zoroastrianism, or as Zarathushtra called it, Daena Vanguhi, was always meant to accept any one who, out of conviction, would freely choose it. However due to the historical circumstances , it became a defacto ethnic religion for the last 13 plus centuries ( That is, since the Islamic conquest)
In fac,t I seat here typing my post to you today and I am what the West calls a 'Convert' to the Beh Dineh. What the Good Religion has come to mean. The problem is that no one knows about it! Many Iranians, let alone Westerners, like myself, believe that there is no way to become a Zarathushtrian, why?
Well the answer in detail will be too long but, basically, Zarathushtra preached in Eastern Iran ( Iran at that time extended over all Central Asia, the Punjab, Southern Russia, the Caucausus and parts of present day Turkey, Bulgaria, Syria and Iraq) in all probability around 1700 BC. His preaching is resumed in the Gathas a Hymnal, that was sung, not written, for hundreds of years, being preserved in its meaning, by the same intricate construction and metering system that preserved the Rig Veda with which ( In its oldest parts) its contemporary.
Zarathushtra managed to gain the favor of the state in Chorasmia ( an ancient area including Northern Afghanistan, Uzbekistan, Tajikistan,Turkmenistan and parts of todays Eastern Iran and Beluchistan) by managing to have Kavi (Roughly like a King) Vishtaspa accept his teaching.
However, after a few centuries, Chorasmia was either conquered or became a vassal to some other Arya, ( Zarathushtra was an Arya, what the West calls Aryans which are the eastern most of the Indo-Europeans) tribal kingdom, probably Scythians or Tokkarans. So the religion in order to survive and prosper without state support had to compromise.
Where Zarathushtra preached one god, with no entities as His/Her ( The name of Zarathushtra's God is a compound of a female and a male name. Mazda, female, and Ahura, male.) the new deviated version of the religion, accepted the Old Arya gods that Zarathushtra had eliminated , but not as full deities, but as something call Yazatas or Izads, which means Adorable Ones. They are little deities that help their Father, Mazda Ahura, whose name is changed to give a more masculine implication into Ahura Mazda ( Zarathushtra used both arrangements , but more often Mazda Ahura)
Where Zarathushtra specifically condemned Haoma ( which was both a god and a drink, in the old pantheon) which he called a filthy intoxicant, the new deviated version of the religion, reintroduced Haoma as a Yazata and a drink, however the drink's contents , (which were powerful intoxicants, almost surely, a concoction made of Opium, Cannabis and Ephedra) were changed to Ephedra diluted with water.
In any case the revised version still considered convincing others to choose it a meritorious deed. In fact at all times, until the Islamic conquest, Zarathushtrians accepted new comers to the faith.
However, as we know, Islam forbids any Muslim to change religion and imposes the death penalty, both on the one who changes religion and the one who helps him, or her, to change. Under the Sassanian Empire ( the last Zarathushtrian based Empire) Zarathushtrianism, which had always preserved the separation of religion and state, became a theocracy so much so, that to be a Zoroastrian meant to be supported by the Empire and to be the Empire meant to be supported by God Himself.
This was against Zarathushtra, who preached that there had to be an Ahu ( Secular leader) and a Ratu ( Relkigious Guide). But the Sassanians had their own axes to grind and identified God to their empire. Thus when the Sassanians, due to their own incompetence and their constant warfare against Byzantium, lost Iran it was, in the eyes of many of the people, a loss of their God ( Ahura Mazda) to the Arab God (Allah)
Thus the world's first Universal and Missionary religion came to be the religion of a dwindling minority part of the Iranian ethnicity. Islam as you well know, is not tolerant and second class citizenship, as well as, periodic persecutions , and the poll tax were used to 'convert' Iranians to Islam. Later the Mongols and the Turks also conquered Iran and massacred all Non-Muslims they could . Even as late as the 1940s Shia fanatics would kidnap Zarathushtrian girls and force marry then to Muslims 'converting' them to Islam and yes there are public records of theseb events still extant.
If any one wants to learn more about he Good religion and its fate, please vist the follwing sites
w
ww.zoroastrian.org,
www.zoroastrianism.cc ,
www.vohuman.org,
www.zarathushtra.com
There are alo several books some available in Amazon such Farhang Mehr's Zoroastrian Tradition. Daryoush Jahanian's Zoroastrian Doctrine and the Biblical Connection is available at Books N Bits (
[email protected]) Zaehner's The Dawn and Twilight of Zoroastrianism, at Amazon etc
Ushta ( LIght) to you
Ashai