The Religions Book

64

It is not long, however, before
Ahriman recovers and renews
his attack. He breaks through
the sky in a blaze of fire, bringing
with him starvation, disease,
pain, lust, and death. He also
creates demons of his own.
Gayomart and the bull ultimately
die, but upon their deaths, their
semen spills on the ground and is
fertilized by the sun. Ahura Mazda
sends rain, which brings forth,
from the seed of Gayomart, the
mother and father of humanity:
Mashya and Mashyoi. Meanwhile,
the bull’s seed gives rise to all the
other animals of the world.
Because his perfect creation
has been spoiled by Ahriman’s
destructiveness, Ahura Mazda
sets a limit on time, which was
previously limitless.

Evil and human will
In Zoroastrianism, all people
are born good. The presence of
Ahriman, an active principle of evil,

explains why they may be tempted

to do wrong. It also explains how

evil can exist in the presence of a

good god. Zoroastrian texts state:

“What is complete and perfect

in its goodness cannot produce

evil. If it could, then it would not

be perfect. If God is perfect in

goodness and knowledge, plainly

ignorance and evil cannot proceed

from him.” This is to say that Ahura

Mazda cannot be responsible for

the presence of evil in the world:

the source of this is Ahriman.

THE BATTLE BETWEEN GOOD AND EVIL

The fact that Ahura Mazda

has given humankind free will

means that every moment of an

individual’s existence requires

a choice to be made between

what is right and what is wrong,

and that it is our responsibility

to choose good over evil.

This focus on moral choice

makes Zoroastrianism a religion in

which personal responsibility and

morality are paramount, not only in

conceptual terms but as practiced

in day-to-day life. Human virtues

One good twin, one evil twin

In Zurvanism, a now-defunct

branch of Zoroastrianism, Ahura

Mazda is not the sole creator;

he and Ahriman are the sons

of a preexisting god, Zurvan

(Time). This doctrine arose from

the reasoning that, if Mazda

and Ahriman were twin spirits

(as texts said), they needed

a progenitor. Zurvan, a neutral,

androgynous god, sacrifices

1,000 of his years to create

a son. But, as the end of the

millennium approaches, Zurvan

begins to doubt his power to

produce a son. The evil Ahriman

is born from his doubt, just as

Ahura Mazda is born from his

optimism. Zurvan prophesies

that his firstborn will rule the

world. Ahriman forces his way

out first, declaring himself

Ahura Mazda, but Zurvan is not

deceived, saying, “My son is

light and fragrant, but you are

dark and stinking.” And Zurvan

weeps to think he has produced

such an abomination.

The dissimilarity of good

and evil, light and darkness,

is not one of function

but one of substance...their

natures cannot combine and

are mutually destructive.

Mardan-Farrukh

Fire priests tend a sacred flame. They
wear white cloths called padans over
their mouths to prevent their breath or
saliva from desecrating the fire.