Chapter 30

Chapter XXX
Eastern Mythology Zoroaster Hindu Mythology Castes Buddha
Grand Lama During the last fifty years new attention has been paid to the
systems of religion of the Eastern world, especially to that of
Zoroaster among the Persians, and that which is called Brahmanism
and the rival system known as Buddhism in the nations farther
east. Especial interest belongs to these inquiries for us,
because these religions are religions of the great Aryan race to
which we belong. The people among whom they were introduced all
used some dialect of the family of language to which our own
belongs. Even young readers will take an interest in such books
as Clarke's Great Religions and Johnson's Oriental Religions,
which are devoted to careful studies of them. Our knowledge of the religion of the ancient Persians is
principally derived from the Zendavesta, or sacred books of that
people. Zoroaster was the founder of their religion, or rather
the reformer of the religion which preceded him. The time when he
lived is doubtful, but it is certain that his system became the
dominant religion of Western Asia from the time of Cyrus (550
B.C.) to the conquest of Persia by Alexander the Great. Under
the Macedonian monarchy the doctrines of Zoroaster appear to have
been considerably corrupted by the introduction of foreign
opinions, but they afterwards recovered their ascendancy. Zoroaster taught the existence of a supreme being, who created
two other mighty beings, and imparted to them so much of his own
nature as seemed good to him. Of these, Ormuzd (called by the
Greeks Oromasdes) remained faithful to his creator, and was
regarded as the source of all good, while Ahriman (Arimanes)
rebelled, and became the author of all evil upon the earth.
Ormuzd created man, and supplied him with all the materials of
happiness; but Ahriman marred this happiness by introducing evil
into the world, and creating savage beasts and poisonous reptiles
and plants. In consequence of this, evil and good are now
mingled together in every part of the world, and the followers of
good and evil the adherents of Ormuzd and Ahriman carry on
incessant war. But this state of things will not last forever.
The time will come when the adherents of Ormuzd shall everywhere
be victorious, and Ahriman and his followers be consigned to
darkness forever. The religious rites of the ancient Persians were exceedingly
simple. They used neither temples, altars, nor statues, and
performed their sacrifices on the tops of mountains. They adored
fire, light, and the sun, as emblems of Ormuzd, the source of all
light and purity, but did not regard them as independent deities.
The religious rites and ceremonies were regulated by the priests,
who were called Magi. The