A brief introduction to Zuwaism (also known as Zuwaism)

Zurvanism (also known as Zuwanism) is a branch of Zoroastrianism, a Persian religion. It appeared in the late Achaemenid Empire (550-330 BC) and flourished during the Sassanian Empire (224-65 1 year). It is often called the heresy of Zoroastrianism because it is very different from the two main Zoroastrian beliefs:

Ahumazda, the supreme god, is the only god who has not been created.

Human beings have the free will to choose good and evil.

Zorvanism claims that Ahura Mazda (here called Ormuzd, the principle of good) is a creature, and Angra Mainyu (called Ahriman, the principle of evil) is Zorvan Akarana ("infinite time"), which is also given as the twin brother and supreme god of Zurvan and Zurvan Akarana. Time creates everything and makes everything disappear. Time is ruthless and human beings are powerless to resist, so human existence is determined by fate, not by free will.

Zoroastrianism was suppressed and almost disappeared after Muslim Arabs invaded Persia in the 7th century. However, its influence continues, because the Zoroastrian version of Zoroastrianism first reached the west, which determines how to understand religion-as a dualism, not a monotheism-and this interpretation still affects the understanding of Zoroastrianism. Today. The concept that fate is stronger than free will also influenced later Persian poets and literary themes, which provided information for some of the greatest works of Persian literature and influenced world culture through them.

Zoroaster preaches that the god people worship is not a god, but the embodiment of a single sacred principle: Ahumazda.

Early Persian religion

The early Persian religion was polytheism. Under the rule of the supreme king Ahura Mazda (the king of wisdom), there are many gods who created everything, including young gods. Ahura Mazda's enemy is Angra Mainyu, the king of evil and chaotic dark forces. His only purpose is to disrupt Ahura Mazda's order and frustrate every plan he makes for greater interests.

Heaven, earth, water and fire were all created by Ahura Mazda. He also created plants, animals and humans. Every attempt by Angela Mayo to destroy universal goodness has been turned into a positive purpose by Ahura Mazda. When Ahura Mazda created a beautiful primitive bull, Gavaevoda, Angra Mainyu killed it; But Ahumazda took the carcass of the bull to the moon, where it was purified and all animals were born from purified seeds. When Angra Mainyu poisoned the thoughts of the first mortal couple-Zhenya and Zhenya-and kept them away from Ahura Mazda, their descendants realized their life goals by using their free will. They have the ability to guide their own lives, choose good over evil, and choose higher value over their own interests.

Zoroastrianism

Sometime between 1500 BC and 1000 BC, a Persian priest named Zoroaster received an illusion of a supernatural entity calling himself Vohu Manah ("goodwill"), and he told him that his earlier understanding of holiness was wrong. Ahura Mazda is the only, non-creative god, and there is no other god. The god people worship is not a god, but the embodiment of a single sacred principle, which is all-good and all-powerful, and does not need the assistance of "other gods"

Zoroaster began to preach his new enlightenment. As expected, he was strongly resisted by the priests of the old church, who lived a comfortable life with people's sacrifices and donations. Zoroaster was forced to flee his hometown and preach everywhere until he came to the court of Spa, king of Vesta. Here, he had a debate with the priests about the nature of the ultimate truth. Although it is said that he won, it is said that Vesta put him in prison after the failed priests condemned him as a wizard.

In prison, Zoroaster cured the king's favorite horse, and Vesta Hot Springs released him and quickly converted. Vishnu's conversion paved the way for Zoroaster's vision to be widely accepted in his kingdom, so a new belief called Mazdayasna ("Dedicating Wisdom") was established.

Zoroastrianism is based on five principles:

The highest god is Ahura Mazda.

Ahura Mazda, everything is fine.

His eternal rival, Angra Mainyu, is evil.

Goodwill, kindness, good words and good deeds

Everyone has the free will to choose good and evil.

Believers express these principles in the following ways:

Tell the truth at all times.

Practical charity

Express love for others

Everything is moderate.

The purpose of human life is to stand on the side of justice against evil forces and maintain order against chaos. Everyone is born to choose one side, because that is the essence of human existence. Those who choose to follow Ahura Mazda will live a full, productive and satisfactory life and be rewarded after death; Those who follow Angra Mainyu will lead a life of chaos, strife and petty self-interest and will be punished in the afterlife.

Life after death should include the bridge between the living and the dead (Chinwat Bridge), which leads to the judgment of the angel Rushnu, who sent his soul to heaven (home of songs) or hell (home of lies). However, these two destinations are not eternal, because the savior will come-Saoshyant ("the man who brings benefits")-and he will uncover Frashokereti (the end of time). After that, the old world will die, people in hell will be saved, Angra Mainyu will be destroyed, and everyone will be reunited in Ahura Mazda and live in eternal happiness.

This is the religion adopted by the Achaemenid Empire, probably starting from the reign of Darius I (Darius I, 522-486 BC). However, Zoroaster's vision raises the question of the origin of evil. If Ahura Mazda is omnipotent and the source of all things, where did Angela Meiyu and her demon army come from? When evil can never be a part of its nature, how can an all-powerful, all-good, uncreated supreme being create evil?

Zofan Sect was first mentioned in western literature by the neo-Platonist philosopher Damascus (AD 458-538).

Of course, this is a problem that any monotheistic religion faces. Scholars point out that Zoroastrian theologians may have given some answers, which were lost after the Zoroastrian library was destroyed in the invasion of Muslim Arabia in the 7th century. This is entirely possible, but it seems that people need to solve this problem whether the answer is given or not, and this is exactly what the Zovanyi Doctrine provides.

The Information Source of Zovanyi Doctrine

Zorvanism has no known founder, and it is unclear when it will develop. In the Zoroastrian text Denkard, there is a little god called Zorvan ("time"), which is a collection of beliefs and customs. It is said that this god was summoned in a religious ceremony in the late Achaemenid Empire. Zofan doesn't seem to be a particularly important god, but he may be called or thanked during his stay in Jasna. How this little god became the supreme god of Zorvanite movement is unknown.

Among the western literary schools, the first thing mentioned is the difficulty that his works came from the neo-Platonism philosopher Dammers theseus (LC 458-c.538 CE) and the first-principle solution that quoted the early writer Eudemus Rhodes (4th century BC) as its source. Damasius was the president of Plato Institute in Athens when the Byzantine Emperor Justinian I (527-565) closed schools and all other pagan temples, institutions of higher learning and cultural institutions. Damasius fled from Athens to the court of Koslau I of Sassanian Empire (reigned in 53 1-579).

Here, he will learn directly about Zofan religion, because it was during this period that the movement reached its peak, but he did not mention the direct knowledge of any sect, but quoted Eudemus of Rhode Island. Zorvanism is only mentioned as "the religion of the Medes" in the shortest way, claiming that time breeds the twin gods of good and evil. Zolwin has a more comprehensive description in the early Manichaean text Sa Madjid Bougherra Gan, which was written by the religious visionary Mani (2 16-274, the founder of Manichaeism), who was a guest of Sassanian King Shapur I (240-270) and lived in his court.

In Mani's text, Zoven is a great father in the field of light and a creative force in the universe. Manichaeism is influenced by Buddhism, Christianity and Zoroastrianism, as well as Gnosticism and Mani's own enlightenment. Obviously, his understanding of Zoroastrianism is actually more like Zoroastrianism, which shows that Shapur I himself is a Zoroastrian, because he helped Mani develop and spread his new beliefs.

This is entirely possible, because some people who rule Sasan seem to be Zhuo Fan, but the Persian Empire is famous for its religious tolerance and encouraging new beliefs, and Shapur I's efforts on behalf of Mani may be just another example. Anyway, when Mani came to Shapur I's court, Zofanism had developed. Obviously, when he developed his own religious belief system, he drew lessons from Zofan/Time as the central image of the creator.

Zowanism

The fact that Damascus mentioned Zofanism in his first principle difficulty and solution shows how important it is to answer the question of the origin of evil. Damasius's works try to define the divinity and essence of the origin of all things, and finally come to the conclusion that human beings can't grasp this concept at all. Zorvanism's suggestion is a recognition of the early attempt to explain, and Damascius seems to think that this explanation is not enough. However, the reference to faith in this work shows that this problem has been solved in other works, perhaps Zoroastrianism, which is now lost.

The mainstream Zoroastrianism seems to be no different from the traditional Zoroastrianism, but now time is the supreme god.

Zowanism was originally different from Zoroastrianism, and Zowanism was designated as the supreme god. The hermaphrodite Zolwan hopes to have a son. He is probably praying for himself and making sacrifices for it. His prayers and sacrifices were not answered, and he experienced a moment of doubt. At this time, Ahriman was pregnant, and the next moment-once he regained his faith-Olmuz was born. Zolwan announced that he would hand over the world to the first-born twins, but when Ahriman heard the news, he fought his way out of the primitive uterus, so he occupied an advantageous position. Zolwan corrected this and ordered Ahriman to rule only for a period of time (9000 years), but Olmuzd would take over and win the final victory.

Olmuzd is still the creator of the world and mankind, but now Ahriman has taken control of the world and directly influenced mankind. This dualism will affect Manichaeism's vision of dividing human experience into matter (evil and matter) and spirit (good and intangible). It seems to be an oral tradition to defend this belief, but during the Sassanian dynasty, once the Avesta Sutra (Zoroastrian Scripture) was written down, some contents of Dunkar and comments on these parts were used (Zande).

Sects within the clan

The mainstream Zoroastrianism seems to be no different from the traditional Zoroastrianism, but now time is the supreme god. This understanding encourages the belief that human free will can't have much meaning, because no one and nothing can compete with time. In turn, this reasoning has produced three Zowan sects in the system:

materialism

fatalism

trunk stream

Materialists (Zandix) believe that there is no spiritual world-there is no god, no devil, no house of songs, and no house of lies-because everything begins with time. Time has no beginning or end, and the world has no beginning or end. Everything that exists has always existed and will always exist. There is no reason for human beings to be born, live and die in one way instead of another, because in the end, people will die in any way, with no hope of returning.

Fatalism holds that since time has created everything, time has everything. A person's birth, birth, illness, death and death are all based on time-not according to providence-and a person's story has been written when a person is born. Olmuzd and Ahriman did exist, but in the war between them, human free will was the victim. The constellation that guides the road of life is on Olmuzd's side, while the planets that influence human thoughts, actions and destiny work for Ahriman. Therefore, even if Olmuzd means that a person only has the best and arranges an auspicious birth, Ahriman's planetary influence will interfere and bring pain and disappointment. In this view, human beings have no room for free will to accomplish anything.

The mainstream (so-called orthodox) Zoroastrianism believes that the twins in heaven and time are their father's duality (so fate is better than free will), but their belief is closer to the accepted Zoroastrianism. This view seems to be the original vision of Zofan religion, which tries to answer the question of the origin of evil. Scholar RC Zaehner explained how the author of Zoroastrianism can deny the central doctrine of Zoroastrianism's free will without contradicting Zoroastrianism's viewpoint or the Sassanian aristocrats who made Zoroastrianism the state religion:

Their solution to the dilemma is ingenious, though dishonest. As it happens, eresh of Avistan appears in the section of Denka people. Although they know that the meaning of this word is "correct" and it is usually translated in this way, they prefer to pretend ignorance and translate it into arish in Pahlavi, which is one of the names of jealous demons. Therefore, it is possible for Dunkard's author to describe the attack theory as the invention of the devil! The whole thing is considered as "the jealous demon announcing to mankind that Olmazd and Ahriman are two brothers in the same womb". Zovanite heresy is also considered as the invention of the devil. (6)

Even so, this vision is acceptable, because the poem quoted by Denkard Zaehner is a comment on a part of Yasna 30.3, in which Zoroaster himself alluded to double god, one good and the other evil, and did not develop this concept. If questioned, Zovan's followers can claim that Zoroaster may mean that the reference to the double gods is a real illusion, or he may have quoted the illusion of the dark forces without complete doubt.

Even if the final result has been decided, you can still exercise your choice ability. A modern example of this is a person's decision to smoke. A person can choose to smoke or not to smoke-this is something within his power-but whatever he chooses, he will eventually die-this is beyond his power. Even so, according to statistics, people who choose not to smoke will live healthier and live longer. In order to solve the root of evil, although the supremacy of time denies the ultimate effect of free will, the mainstream literary school still expounds dualism.

conclusion

This version of Zoroastrianism is helpful to introduce this belief to other parts of the world, which is why scholars are still debating whether Zoroastrianism is the first widely accepted monotheistic belief or dual religion until today. As mentioned above, the dualism of Zofan religion will affect Manichaeism, and then affect the development of other belief systems later, such as the Puritans in southern France in the Middle Ages, so it is widely known in the West. In addition, Muslim scholars and historians have popularized this version of old beliefs in their works, and Christian theologians will do the same.

The fatalism of Zofanism also influenced later Persian writers. An example of this is the great Persian astronomer, mathematician and poet Omar Khayyam (A.D.1048-1131), who is famous for his famous collection of Bai Ru. There are many poems about fate and destiny in khayyam's works, but the most famous one is 5 1:

The moving finger wrote and wrote,

Move on; Not all your piety and wisdom.

You should call back and cancel half a line.

All your tears can't wash away a word.

Time-imagined as a moving finger here-determines all human experiences, and individuals can do nothing about it. People must accept that a person's ultimate fate is in the hands of time, not his own hands, and free will is only an illusion.

Jahan Malik Hatong (L. 1324- 1382 CE), a later poet, was the princess of Shiraz's Inkyu dynasty. She writes in Persian and makes similar observations in her poems. In one of her untitled works, she wrote:

The rose is gone; "Goodbye," we said; We must;

One day I will leave this busy world; I have to do this.

My little room, my book, my love, the wine I sip,

All these things are precious to me, and they will all pass; They have to.

The emotions of Kayam and Caton here reflect a specific zombie view. Even if they are not zombies, even if they don't know the origin of this view, their influence is far-reaching. For centuries, the literary conceit used by writers as a thief era was not invented by Persians-it appeared in Egyptian literature in the Middle Kingdom (2040- 1782 BC) and other earlier places-but developed by Persian artists influenced by it. As early as the 9th century/kloc-and before the language system of Egypt and Mesopotamia was deciphered, Zhuo Fan's theological works were already used by readers.

In addition, Manichaeism influenced by Zofan religion will become one of the most popular religions in the ancient world, comparable to Christianity, and will affect all aspects of this belief and many heresies it fought and suppressed. Even in modern times when few people have heard of Zofanism, the concept of time guiding fate is a familiar one, and the debate about the determinism of free will continues in academia, popular literature and media. Zorvanism itself may have disappeared after the 7th century, but its influence still exists.