Zoroastrianism - Zoroastrianism

Japanese: ゾロアスター教 - ぞろあすたーきょう（英語表記）Zoroastrianism

A religion founded by Zoroaster. It is usually called Zoroastrianism after its founder, but since its followers believe in Ahura Mazda, it is called Mazdayasna. There are various theories about the date and place of its founding, but an analysis of the language, content, and format of the scriptures suggests that it was spread among the Indo-Iranian people who had settled in northeastern Iran around 1200 BC. It soon moved its center to eastern Iran, and spread westward to Pars and Media. By the time the Achaemenid Persian Empire was established in the 6th century BC, it was already a religion followed by the majority of the Persians who were the core of the royal family and the kingdom, as evidenced by the inscriptions of kings from Darius the Great onwards, which clearly express faith in Ahura Mazda. Originally, the construction of temples and idols was not permitted, but as a result of contact with advanced civilization during the development of the empire, Zoroastrianism became familiar to idols and temples were built. At that time, fire, which was essential for daily life and rituals, was placed in the sanctuary of the temple as a sacred fire that would never be extinguished and was worshiped, which is why it came to be called Zoroastrianism. The conquests of Alexander the Great dealt a major blow to the succession of religious traditions, which were usually based on oral recitation, but the belief was observed in the Parthian dynasty that followed, which was of northeastern Iranian origin, although it was heavily influenced by Hellenism. During the Sassanid dynasty, Zoroastrianism was considered an important pillar supporting the legitimacy of royal power.

During this period, a large number of Iranians entered China and the Tang Dynasty for trade purposes. In China, Zoroastrianism was called Zikyo, and several Zikyo shrines were built to meet the needs of believers. However, they did not engage in missionary activities.

With the rise of Islam in the 7th century and the fall of the Sassanid Empire, the number of Zoroastrians gradually decreased, until only the Yazd and Kerman regions remained. Around the 10th century, some Zoroastrians migrated to the west coast of India in search of religious freedom, and became known as Parsis. Today, most Zoroastrians are Parsis living in Mumbai (Bombay), India, and there are only a little over 100,000 Zoroastrians in total, including those living in Iran and around the world.

[Yumiko Yamamoto]

Doctrine

The sacred text is the Avesta. The oldest part of it, which is said to be Zoroaster's own words, is the "Gasa", a hymn to Ahura Mazda. According to it, his thought was based on dualism, and in the beginning there were two opposing spirits. The good god Ahura Mazda chose life and light, while the evil spirit Angra Mainyu (Ahriman) chose death and darkness. The universe was created to set up a battlefield between these two and to set up the parties involved. From this perspective, the ancient theory of the creation of the universe, which consists of seven processes of sky, water, earth, plants, animals, people, and fire, was reinterpreted, and all things were created under the protection of gods called Amsha-Supuntas (holy immortals), who deified Ahura Mazda's attributes of good intentions, heavenly laws, desirable kingdoms, faith, long life, health, and holy spirit. These creatures and gods fight against the forces of evil, either individually or in combination. A unique funeral method called sky burial was adopted to avoid bringing impurity to the pure creations. Humans were expected to practice the three virtues of good thoughts, good words, and good deeds, and would be judged after death and go to heaven or hell. It was also said that a general judgment would be held at the end of the world, and that both the living and the dead would be selected by passing through an earth covered with molten metal, after which they would enjoy eternal life in the new world. At this time, a savior called Saoshyant would appear and finally destroy evil. These ideas had a great influence on later world religions, such as Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, and parts of Islam.

[Yumiko Yamamoto]

"Mary Boyce, translated by Yumiko Yamamoto, Zoroastrianism: 3,500 Years of History (1983, Chikuma Shobo)" ▽ "The Avesta by Yoshinori Ito (1967, Chikuma Shobo)" ▽ "Zoroastrianism by Akinori Okada (1982, Heikawa Publishing)" ▽ "M. BoyceA History of Zoroastrianism (vol. 1, 1975, vol. 2, 1982, Leiden)"

Source: Shogakukan Encyclopedia Nipponica About Encyclopedia Nipponica Information | Legend

Japanese:

ゾロアスターを開祖とする宗教。普通は開祖の名をとってゾロアスター教とよばれるが、教徒自身は、アフラ・マズダーを信仰することから、マズダー礼拝教（マズダヤスナMazdayasna）という。成立年代、場所に関しては諸説あるが、聖典の言語、内容、形式の分析によると、紀元前1200年ころ、東北イランに定着するようになったインド・イラン語族の間に広められたと考えられる。まもなく東イランに中心地を移し、西方のパールス、メディア地方に伝播(でんぱ)した。紀元前6世紀にアケメネス朝ペルシア帝国が成立したときには、すでに王家と王国の中枢をなすペルシア人の大部分が信奉する宗教であったことは、ダリウス大王以降の諸王の碑文に、アフラ・マズダーへの信仰が明白に表明されていることからわかる。本来は寺院や偶像の建立を認めなかったが、帝国の発展期に先進文明に触れた結果、偶像に親しみ、寺院も建立するようになった。その際、寺院の聖所に、日常生活や祭儀に欠かせない火を、聖別して永遠に消されぬ火として置き、礼拝の対象としたために、拝火教ともよばれるようになった。アレクサンドロス大王の征服は、通常、口誦(こうしょう)によっていた宗教的伝統の継承に大打撃を与えたが、続く東北イラン系のパルティア王朝でも、ヘレニズムの影響を深く被りつつ信仰は遵守された。ササン朝に入ると、ゾロアスター教は、王権の正当性を支える重要な柱とみなされた。

　この時代、交易活動のためにかなりのイラン人が中国、唐に入った。中国ではゾロアスター教は祆教(けんきょう)とよばれ、教徒の必要に応じるための祆教祠(し)もいくつか建てられた。しかし伝道活動を行ったわけではない。

　7世紀にイスラム教が台頭してササン朝が滅ぼされると、ゾロアスター教徒の数は漸次減少し、ヤズト、ケルマーン地方に残るだけになった。10世紀ころ、一部の教徒は宗教上の自由を求めてインド西海岸に移住し、パールシーとよばれた。現在ゾロアスター教徒は、大部分はインドのムンバイ（ボンベイ）に住むパールシーで、イランや世界各地に住む者をあわせても10万人余しかいない。

［山本由美子］

教義

聖典は『アベスタ』。そのなかで、もっとも古く、ゾロアスター自身のことばになるとされる部分がアフラ・マズダーへの讃歌(さんか)「ガーサー」である。それによると、彼の思想は二元論に基づいており、初めに、対立する二つの霊があったという。善なる神アフラ・マズダーは生命・光を選び、邪悪な霊アングラ・マインユ（アフリマン）は死・闇(やみ)をとった。宇宙はこの両者の戦う場と当事者を設定するために創造されたという。この観点から、天空、水、地、植物、動物、人、火の七過程からなる古来の宇宙創成論は解釈し直され、すべてのものはそれぞれ、アフラ・マズダーのよい意図、天則、望ましい王国、信心、長命、健康、聖なる霊という属性を神格化したアムシャ・スプンタ（聖なる不死者）とよばれる神々の守護のもとに構成されているとされた。これらの創造物と神々は、おのおののレベルで、あるいはまた連合して悪の軍勢と戦う。清浄な創造物に不浄をもたらすことのないように、風葬（鳥葬）という独特の葬法も採用された。人間は、善思、善語、善行の三徳を行うよう求められ、死後審判を受けて天国か地獄へ行くとされた。また世界の終末に総審判が行われ、生者も死者も溶けた金属によって覆われた大地を通過することで選別され、その後新しい世界で永遠の生命を享受すると説いた。このときサオシュヤントとよばれる救世主が現れて、悪を最終的に滅ぼすという。これらの思想は、ユダヤ教、キリスト教、仏教、イスラム教の一部など、後の世界の諸宗教に多大な影響を与えた。

［山本由美子］

『メアリー・ボイス著、山本由美子訳『ゾロアスター教――3500年の歴史』（1983・筑摩書房）』▽『伊藤義教著『アヴェスター』（1967・筑摩書房）』▽『岡田明憲著『ゾロアスター教』（1982・平河出版社）』▽『M. BoyceA History of Zoroastrianism (vol. 1, 1975, vol. 2, 1982, Leiden)』

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