Environmental concerns

Zoroastrianism responses

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Zoroastrianism:

Zoroastrianism is the world’s oldest revealed religion. ₁ It is a pragmatic teaching concerned with the improvement in the quality of life on earth. ₂ The Zoroastrian religion has preached ecology and care of the environment and all natural creation right from its very inception, which makes it also the first proponent of ecology.

Zoroastrians believe that the genesis of ecology is the belated realization that in its progress humankind has disregarded the effects of its activities on the rest of the nature. Since the power of science that was given to man has not been used wisely, the success of humanity has taken a great toll on the other species. ₃ Ecology is an attempt to remedy that. The re-interpreted original message of how to establish a just dominion, in which all species can thrive, is a part of current Zoroastrian religious practices that teach great respect and even reverence for nature. Note that four thousand years before the first ‘Greens’ the priest-prophet Zoroaster preached that humankind, as the seventh creation, must protect the other six (sky, water, earth, plant, animal, and fire) – human beings have been seen as the natural motivators or overseers of the Seven Creation. ₁

In the Gathas, the key concept of all well ordered existence and of the establishment of justice is referred to as Asha. It is similar to the Tao within Taoism, ₄ and is translated as cosmic order or structure, eternal law, the mainspring of all manifestations, etc. Understanding Asha is science when applied to the physical world, and is religion in its truest sense when applied to the moral world.

Among the points of Zoroastrian religion, which are of interest with respect to ecology, are:

In practical matters, Zoroastrianism:

In everyday life:

A search of the Amazon.com data base shows the following books on Zoroastrian responses to the environment:

At least, it should. Sometimes Amazon returns the strangest selections.

References used:

The following information sources were used to prepare and update the above essay. The hyperlinks are not necessarily still active today.

1. "What does Zoroastrianism Teach About Ecology?" at: http://www.arcworld.org/
2. Shahin Bekhradnia, "Zoroastrianism and the Environment," at: http://www.rsesymposia.org/
3. Lovji D Cama, "Zoroastrianism and Science," at: http://www.vohuman.org/
4. Edward Goldsmith, "The Way," Themis Books, (1996).
5. "End Factory Farming," at: http://www.factoryfarming.org.uk/
6. Mary Evelyn Tucker & John A. Grim, "Introduction: The Emerging Alliance of World Religions and Ecology," at: http://www.amacad.org/