For most Zoroastrians the deepest spiritual experience is to pray before the temple fire. They believe that here, they stand in the presence of Ahura Mazda, where the sounds and power of the Avestan prayers induce a trance like state. As the prayers are believed to give spiritual protection Zoroastrians find them comforting.

A fundamental Zoroastrian belief is Ahura Mazda created the world, and created it perfect (all suffering, misery, disease and death are external assaults by the cosmic force of evil Angra Mainyu). They naturally have a sense of awe and reverence before the wonders of nature. As they believe the world is the Good Creation of Ahura Mazda, there is a religious obligation to enjoy it and misery that could be avoided is a sin. This means that community gatherings are invariably happy (and usually noisy) occasions.

Many educated Iranian and Parsi Zoroastrians reject much of the later priestly literature emphasising their belief in, and practice of, good thoughts, words and deeds. The ritual fire is therefore of less symbolic importance but remains spiritually uplifting.

In Zoroastrianism a young person is initiated (naujote – meaning new birth) just before the onset of puberty not in infancy, as it is believed this must be a voluntary act.

The naujote is the same for male and female and consists of the formal investiture, by the priest, of a sacred shirt (sudre) and cord (kusti). The sudre is a white cotton garment worn at all times except when bathing. It has a small pocket at the ‘v’ of the neck interpreted as the spiritual purse in which one keeps good thoughts, words and deeds. The kusti is made of 72 threads of lamb’s wool, symbolising the 72 chapters of the sacred text. It is tied around the waist with knots at the back and front, and is regarded as a ‘sword belt of the faith’. The kusti comes from ancient Indo-Iranian practices like the Brahmin’s cord, only in Zoroastrianism it is worn by all members of the religion.

After initiation the kusti should be tied and untied 5 times each day to the accompaniment of prayers confirming commitment to God and rejecting evil. The sudre and kusti are thought to protect individuals from evil influences and, as such, are a symbol of community membership.

Only the offspring of a Zoroastrian male may be initiated. Among the Parsis in India only the offspring of two Zoroastrian parents is initiated in order to ensure gender equality. Conversion is forbidden, as conversion is associated with proselytizing which is regarded as causing more oppression and persecution than almost any other human activity. Faith is believed to be part of a person’s fundamental identity therefore conversion is viewed as psychologically dangerous. Furthermore, they believe conversion is unnecessary because the good people of any religion will go to heaven and the evil of any religion will go to hell; one should remain within the religious tradition into which one is born. One exception to this is a small California-based branch where conversion is acceptable.

Initiation is therefore into a tightly knit clearly defined, community. Intermarriage and conversion are seen as ways of diluting Zoroastrian identity. In India, for example, a low birth rate and high mortality have led to declining numbers of Zoroastrians. However, this is seen as preferable if it ensures the Zoroastrian faith remains undiluted. The Zoroastrian aim is to preserve the identity of one of the world’s oldest prophetic religions.

Zoroastrians are not required to go to a fire temple (atash), though in India where there are many temples, most Parsis choose to go regularly. Traditionally, especially in Iran, participation in the festivals is obligatory (see under ‘Celebrations’). In their daily life they are expected to practise Good Thoughts, Words and Deeds, to care for the world and for others, act honestly at all times and to reject evil in all its forms. For Parsis, more than for Iranian Zoroastrians, commitment is identified and recognised by the wearing of the sudre and kusti.

For most Parsi Zoroastrianism is not strictly a ‘faith tradition’; rather it is membership of a community of people who have descended from Zoroastrians and have been initiated into the faith through the naujote ceremony.

Each person is unique but has a responsibility to care for others within the family and outside. As the whole of the physical creation is the work of God each person has a duty to care for it and is to refrain from polluting earth, air, fire, water and other living creatures. To harm another person or good creature is to support the destructive work of evil.

Traditionally it is thought that cleaning the home is part of the fight against evil. Each morning the traditional Zoroastrian carries a small portable fire altar through the house to purify the air with its sweet smell. Basic prayers, the sudrekusti prayers are said on rising and a further four times during the day, as well as after ablutions. These can said both in the home and in the temple. As with most Asian communities, extended family ties are strong, even in the Diaspora.

Among Parsis in India or Zoroastrians in modern Iran, there is a very strong sense of community, partly as a minority people. In Iran they are subject to harsh treatment being seen by Muslims as unclean infidels. People are expected to marry within the community; in India for example, marriage outside of the community often means being ostracized. In the Diaspora, intermarriage happens more often but retaining community networks is still viewed as extremely important.

Until the 19th century Zoroastrians considered the home as the place where the religious rituals were carried out. It was not until the 19th century, when Parsis became wealthy and had non-Zoroastrian servants in their homes that a large temple building program was undertaken.

There are different schools of thought with very different interpretations of Zoroaster’s teaching. Generally speaking these can be classified into two distinct groups. First, the orthodox, who accept the authority not just of the holy book the Avesta, but also the later priestly Pahlavior Middle Persian literature, vigorously oppose intermarriage and emphasize the importance of keeping the body and spirit pure. A second group is the more liberal or reforming Parsi who emphasize the words of the prophet while rejecting much of the later material, put less emphasis on physical purity, are more open to intermarriage and argue that conversion should be allowed. Iranian predominantly urbanized, Zoroastrians emphasise the teaching of Zoroaster as promoted in the Gathas and reject teaching in the later priestly Pahlavi literature.

Indian and Iranian faith communities are naturally different from those in the Diaspora. Iranian and Indian Zoroastrians continue to live in close-knit neighbourhoods (baugs) built by Parsis for Parsis, physically enhancing the sense of community. However, for the Diaspora this is less true as they are scattered around the big cities of America, Australia, Britain and Canada, making social networking more difficult. These communities arrange numerous religious and social events in order to bring followers together. By belonging to the community members inspire each other to live up to the ideals of the religion with each providing support for the other in the contemporary world.

Some of those who have migrated west have been influenced by western thought so for example, American Zoroastrians accept converts whereas in India, they do not.

When Zoroastrians first migrated to Britain they avoided interfaith activity fearing a Christian influence and conversion from its own followers. However, since the late 1980s, Zoroastrians have been actively involved in inter-faith dialogue. This has not been without its difficulties as, due to its lack of widespread knowledge, Zoroastrians became vulnerable to mockery in the media. For example, on one occasion a Sunday newspaper produced a glossy supplement on new religious cults and, despite the fact it is one of the world’s oldest prophetic religions, Zoroastrianism was included. However, the 21st century has led to greater understanding of religion as a whole, with Zoroastrians now regarded as one of the main nine ‘official’ religions in Britain. Members are invited to a diverse range of functions alongside other leaders of faith communities, including the faith area of the Millennium Dome and Commonwealth Services at Westminster Abbey. This recognition of, and active engagement in, interfaith dialogue, has ensured the identity of Zoroastrianism remains strong.

Traditional Zoroastrianism does not believe in rebirth (although some modern Parsi do under Hindu influence). Zoroastrians believe that every person is created to fight evil and expand the Good Creation. Humanity was created perfect, immortal, sinless, without need and happy. All misery, suffering, disease and death are afflictions of an independent force of evil (Ahriman). Each individual has free will and so can choose to practice Righteousness (Asha) or follow the path of evil, but will be judged according to their thoughts, words and deeds in this life.

Iranian Zoroastrians and more liberal Parsis stress the rationality and logical nature of the religion, and find support for their views in the Gathas (Hymns of Zoroaster). Traditionally, the religion talks about the creation of the universe and views history as the battle ground between good and evil. It looks forward to the renovation (frashegird or frashokereti), when good will ultimately triumph over evil, when the saviour (Soshyant) will come, the dead will be raised and the final judgment will take place. At this point good will be rewarded and evil punished, before passing into the ideal existence where heaven and earth come together in what is literally, the best of both worlds.

Fundamentally, it is personal identity that is most important to individual Zoroastrians, alongside the link between their race and their religion.

Many Zoroastrians, both in India and the West, are scientists, and find no conflict between their scientific knowledge and their religion. Zoroastrian Scientists believe the Hymns of Zoroaster do not contradict scientific law, (the only exception to this being his teaching on creation and judgement after death at the Chinvat Bridge). Some of the myths in the later Middle Persian (Pahlavi) literature are accepted as figurative and therefore are not seen to disagree with current scientific thinking.

This more abstract interpretation of belief finds no difficulty with science but the more traditional Parsis nevertheless believe that science is concerned with different issues from their religious belief and so the two are not in conflict.

Because of the belief in the Good Creation everyone has a religious obligation to care for it and many Zoroastrians claim they were the first environmentalists and put a religious value on the world. A number of American Parsis are scientists who declare their work is to bring about a greater appreciation of creation. However, it is still uncommon for Zoroastrians to discuss links between religion and science. The rare exception to this was in the early 20th century following the publication of A Modern Zoroastrian by Samuel Laing. In 1890 Laing argued that, with the discovery of electricity and the recognition of the positive and negative forces associated with this, Zoroastrian beliefs of dualism of good and evil had been vindicated. For Zoroastrians, it is this conflict between good and evil that causes the most thought. Therefore, the discovery of positive and negative forces in association with electricity’s powerful magnetism led to discussion among Zoroastrians of the link between science and religion.

The primary ethical value which Zoroastrians is to practice good thoughts, words and deeds. However, this clearly raises the question, what makes something good or evil? Good is considered to be anything which is life supporting conducive to order, harmony (asha) and peace. Anger, lust and greed are emotions regarded as evil because they threaten this order. That which is good is how Ahura Mazda created it and is each individual’s duty to care for. This Good Creation encompasses the environment, the animal world and other people, and Zoroastrians believe it their duty to fight evil in all its forms, both physical and spiritual.

The fundamental feature of the Zoroastrian moral code is to be good and to do good, and the community is expected to practice these virtues in every-day life. One who follows the way of asha is an ashavan, leading as righteous and virtuous life as he or she is able.

Thus, Zoroastrians aim to be caring, generous, truthful (a term for evil is ‘the Lie’) and trustworthy. For believers, untruthfulness is a form of evil.

Zoroastrians aim to identify with the personified qualities of the Divine:

With holy spirit and best thought, with action and word in accordance with truth, they shall offer Him integrity and immortality. The Ahura (Lord) is Mazda (wisdom) though (His) power (and) holy devotion (Yasna.47:1).

Zoroastrians adopted Aristotle’s idea of the Golden Mean. This is the idea that virtue is the mid-point between opposing vices, thus extremes of asceticism and debauchery are to be avoided.

Many Zoroastrians are doctors because they believe that by keeping people healthy they are better able to do the work of Ahura Mazda. However, working as a doctor often involves making difficult decisions, for example, the ethical, moral and sinful implications of euthanasia and abortion. Sin for Zoroastrians is thinking, saying or doing anything which adversely affects any part of the Good Creation.

Zoroastrians regard their religious duty as practicing good thoughts, words and deeds. At the time of judgment, after death, the good will be balanced against evil thoughts, words and deeds. If the good outweighs the evil the soul passes across a bridge of judgment (Chinvat Bridge) to heaven; if the evil outweighs the good then the soul falls into hell where it is punished until the day of resurrection. Thus it is an individual’s deeds and not beliefs that determine their fate in the afterlife. Ultimately, all people are equal, from the same initiation ceremony (Naujote) for males and females, to the rituals after death where everyone regardless on social or religious status are exposed in the same Tower of Silence (Dokhma).

Zoroastrians believe that idleness is a sin. A word for evil is ‘the Lie’ so being truthful is very important. Charity is an important virtue for Zoroastrians with many becoming significant benefactors within their community. For example, Bombay’s first western-style hospital, the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences and the National Centre for the Performing Arts were all established through Zoroastrian philanthropy.

In Zoroastrianism, beliefs in human rights and social justice flow continuously from religious beliefs. Humans are individually created as fellow workers (hamkars) of God in the fight against evil. Humans should care for other human beings and the creation, as all are part of the Good Creation. All human beings are born with free will and so can choose to reject their religious duty. However, any rejection of religious or social responsibilities will be punished in the afterlife.

While not all are born equal, all people are equally called, created and cared for by Ahura Mazda. Historical Zoroastrian Iran identifies people being born into distinct classes – royalty, priests, nobles and workers. However, even during ancient times, everyone had the same religious duties and underwent the same religious rites at birth, initiation before adolescence and after death. Among Parsi in India all, rich and poor alike, priest and lay, are exposed in the same Tower of Silence (dokhma). Even where there is no dokhma everyone’s funeral is the same.