University of Nairobi Greek Philosophy and Zoroastrianism Essay

Greek Philosophy and Zoroastrianism

Read the two primary sources:

• Greek Philosophy
• Avesta

After reading these sources, respond to the following questions. Response must be a MINIMUM of 800 WORDS.

Questions:

1) What did Greek philosophers believe? What did they teach?
2) Do you agree with any of these philosophers? Are their ideas still relevant today?
3) What is your favorite quote?
4) What can we learn about Zoroastrianism from the Avesta? What did they believe
5) Choose one quote to analyze
6) Do the Zoroastrians and Greek philosophers have any ideas in common?

Greek Philosophy
(570 BCE-270 CE)

Source: Norman Melchert. The Great Conversation: A Historical Introduction to Philosophy. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2007.

Introduction

The following features quotes from 10 Greek philosophers spanningnearly nine hundred years, from 570 BCE to 270 CE. The Greeks were thefirst to produce Rationalist philosophers who questioned and outrightdenied the existence of the gods. But there were also plenty of Greekphilosophers who believed in God and the soul, and even would go on toinspire the development of Christianity. A common theme among all ten isa love for wisdom and a strong desire to help humans lead the bestlife.

Xenophanes (571-475 BCE)

Heraclitus (535-475 BCE)

Parmenides (515 BCE)

Democritus (460-370 BCE)

Protagoras (490-420 BCE)

Socrates (469-399 BCE)

Plato (428-348 BCE)

Aristotle (384-322 BCE)

Epicurus (341-270 BCE)

Plotinus (204-270 CE)

Xenophanes (571-475 BCE)

• ”The Ethiopians make their gods snub-nosed and black; the Thraciansmake theirs gray-eyed and red-haired. And if oxen and horses and lionshad hands, and could draw with their hands and do what man can do,horses would draw the gods in the shape of horses, and oxen in the shapeor oxen, each giving the gods bodies similar to their own.”
• ”There is One god, the greatest among gods and men, in no waysimilar to mortals either in body in mind…He sees all over, thinks allover, hears all over…He remains always in the same place, withoutmoving…but without toil, he sets all things in motion by the thought ofhis mind.”
• “[Men believe rainbows are the goddess Iris but it] is in reality a cloud.”
• “The gods have not revealed all things from the beginning to mortals; but, by seeking, men find out, in time, what is better.”
• “No man knows the truth, nor will there be a man who has knowledgeabout the gods and what I say about everything. For even if he were tohit by chance upon the whole truth, he himself would not be aware ofhaving done so, but each forms his own opinion…Let these things, then,be taken as like the truth.”

Heraclitus (535-475 BCE)

• “All things come into being through opposition, all are in flux, like a river.”
• “The path traced by the pen is straight and crooked.”
• “Sea water is very pure and very impure; drinkable and healthy for fishes, but undrinkable and destructive to men.”
• “The way up and the way down are the same.”
• “This world-order, the same for all, no god made or any man, but italways was and is and will be an ever-lasting fire, kindling by measureand going out by measure.”
• “War is the father and king of all.”
• “It is necessary to understand that war is universal and justice isstrife, and that all things take place in accordance with strife andnecessity.”
• “To god all things are beautiful and good and just; but men suppose some things to be just and others unjust.”
• “It is not characteristic of men to be intelligent; but it is characteristic of god.”
• “Though they are in daily contact with the Logos (can betranslated as The Word, The First Principle, or God) they are atvariance with it, and what they meet appears alien to them.”
• “To those who are awake the world-order is one, common to all; but the sleeping turn aside each into a world of his own.”
• “We ought to follow what is common to all; but though the logos is common to all, the many live as though their thought were private to themselves.”

• “Nature loves to hide.”
• “The lord whose oracle is at Delphi neither speaks out nor conceals, but gives a sign.”

• “Those things of which there is sight, hearing, understanding, I esteem most.”

• “Eyes and ears are bad witnesses to men if they have souls that do not understand their language.”

• “It is not good for men to get all they wish.”

• “If happiness consisted in bodily pleasures we ought to call oxen happy who find [plants] to eat.”

• “It is hard to fight against impulse; for what it wants it buys at the expense of the soul.”

• “Moderation is the greatest virtue, and wisdom is to speak the truth and to act according to nature, giving heed to all.”

• “One man is worth ten thousand to me, if only he be best…For thebest men choose one thing above all the rest: everlasting fame amongmortal men.”
• “All human laws are nourished by the one divine law. For it governsas far as it will, and is sufficient for all things, and outlasts them.”

Parmenides (born 515 BCE)

• “Welcome, youth, who come attended by immortal charioteers and[horses] which bear you on your journey to our dwelling. For it is noevil fate that has set you to travel on this road, far from the beatenpaths of men, but right and justice. It is [right] that you learn allthings—both the unshakeable heart of well-rounded truth and the opinionsof mortals in which there is no true belief.”

• “Thought and being are the same.”
• “Helplessness guides the wandering thoughts in their breasts; theyare carried along deaf and blind alike, dazed, beasts without judgement,convinced that to be and not to be are the same and not the same, andthat the road of all things is a backward-turning one.”
• “Judge by reasoning…the argument that I have spoken.”

Democritus (460-370 BCE)

• “Nothing occurs at random, but everything occurs for a reason and by necessity.”
• “There are two forms of knowledge: one legitimate, one bastard. Tothe bastard sort belong all the following: sight, hearing, smell, taste,touch. The legitimate is quite distinct from this. When the bastardform cannot see more minutely, nor hear nor smell nor taste nor perceivethrough the touch, then another, firmer form must be employed.”
• “Disease occurs in a household, or in a life, just as it does in a body.”
• “Medicine cures the diseases of the body; wisdom, on the other hand, relieves the soul of its sufferings.”
• “The needy animal knows how much it needs; the needy man does not.”
• “It is hard to fight with desire; but to overcome it is the mark of a rational man.”
• “Moderation increases enjoyment, and makes pleasure even greater.”
• “The good things of life are produced by learning with hard work; the bad are reaped of their own accord, without hard work.”
• “The brave man is he who overcomes not only his enemies but hispleasures. There are some men who are masters of cities but slaves towomen.”
• “In cattle excellence is displayed in strength of body; but in men it lies in strength of character.”
• “I would rather discover a single cause [of why something in Nature happens] than become king of the Persians.”

Protagoras (490-420 BCE)

• “Man is the measure of all things; of existing things, that they exist; of non-existing things, that they do not exist.”
• “Concerning the gods I am not in a position to know either that theyare or that they are not, or what they are like in appearance; forthere are many things that are preventing knowledge, the obscurity ofthe matter and the brevity of human life.”

Socrates (469-399 BCE)

• “The unexamined life is not worth living.”
• “I do not even have any knowledge of what virtue itself is.”
• “There’s one proposition that I’d defend to the death, If I could,by argument and by action: that as long as we think we should search forwhat we don’t know we’ll be better people—less faint-hearted and lesslazy—than if we were to think that we had no chance of discovering whatwe don’t know and that there’s no point in even searching for it.”
• “The wise man admits that he knows nothing.”
• “Those who [have] the highest reputation [are] nearly the most[ignorant], while those who [are] thought to be the inferior [are] moreknowledgeable.”
• “Even now I continue this investigation as the god [gave] me—and Igo around seeking out anyone, citizen or strange, whom I think wise.Then if I do not think he is, I come to the assistance of the god andshow him that he is not wise.”
• “I myself believe that there are gods and am not altogether an atheist.”
• “Wherever a man has taken a position that he believes to bebest…there he must I think remain and face danger, without a thought fordeath or anything else, rather than disgrace.”
• “To fear death…is no other than to think oneself wise when one isnot, to think one knows that one does not know. No one knows whetherdeath may not be the greatest of all blessings for a man, yet men fearit as if they knew that it is the greatest of evils.”
• “If I were to claim that I am wiser than anyone in anything, itwould be in this, that, as I have no adequate knowledge of things in theunderworld, so I do not think I have. I do know, however, that it iswicked and shameful to do wrong, to disobey one’s superior, be he god orman.”
• “I have never been anyone’s teacher.”
• ”My art of midwifery is in general like that of midwives. The onlydifference is that my patients are men, not women. My concern is notwith the body but with the soul that is in labor. The highest point ofmy art is the power to prove by every test whether the offspring of ayoung man’s thoughts is a false phantom or is something alive and real. Iam so much like the midwife that I cannot myself give birth to wisdom.The common reproach is true, although I question others, I can bringnothing to light because there is no wisdom in me. This is because Godconstrains me to serve as a midwife, but has debarred me from givingbirth.”
• “It is not easy to dispel great slanders in a short time.”
• “Neither I nor any other man should, on trial or in war, contrive to avoid death at any costs.”
• “It is not difficult to avoid death…it is much more difficult to avoid wickedness, for it runs faster than death.”
• “Either the dead are nothing and have no perception of anything, orit is, as we are told, a change and a relocating for the soul from hereto another place. If it is complete lack of perception, like a dreamlesssleep, then death would be a great advantage…If death is like this Isay it is an advantage, for all eternity would then seem to be no morethan a single night. If, on the other hand, death is a change from hereto another place, and what we are told is true and all who have died arethere, what greater blessing could there be?”
• “A good man cannot be harmed either in life or in death, and…his affairs are not neglected by the gods.”
• “The most important thing is not life, but the good life.”

Plato (428-348 BCE)

• “So the philosopher, who consorts with what is divine and ordered, himself becomes godlike and ordered as far as a man can see…”
• “No one must have any private property whatsoever, except what isabsolutely necessary. Secondly, no one must have any lodging orstorehouse at all which is not open to all comers…They must live incommon…They alone of all in the city dare not have any dealings withgold or silver or even touch them or come under the same roof withthem.” (Plato’s requirements for the ruling class in his ideal Republic)
• “Unless communities have philosophers as kings, or the people whoare currently called kings and rulers practice philosophy with enoughintegrity…there can be no end to political troubles…or even to humantroubles in general, I’d say.”
• “All soul is immortal.”
• “Those who practice philosophy aright are cultivating dying, and for them, least of all men, does being dead hole any terror.”
• “Can there be any profit in the immoral acquisition of money, ifthis entails the enslavement of the best part of oneself to the worstpart?”
• “All men are teachers of virtue, each one according to his ability.”
• “Knowledge is the food of the soul.”
• “There is far greater peril in buying knowledge than in buying foodor drink…You cannot buy the wares of knowledge and carry them away in anindependent container; when you have paid for them, you must receivethem into your soul and go your way, either harmed or benefitted; andtherefore we should deliberate and get the advice of our elders, for weare still young—too young to decide such a matter.”

Aristotle (384-322 BCE)

• “It is those who act rightly who get the rewards and the good things in life.”
• “All men by nature desire to have knowledge. An indication of thisis the delight that we take in the senses…we take delight in them fortheir own sake, and more than of any other this is true of the sense ofsight…the reason for this is that, more than any other sense, it enablesus to get to know things, and it reveals a number of differencesbetween things.”
• “To say that what is is not, or that what is not is, is false and to say that what is is, or that what is not is not, is true.”
• “The world does not wish to be governed badly. As Homer says: ‘To have many kings is not good, let there be one.’”
• “The soul is not separable from the body.”
• “We are not studying in order to know what virtue is, but to become good, for otherwise there would be no profit in it.”
• “Good is the object of all endeavor.”
• “What is the highest good in all matters of action? As to the name,there is almost complete agreement; for the uneducated and the educatedalike call it happiness…”
• “The function of man is activity of soul in accordance with reason, or at least not without reason.”
• “It is evident that the state is a creation of nature, and that manis by nature a political animal. And he who by nature and not by mereaccident is without a state, is either above humanity, or below it; heis the ‘Tribeless, lawless, [homeless] one,’…the outcast who is a loverof war; he may be compared to a bird which flies alone”
• “As far as possible, we should become immortal and do everything toward living by the best that is in us.”
• “At his best, man is the noblest of all animals; separated from law and justice he is the worst.”

Epicurus (341-270 BCE)

• “Pleasure is the beginning and end of the blessed life. We recognizepleasure as the first and natural good; starting from pleasure weaccept or reject; and we return to this as we judge every good thing,trusting this feeling of pleasure as our guide.”
• “Let no young man delay the study of philosophy, and let no old manbecome weary of it; for it is never too early nor too late to care forthe well being of the soul. The man who says that the season for thisstudy has not yet come or is already past is like the man who says it istoo early or too late for happiness.
• “Do not think that knowledge about the things above the earth,whether treated as part of a philosophical system or by itself, has anyother purpose than peace of mind and confidence. This is also true ofother studies.”
• “To die, to sleep; To sleep: perchance to dream: ay, there’s therub; For in that sleep of death what dreams may come when we haveshuffled off this mortal coil, must give us pause.”
• “That which is blessed and immortal is not troubled itself, nor doesit cause trouble to another. As a result, it is not affected by angeror favor, for these belong to weakness.”
• “Accustom yourself to the belief that death is of no concern to ussince all good and evil lie in sensation and sensation ends withdeath…Death, the most dreaded of evils, is therefore of no concern tous; for while we exist death is not present, and when death is presentwe no longer exist. It is therefore nothing either to the living or tothe dead since it is not present to the living, and the dead no longerare.”
• “Of the desires some are natural, some are vain, and of those thatare natural, some are necessary, others only natural. Of the necessarydesires, some are necessary for happiness, some for the ease of thebody, some for life itself.”
• “Natural wealth is limited and easily obtained; the wealth defined by vain fancies is always beyond reach.”
• “Nothing satisfies him to whom what is enough is little.”
• “The aim of all actions to avoid fear and pain.”
• “If our possessions are few, we may be content with what we have,sincerely believing that those enjoy luxury most who depend on it least,and that natural wants are easily satisfied if we are willing to forego[excess]. Plain fare yields as much pleasure as a luxurious table,provided the pain of real want is removed; bread and water can giveexquisite delight to hungry and thirsty lips. To form the habit of asimple and modest diet…is the way to health: it enables us to performthe needful employments of life without shrinking, it puts us in bettercondition to enjoy luxuries when they are offered, and it renders usfearless of fortune.”
• “On particular occasions we may have reason to treat the good as bad, and the bad as good.”
• “Is there any better and wiser man than he who holds reverent beliefabout the gods, is altogether free from the fear of death, and hasserenely contemplated the basic tendencies of natural law?”
• “Our own actions are free, and it is to them that praise and blame are properly attached.”
• “The wise man does not deify [Destiny] as most men do; for if it were divine it would not be without order.”
• “Meditate [on these sayings] day and night, both privately and withsome companion who is of [the same spirit]. Thereby shall you neversuffer disturbance, waking or asleep, but shall live like a god amongthem. For a man who lives constantly among immortal blessings is surelymore than mortal.”
• “Gods do exist…but they are not such as the many believe them to be.”
• “The wise man neither rejects life nor fears death…he savors not the longest time but the most pleasant.”

Plotinus (204-270 CE)

• “Men should apply themselves to the study of soul, learning amongother things that it proceeds from The Intelligence and attains virtueby participating in the reason that proceeds from The Intelligence.”
• “The One, the source of all things, is simple. It is above even thehighest in the world of being because it is above The Intelligence,which itself, not The One but like The One, would become The One. Notsundered from The One, close to The One, but to itself present, it hasto a degree dared secession.”
• “The strictly nameless, [The One] is difficult to know. The best approach is through its offspring: Being…”
• “The One is infinite.”
• “The One is already one. It does not even need itself.”
• “The One, in its aloneness, can neither know nor be ignorant of anything. Being with itself, it does not need to know itself.”
• “Whatever is not one, but multiple, needs something else.”
• “[The One] is present to all those who can touch it and absent only to those who cannot.”
• “This divinity, it is said, is not outside any being but, on thecontrary, is present to all beings though they may not know it. They arefugitives from the divine, or rather from themselves. What they turnfrom they cannot reach. Themselves lost, they can find no other. A sondistraught and beside himself is not likely to recognize his father. Butthe man who has learned to know himself will at the same time discoverwhence he comes.”

  The Avesta:

  (circa 1000-300 BCE)

  Introduction:

  The Avesta is the holy book of the Zoroastrians and is one ofthe earliest sacred texts to claim to be the revealed word of God.Zoroastrianism directly influenced Judaism, Christianity, and Islam.

• “Righteousness is the best good (and it) ishappiness. Happiness (is) to him who (is) righteous for the sake of thebest righteous…”
• “He who constitutes himself to the protector(or the nourisher) of the poor (accepts) the sovereign rule (of theentire world) of [Ahura-Mazda] (God).”
• “(May) the Satan (be) defeated and destroyed!(May) the works and workers of Ahriman [The Devil] the accursed (be)destroyed! May not works and workers of (that) accursed (Ahriman) reach(me)! Thirty-three Holy Immortals and the Creator [Ahura-Mazda] arevictorious and holy.”
• “When any wicked man glares at me for takingrevenge (or for injuring me), what man, O [God], shall grant protectionunto me and unto my followers? (Who other than Thee shall grantprotection) to the Fire and the Mind (i.e. household happiness and thepeace of mind)? Through the action of which two, O [God]! righteousnessincreases. Do Thou declare that knowledge of the religion to me (O AhuraMazda!). Who (shall be) the smiter of the foe by the help of Thy(Avestan) words which (by reciting at the time of calamity) areprotecting? Do Thou reveal clearly unto me a wise leader for both theworlds (O Ahura-Mazda).”
• “O [Ahura-Mazda]…protect us from the enviousones…Perish thou, O devil’s spawn…Perish thou, O follower of devil’slaw…Disappear utterly, vanish and entirely perish…Homage (be) unto rightthought and prosperity!”
• “Ahura-Mazda (is) the Lord (of the entireUniverse) (and)….keeper at a distance of the wicked and powerlessAhriman [Satan], May (that Ahriman) be smitten and defeated! May (allthese)…sorcerers, wicked ones, tyrants, sinners, impious ones, enemies,[and] witches be [struck down] and defeated! May the wicked rulerscease to exist! May the enemies be confounded! May the enemies benon-existent and perish.”
• “O Lord! I am in renunciation of, and desistfrom, all sins: wicked thoughts which in (this) world I have thought,wicked words which I have spoken, wicked deeds which I have committed,(and) which have occurred through me and which have originated by me -(all these sins mentioned above) relating to thought, relating to word,and relating to deed, pertaining to (my own) body, pertaining to (myown) soul, pertaining to this world, pertaining to the world beyond fromall these sins, O [Lord]! I am in renunciation and keep myself away,(and) with the three words (Good thoughts-words-and deeds) I repent.(May there be) [atonement] of Ahura Mazda (God)! (May there be) contemptof [Ahriman] the Evil Spirit! Whatever is the wish of the doers ofrighteous deeds, is superior (to all other wishes). I praiserighteousness.”
• “O Creator! Do Thou come to my help. I am aMazd?-worshipper; I profess myself (to be) a Mazd?-worshipping followerof [Zoroaster] a devotee and an ardent-believer (in thisMazd?worshipping Faith). I praise the true-conceived thought, I praisethe true-spoken word, I praise the well-done deed. I praise theexcellent religion of Mazda-worship, (which is) quarrel-removing,weapon-lowering, self-dedicating (and) holy, which of those that are andof those shall be (hereafter) (is) the greatest, and the best and themost excellent, which is the religion of Ahura revealed-by [Zoroaster]. Iacknowledge all good (things) (which are) from [God]. Such is thepraise of the religion of Mazda-worship”
• “In the Name of God and with His help (I beginto recite this prayer) (who is) the Lord, the bestower of all goodthings, the forgiver of sins and loving. Thus here we revere Ahura Mazdawho created the animals and the grain, who created water and goodvegetation who created lights (of the sky) and the earth and all (other)good things (over and above these).”
• “Just as we are (the praisers and meditators)of good men, (in the same way) we are the praisers and meditators of thedoers of good thoughts, good words and good deeds for this world andfor the world beyond, and of those who have performed (good deeds) inthe past.”

• “(May there) verily (be) sovereignty for thebest ruler (Ahura-Mazda)! We devote our mind to (God) who (Himself) isthe Best. We acknowledge (Him) (and) regard (Him) as our own.”
• “I renunciate, and desist from all sins; allwicked thoughts which in this world I have thought, wicked words which Ihave spoken, wicked deeds which I have committed (and) which have beencaused through me (and ) which have been originated by me (all thesesins mentioned above) relating to thought, relating to word and relatingto deed, pertaining to (my own) body, pertaining to (my own) soul,pertaining to this world, pertaining to the world beyond, all thesesins, O [Ahura-Mazda]! I discard and keep myself away (and) with thethree words (good thought, good word and good deed) I repent.”
• “I profess myself to be a worshipper of[Ahura-Mazda], follower in accordance with the religion revealed by (theprophet Zoroaster), abstainer from (the path of demons) and actaccording to the Law of Ahura-Mazda.”
• “May there be health a thousand times.”
• “For the expiation of sins I obtain the rewardof meritorious deeds, and for the sake of the love of the soul, maycomplete righteousness reach all the doers of good deeds and all thefaithful…May there be long life of the righteous (man).”
• “I praise good men and women who are, who were,and will be, of the entire creation of Holy [Ahura-Mazda]. I praise[those] who come for help (and is) the protector for a long time, thefriend (of good man) and herself the willing follower (well-)instructingcompanion, and keeper of all healing virtues, for waters, cattle andplants and the destroyer of all evils of the daevas [demons], wickedmen1 (who are) the tormentors of this house…”
• “(I praise) good charitable works, andrighteous deeds (which are) of a very exalted dignity (and) superior(and which) subsequently (are) attaining to (our help) (and) affordingshelter for a long time, so that the greatest, best and excellentrighteousness may reach us.”
• “At Thy will and with happiness Thou, O AhuraMazda! Rulest over Thine-own creations; (Thou rulest) at (Thy) will overwaters, over trees and over all good things, the seeds ofrighteousness. Thou appoint the holy (man) a ruler (but) not the infidel(i.e. the sinful man). May the righteous (man) be ruling-at-will (but)may the infidel, fallen into calamity, cast out of the creations of theHoly Spirit, having failed (in his schemes) be not-ruling-at-will.”
• “I who am [Zoroaster] will guide the leaders ofthe house, of the clans, towns and lands, to think, to speak and to actin conformity with this Religion which [was revealed by] Ahura… sothat our minds (be) full of joy (and) (our) souls (attain) the best,(our) bodies be full of heavenly glory (may be fit) for the best world(i.e. Heaven) O Ahura Mazda may (all these good wishes) reach (us)openly Through the best righteousness, excellent righteousness, (O AhuraMazda) may we catch sight of Thee and may we come near Thee (and)attain t Thy eternal friendship!”
• “In the name of the Creator, I praise andinvoke [Ahura-Mazda] (who) is the Keeper of treasures, Glorious,Omniscient, the Perfector of all deeds, the Lord of Lords, King over allKings, the Protector, the Creator of (all), things created, the Giverof the daily bread, the Natural and the Powerful, without beginning orend, the Bestower of good things, the Forgiver of sins, the Loving,Omnipotent, Wise and the Nourisher (of all creations). May the Majesty(and) Glory of (God) (who is) the Lord and the Producer (Creator of thewhole world) be on the increase! May the immortal, brilliant and theswift footed horse Sun come (to my help)!”
• “I praise (all) good thoughts, good words andgood deeds through (my) thoughts, words and deeds. I uphold all goodthoughts, good words and good deeds. I renounce all evil thoughts, evilwords and evil deeds. I dedicate unto you, ye Holy Immortals, worshipand praise (and) with the very life of my own body through thoughts,words and deeds (and) with (my) conscience. I praise righteousness.”
• “All good thoughts, good words (and) gooddeeds, (are) produced with (good) intelligence. All evil thoughts, evilwords (and) evil deeds (are) not produced with good intelligence. Allgood thoughts, good words (and) good deeds lead (the doer) to heaven.All evil thoughts, evil words (and) evil deeds lead (him) to hell. (Theresult) of all good thoughts goods words (and) good deeds (is) heaven.Thus (it is) manifest to the righteous (person).”
• “This highest light amongst the high (lights)(which is called the Sun; we regard it as Thy most beautiful body, O[Ahura Mazda].”
• We praise the Boundless (eternal) Time, theTime appointed-for the-long-period, the Wind, bountiful (and) of goodcreation. We praise Wisdom, the most upright, righteous, created byMazda, the good…Religion, the chosen (path) amongst other paths, theterrible weapon, and the Mount created by Mazda.”
• “We praise the immortal, radiant (and)swift-footed horse, the Sun. When the light of the Sun is warmer, whenit shines, there stand hundreds and thousands spiritual yazatas [“Thoseworthy of worship or veneration”]. (These yazats) gather together thatglory, (and) send it down. (And) distribute that glory upon the earthcreated by Mazda.”
• “(What does it increase or make prosperous?) It increases the world of righteousness, the creation of righteousness.”
• “When the Sun rises it becomes the means ofpurifying the earth created by Ahura-Mazda, (it becomes) the means ofpurifying flowing waters, springwaters, waters of the seas, stagnantwaters (and), it becomes the means of purifying the righteous creation,which is of the Holy Spirit.”
• “If the Sun were not to rise the demons here would kill all (things and lives) that are in the seven regions.”
• “Whosoever worships (or praises) the Sun thatis immortal, radiant, swift-footed horse, in order to withstanddarkness, the demons, the brood of darkness, the thieves and robbers,the wizards and witches (and) the deadly destruction, he (as it were)worships Ahura Mazda, he worships the Holy Immortals, he worships hisown soul. He who worships the Sun, [pleases] all heavenly and earthlyyazatas [spiritual beings].”
• “I praise…the lord of wide pastures, of athousand ears (and) of ten thousand eyes, I praise the mace of Mithra,the lord of wide pastures, sufficiently made ponderous, weighty (forsmiting) against the skull of the Demons. I praise the best friendshipof friendships which is between the Moon and the Sun.”
• “Among the living beings whoever (is) better inacts of worship, of which Ahura Mazda (Himself) is aware, on account ofHis holiness, all such men and women we revere.”
• “O Lord (of the entire world), (the Creator)!And the Increaser of man and mankind (and of the creation)