Various academics and theologians have tried to capture the essence of our divine religion, but through no fault of their own they have come up short. Many have proclaimed Zoroastrianism to be solely monotheistic, dualistic, polytheistic, atheistic, and more, which incorrectly simplifies the complex nature of our religious reality. Zoroastrianism, in its Divine Triune Essence, is Cosmological Monism, Ethical Dualism, and Metaphysical Polytheism all united in one, not separate but each unique. A Zoroastrian may focus on one over the others and, while the picture may not be complete to getfull divine understanding, they will still have grasped the wisdom of Asha as best befits them. This is the beauty of our complex orthopraxic yet heterodox nature and all Zoroastrians should be quite proud of it.
Cosmological Monism
All of our reality as we perceive it originates from one source: Ahura Mazda. There is no other deity like Ahura Mazda, no primordial lord most high, no other uncreated force. Ahura Mazda is pure wisdom, Asha in totality, eternal focused consciousness, the source-fire. All good comes from Ahura Mazda and Ahura Mazda is the original creator with a reiteration that Ahura Mazda has no equal and never can. All beings, spiritual and material, find their origin in Ahura Mazda and find themselves connected always to Ahura Mazda, whether good or bad choices are made. The force of Asha which emanates from Ahura Mazda, One Above All, unites us all past, present, and future and from alignment to Asha the finest blessings may flow.
Ethical Dualism
Whether we like it or not, it is a standard truth of reality that there is both Good and Evil in our universe in all its varying complexities and shades. We are right in the middle of a cosmic battlefield for the soul of creation. Spenta Mainyu, the Holy and Creative Spirit, personifies this good from which comes the Threefold Path of Good Thoughts, Good Words, and Good Deeds. The Threefold Path strengthens Asha against Druj and opens us up to its blessings and bounties. We can contribute to it by fighting deceit, ignorance, malice, greed, oppression, and the destruction of nature, amongst other evils personified by Angra Mainyu, the Malignant and Destructive Spirit, and its Daevas. To defeat evil elsewhere, we must first and foremost defeat it within ourselves so that we may aid in the uplifting of reality alongside Ahura Mazda and Spenta Mainyu as divinities and holy warriors for beneficent progress.
Metaphysical Polytheism
Underneath the beautiful and diverse layers of the cosmos, whether physical or mental, lie the forces that guide it in service of Ahura Mazda. These forces, powered by Asha, have manifested themselves in various forms especially through the human imagination, where we can best understand them. We are surrounded, unseen, by the forces of the spiritual realm known as Menog and we ourselves are the intersections of Menog and the material realm known as Getig. As such, we have been able to perceive these forces in a variety of ways, whether this be the direct manifestations of Ahura Mazda that we call the Amesha Spenta or the variety of cosmic divinities known as Yazata, Fravashi, and more. The Amesha Spenta and the Yazata not only represent natural cosmic forces, but also aspects of our own spiritual and personal natures that we should build upon to bring us closer to unity with Ahura Mazda and build our own Ashavan natures. As such, we venerate and worship all such divinities as is right to do so and seek to become as them in our own myriad ways through the Threefold Path of Asha.
-P.V.
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