Here is the English abstract of Mehraban Pouladi (Head of Association of Iranian Mobeds; Ph. D. in Ancient Cultures and Languages, Iran) presentation at the 5^nd pre-con meeting of the conference “Imam Reza (PBUH) and Interreligious Dialogue" which was held in Yazd University, Iran on  November 8, 2023.

Ethics in Zoroastrianism

In a broad overview, the Zoroastrian school can be divided into its worldview and ideology. The worldview delves into theism, the return to the divine, and the matter of prophethood, while the ideology includes two sub-branches of ethics and rulings. In the Zoroastrian faith, the realization of morality in a person begins with knowledge and faith. Through commitment to good knowledge, which resides in the mind, one strengthens their faith in the heart, resulting in ethical virtues. From the perspective of the Zoroastrian faith, two forces exist within the human being: the force of good and the force of evil. A person must consistently strive to overcome evil with good in this ongoing struggle and engage in a battle against evil. Utilizing the forces bestowed upon us by the divine will be beneficial on this path. Moreover, some of the names given by Iranians to the months of the year entail concepts related to moral concepts in the Zoroastrian faith. In a categorization, Zoroastrian ethics can be divided into theoretical and practical aspects. Theoretical ethics guides us to realize that only through pure thoughts and a pure heart can we attain righteousness and perfection. Additionally, practical ethical teachings in Zoroastrianism emphasize the idea that our happiness is tied to being advocates for the happiness of others. While proselytizing is not recommended in the Zoroastrian religion, it underscores that a knowledgeable individual should guide others to the path of goodness.

Translator: Mahdi Qasemi