Yazdism

Yazdism (from Aldegarian yazdâ, meaning worthy of worship) is a religion and philosophy native to Aldegar, based on the teachings of Prophet Shapur. It was founded around the 8th century BCE, and it is now one of the dominant religions in Aldegar.

In Yazdism, the Creator Yazdân is all good, and no evil originates from Him. Thus, in Yazdism good and evil have distinct sources, with evil (dorugh) trying to destroy the creation of Yazdân (asha), and good trying to sustain it. Yazdân is not immanent in the world, and His creation is represented by the Fereshte (angels) through whom the works of God are evident to humanity, and through whom worship of Yazdân is ultimately directed. The most important text of the religion is the Daftar-e Asha, the Book of Truth, based on the revelations of Shapur.

There are two main sects in Yazdism, Monotheist Ahadism and Dualist Zamânism. Ahadism considers Yazdân to be the uncreated Creator, the origin of all that is, even of the evil spirit Duzakh. Zamânism, on the other hand, considers Yazdân not the transcendental Creator, but one of two equal-but-opposite divinities under the supremacy of Zamân (Time). The central Zamânist belief is that Yazdân and Duzakh are twin brothers.

God
Yazdeans believe that there is one universal and transcendent God, Yazdân. He is the Creator of the world, to whom all worship is ultimately directed. Yazdân's creation—evident as asha, truth and order—is the antithesis of chaos, which is evident as dorugh, falsehood and disorder. The resulting conflict involves the entire universe, including humanity, which has an active role to play in the conflict. Yazdân is an omniscient, but not an omnipotent God, however Yazdân would eventually destroy evil.

Duzakh
In Yazdean tradition, the malevolent is represented by Duzakh, who actively tries to corrupt creation and turn it to dorugh (falsehood). Although he will eventually be destroyed at the end of the world, Duzakh is now the sovereign ruler of creation. Unlike Yazdân, Duzakh is not omniscient, and his omnipotence is equally limited. Yazdân is frequently described as "the one who was, is, and will be", while Duzakh is described as "the one who was, is, but will not be".

Angels and Demons
Both divinities are assisted by a host of Angels (Fereshte) and Demons (Div), through which they become immanent in creation, and through which they interact with humankind.

Practices


In Yazdism, water (âb) and fire (âtesh) are agents of ritual purity, and the associated purification ceremonies are considered the basis of ritual life. In Yazdean cosmogony, water and fire are respectively the second and last primordial elements to have been created, and scripture considers fire to have its origin in the waters. Both water and fire are considered life-sustaining, and both water and fire are represented within the precinct of a fire temple. Yazdeans usually pray in the presence of some form of fire (which can be considered evident in any source of light), and the culminating rite of the principle act of worship constitutes a "strengthening of the waters". Fire is considered a medium through which spiritual insight and wisdom is gained, and water is considered the source of that wisdom.

In Yazdean scripture and tradition, a corpse is a host for decay, i.e., of dorugh. Consequently, scripture enjoins the "safe" disposal of the dead in a manner such that a corpse does not pollute the "good" creation. These injunctions are the doctrinal basis of the traditional practice of "ritual exposure", most commonly identified with the "Towers of Silence" (Dakhmas), where the dead are left for scavenger birds.