The essence of Zoroaster's moral and ethical teachings may be summed up in the three car dinal Avestan words humata, hnxta, lovar1•a, `good thoughts, good words, good deeds,' which form the watchword of the faith of the modern Parsis and Uhehers. The idea of goodness ho plies largely the choice of the good religion of Mazda and following its precepts, in preference to devil-worship, or the cult of the demon. This implies scrupulously preserving the purity alike of body and soul, and is chiefly to be ob tained through religions observances and cere monial rites that are extreme in their exactions. The elements of earth, fire, and water, moreover, must be carefully shielded from defilement. es pecially from contact with dead matter. It was this prescription which led to the peculiar Zo roastrian method of exposing the dead bodies on Dakbmas or Towers of Silence (q.v.), to be de voured by dogs and birds—a custom which the modem Zoroastrians quite strictly observe. Furthermore, the care of useful animals, particu larly of the cow and the dog, is enjoined; and the importance of agricultural pursuits as a re ligious duty is strongly inculcated. There are many minor observances and beliefs found, especially in the Avestan Vendidtid, that recall the Penta teuch. These features and others were noticed by the classical writers, such as Herodotus, Plu tarch. and Strabo, as characteristic of the Per sian religion. The main points of Zoroaster's philosophy may be gathered from the Gathas and supplemented by other portions of the Avesta and Pahlavi literature. A summary of the orthodox beliefs of the ancient Zoroastrians will be found in Yasna 12, which is sometimes called the -Avestan creed.
Comparisons of Zoroastrian with other re ligions show more resemblances to Judaism and Christianity than to other oriental faiths, and the possibility of mutual influences, direct and indirect. has been the subject of much dismis sion. The affinities of the religion of Dan with the ancient faith of India, for example, with regard to likenesses between the divine ideas of Mithra and Mitra, Verethraglina and Vritrahan, and the like, or in the cult of llaoma and Soma (q.v.). or in the differences between Ahura
Asnra, Daeva-Deva, are striking, and point back to the period of common lndo-lranian or Aryan unity. Parallels also have been sought be tween ancient Babylonian and Zoroastrian beliefs, which may be due in part to the proximity of the two peoples. With regard to primitive ideas, moreover, we may reeognize in the Zoroastrian faith and in some of its ceremonies a few traits that recall possible survivals of primitive ani mism, spiritism, fetishism. and ancestor worship. As a rule, however, the ideality and lofty spirit uality of Zoroaster's teachings have been gen erally recognized ; and the of of the faith as a working religion may be seen in the fruits which it ha: borne in Various way; through his tory and in its present followers, the Parsis and Glichers.
Bun uo,a?Puy. Jackson. "Die iranisehe Reli in I,eigcr and Kuhn, Crumb-is:: der in/nisch ( . P/o/alugo , wen.it.l Strassburg. 1D00-03) 11 a lig, II 1.0111as, and /;rliqion of flu Parsis by West, London, 188 I ; II?velnoque. L' I resit!, Zoroastre rf 10 ( fart,, 18801: Castartelli, The Phi 108opky of the .11a.:dayasnian Rdigitm under the Sassanids, transl. from the French (Bombay, 1SS9 ) 1Tharneha, An Essay on the Zoroastrian Religion and Customs ( ib., 1883) ; Lehmann, "Die Perser," in Chantepie de la Saussaye, Lehrbuell der Religionsgeselvielote (2d ed., Freiburg, 1897) ; Stave, Lieber den Einflus.s des Parsismus auf dos Judentum (Haarlem, 1898) ; Tiele. Geseloichte der Religion inn vol. ii. (Gotha, 1898) ; S6derblom, La vie future d'apn's le Mazdi'isine (Paris, 1901) ; BOklen, Verivandtschaft der jUdisch-eltristliehen mit der parsischen Eselatto logic (Gottingen, 1902) ; Tiele, Kompendium der Religionsgesehiehtc (3(1 ed., by S6derblom, Bres lau, 1903), Consult also the authorities referred to under AVESTA ; GHERERS MAGI ; PAHLAVI LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE; and ZOROASTER.