Zoroastrianism
One of the world’s oldest and most continuously practised religions, Zoroastrianism is a multifaceted faith that originated in ancient Persia as early as 4,000 years ago. According to the Persian prophet Zarathustra (600 – 583 BCE), the elements of air, water, earth and fire are seen as being “sacred” elements. Humans and animals require air to breathe, water to drink, fire to cook food and earth to grow plants for survival.
In ancient times, it was believed that earth, air, and water must not be defiled, and that when it rains in abundance to irrigate fields, it is a blessing from God and when it is scarce, famine occurs. Likewise, in Persia (present-day Iran), it was believed that the damage caused from the frequent earthquakes to strike the country was a warning message from an angry God.
Fire, on the other hand, had a more complex significance, as it was seen as being a symbol of divinity. In the temple, pieces of sandalwood would be fed into the fire chamber by attendant priests daily to keep the sacred fire burning. When worshippers came to the temple to worship, they would wash all uncovered parts of their body, say a prayer, remove their shoes and enter into the inner hall where the fire chamber was. Here they would give the priests sandalwood and money and, in return, received ashes from the sacred urn which they would rub on their forehead and eyelids, before bowing towards the fire, offering prayers and retreating home.
In Zoroastrian cosmogony, water and fire are seen as the second and last primordial elements to have been created, and according to scripture, fire is considered to have its origin in water. Both water and fire are considered as life-sustaining and are represented within the precinct of a fire temple, but fire was the element that has always been held in great reverence. Fire was seen as being a source of life and light and Zoroastrians usually prayed in the presence of some form of fire, and on fire altars that were erected in temples, the sacred flame was always kept burning.
The elements described in Zoroastrianism have remained as “sacred” within the religion and are seen as being essential for the survival of all living beings and should be kept free from any contamination. Through the active participation in our lives, through good deeds, Zoroastrians believe this is how humans are able to maintain happiness and balance in their lives, to keep chaos at bay.