BORN TO FLY

A psychotherapist and dedicated student of Zoroastrianism offers his traditions as a solution to modern humanity’s problems.

Spitama, who credits this text’s authors as Zarathustra, Yeshua, Buddha, Pythagoras, and Socrates, among others, quickly asserts that the beliefs of Zoroastrianism are not singularly religious. Instead, he characterizes them as ideas that flow through all people. He presents select concepts of Zoroastrianism, an ancient, monotheistic religion founded by the priest Zarathustra, who lived roughly 5,000 years ago in Persia. Because Zarathustra was enlightened and “pure,” writes Spitama, he dedicated his life to awakening humanity and educating others on how to access the “Supreme Wisdom” of the god Ahura Mazda (God), which belongs to all. There’s a significant difference between wisdom and knowledge, writes the author, as everyone can gain knowledge, but the Supreme Wisdom is like the sun, as one must choose to step into it to feel its warmth. Spitama also address just concepts such as good and bad and masculinity and femininity, asserting that in Zoroastrianism, these concepts are two sides of the same coin—an equal, delicate balance that must be respected. The author offers an idyllic image of Zoroastrianism and of Zarathustra, praising the founder’s pursuit of women’s rights and crediting him as the first environmentalist. Spitama does an excellent job of synthesizing Zoroastrianism and pointing out where its influences can be found today, including in major Abrahamic religions, which will make the concepts feel accessible to a wide readership who may be unfamiliar with them. He succeeds in explaining his larger points: that people exist to gain wisdom, “only a conscious person is free,” and that “we are all born good and innocent.” For anyone seeking to expand their understanding of Zoroastrianism, this text makes for a useful starting point. However, an AI-generated image of Zarathustra seems out of place, given that the text asserts that, essentially, humans have forgotten how to think and exist in “their own inner conscience.”

Positivity reigns in this brief but sweeping overview of Zoroastrianism.