The Two Realms of Existence: Mind and Body
Most fundamental for understanding the philosophy of the Gathas is Zarathushtra’s metaphysical conception of existence being made up of two separate realms: mind and body (or matter). While this idea is only explicit stated in a few areas, it dominates nearly every theological, metaphysical, and philosophical concept in the Gathas; without applying this unique idea to Zarathushtra’s conception of “God”, for instance, one begins to twist his words to fit their ideas rather than mold their conception of his ideas according to a holistic appraisal of his own words.
More importantly, Zarathushtra’s conception of the realm of mind is drastically different from our modern conception. Rather being an individual domain which are generated by each individual, Zarathushtra sees the mind as something that exists in a much broader realm that are easily susceptible to driving forces, paradigms, and other outside forces. In this way, the mind is much like a small boat adrift in a turbulent sea, one which is thrown around far more than it influences the waves and patterns of the sea. Indeed, above all else Zarathushtra valued the potent yet elusive capacity to effect change in one’s own mind, an idea he understood as Mazdaʔ. Full article coming soon.