Ahura Mazda: The Sublime Wisdom

Zarathustra viewed Mazda as the personified Divine Wisdom which existed as seed within each human being. In contrast to God as a male, Ahura Mazda is neither masculine nor feminine. It is both and neither. In Persian language, Ahura (Lord) is masculine, and Mazda (Wisdom) is feminine. In Zarathustra’s point of view, femininity has the spirit of wisdom (Mazda). It is a life force and often associated with water, and the moon (Anahita, feminine source in ancient Persia). Masculinity is associated with light, consciousness, having a sense of purpose and directions in life, and the material world (Mithra, masculine source in ancient Persia). 

Feminine force (Mazda) is a force that brings life to a matter. Without a form (Ahura) also life cannot manifest itself. A flower needs a pot to hold it in order to grow. A plant cannot grow without a container, and a container without a plant growing is dead. Both masculine and feminine are interdependent to one another, not in opposition, similar to Ahura Mazda. Existence is like a river: feminine is similar to the water flowing in the river, and masculine is similar to a riverbank creating a container for the river to flow. 

They are interdependent and need one another. A masculine energy needs to work on his consciousness, grounding, stability, and be a container. A feminine energy needs to work on her, nourishing, wisdom, and aliveness. Both forces exist in each human being (Ahura Mazda, masculine and feminine). This concept later developed further after Zarathustra to Tantra (Shiva and Shakti) and in Taoism (Yin and Yang). 

Zarathustra’s personification of Ahura Mazda was not a tribal, punishing god, but a spirit within humanity guiding all to a joyous and harmonious life on earth; governed by kindness, truth, and wisdom in both balance of masculine and feminine within and outside of us.