Zoroaster — "Who created light and darkness? Who created sleep and waking?"
Who created light and darkness? Who created sleep and waking?
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More from Zoroaster
"May the good spirit prevail over the evil spirit in all hearts."
"Good and evil are so real that humans are to partake in this cosmic battle by selecting sides."
"Through Good Mind, Righteousness, and Devotion, Mazda Ahura will grant Immortality and Wholeness."
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About Zoroaster (c. 1500-1000 BCE (debated))
Iranian prophet who founded Zoroastrianism, the first major religion of cosmic dualism between good (Ahura Mazda) and evil (Angra Mainyu). Closely associated with The Buddha (near-contemporary Eastern moral-cosmological revolutionary). For an intellectual contrast, see Friedrich Nietzsche, German philosopher of 'beyond good and evil' — Nietzsche appropriated Zarathustra's name for Thus Spoke Zarathustra (1883) precisely to invert the original's moral cosmology — the historical Zoroaster founded the good-versus-evil framework Nietzsche's character announces the end of.
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Understanding this quote
What it means
The quote poses fundamental questions about the origin of opposing forces in existence. It asks who is responsible for making light and darkness, and the cycles of sleep and wakefulness. Rather than stating an answer, it invites reflection on whether a single creator stands behind these contrasting pairs, or whether different powers produced them. It frames reality as built from opposites that demand an explanation.
Relevance to Zoroaster
Zoroaster's entire teaching centers on the tension between opposing cosmic forces, specifically Ahura Mazda, the wise creator of light and order, and Angra Mainyu, the spirit of darkness and chaos. As a priest and prophet who reformed older Indo-Iranian religion, he used questioning hymns called Gathas to lead followers toward recognizing one supreme creator. This line mirrors his style of probing rhetorical inquiry aimed at revealing Ahura Mazda as the origin of all dual phenomena.
The era
Zoroaster lived in ancient Persia, likely between 1500 and 1000 BCE, among pastoral Iranian tribes who worshipped many nature deities and practiced ritual sacrifice. Religious life was polytheistic and tied to cattle, fire, and clan priesthoods. Into this setting he introduced a radical monotheistic vision with ethical dualism, challenging existing priestly classes. Questions like this were aimed at ordinary herders and warriors, pushing them to rethink inherited assumptions about multiple gods controlling natural cycles.
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