Zoroaster — "Hear with your ears the best things; behold with a clear vision the two paths, t…"
Hear with your ears the best things; behold with a clear vision the two paths, the better and the worse, which the Wise One has declared.
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More from Zoroaster
"He who takes care of the poor, he who helps the needy, he who loves the just, he who gives to the pious, shall attain the best existence."
"The soul of the righteous shall be immortal, the soul of the wicked shall perish."
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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 urges people to listen carefully and examine choices clearly before deciding how to live. Life constantly presents two options: a better path leading to truth and goodness, and a worse one leading to harm and deceit. Each person must use their own senses and reasoning to weigh these alternatives rather than follow blindly. Discernment is a personal responsibility, and wise choice only happens when you actually pay attention.
Relevance to Zoroaster
Zoroaster taught that humans have free will and must personally choose between Asha (truth, order) and Druj (lie, chaos). This passage comes from the Gathas, the hymns he composed, where he directly addresses listeners as a prophet of Ahura Mazda, the Wise One mentioned here. His dualistic ethical framework, emphasis on individual moral agency, and reliance on reasoned hearing over ritual obedience all define his prophetic mission.
The era
Zoroaster lived in ancient Iran, likely between 1500 and 1000 BCE, when Indo-Iranian tribes practiced polytheistic ritual religion centered on animal sacrifice and priestly authority. Most people inherited beliefs without questioning them. His call to personally hear, see, and choose was radical in a culture where tradition and clan loyalty dictated worship. This era of oral transmission, tribal conflict, and emerging ethical monotheism set the stage for one of history's earliest personal-choice theologies.
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