söndag 29 juli 2007

What is Ushta, and how do I join Ushta?

Ushta is a Yahoogroups forum which warmly welcomes all followers of the religion, philosophy and culture of Mazdayasna (also known as Zoroastrianism or Mazdaism in contemporary English) - including both those born into the tradition and those who have converted to the faith - but also welcomes friends of the Mazdayasni and other people interested in the world of Mazdayasna. Mazdayasna (meaning "the worship of wisdom" in ancient Persian) is one of the world's oldest surviving religions and philosophical traditions, dating back over 5,000 years, with the prophet Zarathushtra (born in Iran approx 1,700 B.C.) and the emperor Cyrus The Great (born approx 700 B.C.) as two of its most prominent and historically important characters. While Mazdayasna has been practiced as a religion, philosophy and culture in Iran, India, Central Asia, and neighboring countries continuously throughout the millennia, it is now fast spreading across the globe to all corners of the world, and Ushta (a Mazdayasni greeting phrase meaning "ecstasy" or "radiant happiness" in ancient Persian) is an internet community where this simultaneously both ancient and modern, now fast expanding global movement, is preserved, nurtured, expanded, and fully represented in all its rich variety.