Are

you saying that as a zarastrialism developed, it became not only more complicated, but rather more corrupted, and it went away fromle can you give us an of how that happened? By

by ot so much asjust thogh, the way it unfolded in history? Now, allen has mentioned plutarch, for example. Plutarch, for goodness sake, was situated well in the west. He may have visited persia, i' not sure. But the religion originated in the east, in a society of pastoralists. The military aspect, yes, er, that's rather becoming to me. Zealin the military aspects of the religion were really minimized. In other words, you used force only to counteract deceit, and certainly in self defence. But there is no militarism involved in it, as

one aspect weare actually leaving out here, which is so important. In answer to your question about the so of compelling nature of zarathustra's revelation, i to call it a reformation. He was reacting, and he was a radical reformer. And it is fero. And i probably differ in our interpretation af zarasthronism to some extent, but that's inevitable because were really, this is still working progress. The point i would like to make is that what we're leaving out here is what what zarathustra's real contribution was. I think we could say is that he introduces the idea of an ethical, aa sotereological plan, an escatological plan, a long word which simply means a whole line of history which ends in a judgment. A judgment which he explains is in terms of our own choice, if we choose. The great classical passage in the gathers talks about choice. If i may just quote one short verse, he says, listen with your ears to the best things. Reflect with a clear mind, man by man, for himself, upon the two choices of decision, being aware to declare yourselves to him before the great retribution. And it's this idea that that we kind of build our own destiny by making choices for good or choices for evil, in following the good spirit or the evil spirit. And there is a sotereology here which is ex attractive er, that we can actually build our future, and that we'll be judged on that. And then there's ha promise of heaven or

paradise or hell, damnation.