ABSTRACT
Ahriman’s shortlived triumph after his assault on Ohrmazd’s material creation, the first stage in the cosmic battle between the two primeval Spirits, is now over: and this would seem a good moment to pause for a while to consider the philosophical basis on which Zoroastrian dualism rests. Zoroastrianism sees the whole physical creation as in itself good; what corruption there is was subsequently introduced by Ahriman, as we have seen. Man suffers at the hands of Ahriman but at least he has the comfort of knowing that he is not being tormented by an all-powerful Being who is his own creator. The imperfection that undoubtedly exists in creation must then be due to an agency other than God, and that is Ahriman. The Zoroastrian God is reasonable as well as good; there is nothing ‘numinous’ about him.
