Seraphita, would it be an error because Taoists believe that the Tao is always
keeping good and evil in balance? And what is meant by a vulgar error?
Seraphita wrote:
The
Yin and Yang "concepts" point to a Tao that includes the opposites.
Imagining that one side of a pair of opposites could gain the upper hand
over the other would be a vulgar error.
On Sunday, November 3, 2013 4:10 PM, "s3raph...@yahoo.com"
<s3raph...@yahoo.com> wrote:
Re "The Gnostic prophet Mani taught radical dualist cosmology; a struggle
between the opposing forces of good and evil, spiritual light versus the
material world darkness. Humans are composed of two opposing elements in a
battle for power. There is a soul, but it is influenced by elements of both
good and evil. Manichaeism is similar to the dualistic Bogomils, Paulicians,
and Cathars. It's not complicated. Adepts in China and the Far East would
probably relate to this with their own notions of Yin and Yang.":
The Yin and Yang "concepts" point to a Tao that includes the opposites.
Imagining that one side of a pair of opposites could gain the upper hand over
the other would be a vulgar error.
As the little we know about Manichaeism and similar "dualist"
religions/philosophies comes to us from hostile sources isn't it possible that
these beliefs weren't as dualist as they've been painted but perhaps also had
the idea of a Transcendence that reconciled the positive and negative aspects
of life?
---In fairfieldlife@yahoogroups.com, <punditster@...> wrote:
So, let's review what we know about the prophet Mani.
The Gnostic prophet Mani taught radical dualist cosmology; a
struggle between the opposing forces of good and evil, spiritual
light versus the material world darkness. Humans are composed of
two opposing elements in a battle for power. There is a soul, but
it is influenced by elements of both good and evil. Manichaeism is
similar to the dualistic Bogomils, Paulicians, and Cathars. It's
not complicated.
Adepts in China and the Far East would probably relate to this
with their own notions of Yin and Yang, which is probably derived
from the Indian Sankhya, a radical dualism, and later tantra- a
theory of polarity which posits male and female energies.
The name 'Mani' is Sanskrit. Mani traveled and lived in India for
several years, visiting Buddhist lands such as Bamiyan in
Afghanistan, so it is not surprising that Buddhist influences
would be apparent. Mani apparently adopted his theory of the
reincarnation (transmigration of souls) from the Buddhists. Mani's
sect structure was apparently based on the Buddhist Sangha, that
is, Arhants and the lay follower community.
On 11/2/2013 11:31 AM, emptybill@... wrote:
>
> No wonder the Near-Eastern realm got so mixed up.
>
>It seems that as Manichean ideology spread to the East it incorporated
>Buddhist concepts along the way in a effort to show the superiority of the
>"Religion of Light." Mani lived during the third century of the current era.
>Mani used the epitaph "Buddha of Light" and identified himself as Maitreya. He
>and his followers specifically borrowed from early Pure Land Sutras and
>Nagarjuna's Madhyamaka philosophy. As it entered the region of Gandhara and
>spread to China it used the Buddhist Hinayana tradition to support its views
>of "matter, the body and the world."
>MANICHAEAN VIEWS OF BUDDHISM
>
>
>David A. Scott
>Christ Church College of Higher Education
>
>
