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, emptyb...@yahoo.com 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/*
