 Mani-Hiya
Paraclete and Apostle of Light
THE ENLIGHTENED MASTER MAR MANI,
peace be upon him, entered the world on the 8th day of the 1st Babylonian
month of Nissanu (April 14) 216 A.D..
He was born on the upper Kutha canal in Iraq in a little village called
Mardin (30 miles south of Bagdad)and raised in an Elkasite monastery on
a floating reed island in the mashlands near Basra, Iraq. Mani
claimed to be the restorer (Mnhimana) and synthesizer of Gnostic
Nazorean Christianity, Zurvan Zoroasterism, and Mahayana Buddhism. He created
a worldwide vegan church which lasted over a thousand years. At one point
Manichaeism was as big, or bigger, than the Catholic Church and its teachings
have significantly influenced Bon, Buddhist, Sufi, Shia Islam, and Taoist
traditions.
Mani's mystical teachings have profoundly enriched
the Nazorean Way. His name means the "Vessel of Life" and he came to be
regarded by his Christian disciples as the Paraclete, by his Persian followers
as the Zoroastrian redeemer Saoshyant, and by his Buddhist adherents as
the Avatar Maitreya. He was also known as a reincarnation of both Lao Tzu
and Buddha. He was a gifted writer, teacher, artist, physician, astrologer,
musician and a miracle-worker. He personally illuminated and illustrated
many of his original scriptures, and could draw a fine line on silk and
then erase it by removing one thin thread. Read
more... |
A Brief
Catechism
What is the modern Manichaeanism?
A modern expression of an ancient system based
on secret gnostic teachings of the Apostle Mani. Worshipping both a male
and female God of Life and seeking to make available Their eternal system
of enlightenment and righteousness.
Who was Mani?
Mani-Hiya was born in a vegetarian monastery
in 216 AD. He claimed to be the promised Paraclete, or Comforter, prophesied
by Jesus. He synthesized  Gnostic
Christianity, Zarathrustianism, and Buddhism into one comprehensive system
of enlightenment which flourished for over a thousand years and had
over 10 million members.
Is the Order of Mani Christian?
It is not Judeo-Christian but Gnostic-Christian.
It worships both a male and female form of Christ, and is, in this sense,
Christian or Christ based. Read
more... |
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TO PENETRATE THE MYSTERIES, to bless with
a good conscious, to be great and yet empty, to return to stillness and
be forgiving, to be compassionate and to deliver all people, to do good
deeds and help people reach the other shore - these are the great benefits
of our Path of cultivation.
TO CALM PEOPLE IN stormy times, to help
them understand the nature of things, to maintain purity, to nourish all
things, to respect all life, and to answer the needs of those whose beliefs
come from the heart - these are the services the Order of Nazorean Essenes
can offer. - adapted from a Chinese Stelae, 781A.D |
MANICHAEAN BELIEFS
There is yet no complete consensus on many
ancient Manichaean teachings and practices, and great ignorance on many
of them due to a partial historical record. A very small group of modern
scholars are attempting to gather, translate, and understand the existing
record and much progress is beginning to be made. Here are a few articles
that explore some of the many complex Manichaean beliefs:
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