{"id":60767,"date":"2026-01-23T05:00:41","date_gmt":"2026-01-23T04:00:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/eden-saga.com\/en\/?p=60767"},"modified":"2026-03-22T14:21:12","modified_gmt":"2026-03-22T13:21:12","slug":"manicheisme","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/eden-saga.com\/en\/manicheisme.html","title":{"rendered":"The Heresy of Mani"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"\"The Birth of Mani, 14th century Chinese print<\/span><\/h5>\n

\nIn Sassanid Persia of the 3rd century AD, a young man, Mani, takes himself for a new prophet, successor of Buddha, Zoroastre and Jesus — Buddha being himself successor of Rama or Lama, and Jesus, being a late invention to him. Manichaeism was born. It spreads quickly, emulating Roman Africa to China via India.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Multi-beliefs<\/h4>\n

Man\u00e8s was born in April 216 to a mother of princely descent, originally from Nahavand in the province of Hamadan. Her father, F\u00e2tik (or P\u00e2tek), was an Arsacid prince who, according to historical documents, converted to Gnosticism consisting mainly of severe ascetic practices. At the time of Manes’ birth, his family resided in the village of Mardinou in Babylon.<\/p>\n

\"\"In 220, F\u00e2tik receives from an angel the mission to abstain from wine, meat and women. He is responsible for leaving his homeland to go to India where he joins an ascetic community. He takes his son Man\u00e8s on this journey when he is only four years old. There, the young boy discovers the austerity of ascetic life and learns detachment from material life. He therefore receives his first education in the Gnostic communities that his father regularly attended.<\/p>\n

At present, in everyday language, “Manichaeism” refers to a clear-cut attitude between good and evil, the good and the bad, the true and the false… I have known many Christians who shared this dichotomous vision of the world, on one side the good, on the other the wicked. As a result, the doctrine of old Man\u00e8s is making its way into all beliefs. Or as if simple people need Manichaeism to find their way in this mess and judge without necessarily understanding much.\u00a0<\/p>\n

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\nFunny Amalgam<\/h4>\n

But in its first sense, Manichaeism was played out between present-day Iraq and Iran, in the 3rd century, in the footsteps of the preacher Mani born Man\u00e8s. Mani is known to us not only thanks to the Christian texts, notably those who fought against him –Saint Cyril of Alexandria, Saint Augustine– but also thanks to Arab sources.<\/p>\n

The young Man\u00e8s had the opportunity to rub shoulders with a plethora of religions, of which he will make a joyful amalgam. He mixes a little Mazdaism and Buddhism with Judaism, adds a pinch of Gnosticism and there you have his new religion. The real miracle, this salad will take and convert more than one.<\/p>\n

Until 242, Man\u00e8s received two revelations through the intermediary of an angel called Toum or Twin or simply said Hamz\u00e2d (twin). At the age of twelve, he claims to be in contact with a twin who asks him to spread the doctrine of Jesus; he therefore becomes a fervent supporter of Christianity and commits himself to preaching the word of God in India.<\/p>\n

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\"\"<\/p>\n

\nThe Twin Angel of Light<\/h4>\n

Moreover, during this first revelation, the angel Twin orders him to leave the Mandaeans and live with chastity. He therefore leads an ascetic life and waits another twelve years before founding and transmitting his new doctrine.<\/p>\n

In 242, Manes returned to Babylon to preach his doctrine. Man\u00e8s is 24 years old when he receives a second divine revelation according to which he must establish a new religion in order to perfect the previous religions.<\/p>\n

Mani goes to preach in Ctesiphon, then capital of Sassanid Persia. Upon his arrival in Persia, he went to Gundish\u00e2pour and proclaimed his religion at the royal residence of Sh\u00e2pour I.\u00a0 He then enjoys royal protection, which allows him to spread his religion throughout Persia.<\/p>\n

For his part, Sh\u00e2pour I supports him because he believes that this new religion will allow the religious unity of all his empire. It therefore promotes the creation of Manichean communities. From then on, the doctrine spread very quickly in the East and in the West, and more particularly in the region of Babylon.<\/p>\n

As a sign of gratitude, Manes dedicates to the king of Persia one of his most important works, the Shah. In a short period, the Manichean doctrine develops from west to east, up to Tibet, and throughout China. One can therefore conclude that this religion with a universal vocation was able to be transposed into different languages and thus to be disseminated in different countries.<\/p>\n

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A Good Pinch of Christianity<\/h4>\n

Fervent supporter of Christianity, Man\u00e8s decides to introduce Christian elements into his new religion. Moreover, following his long residence in India in the various ascetic communities, his religion is strongly influenced by elements of Buddhism. Finally, it must be emphasized that Manichaeism borrows from Zoroastrianism the idea of dualism which relies on the perpetual fight between Good and Evil. In fact, Manichaeism is based on the principle of dualism according to which the fight between light and darkness leads to the salvation of the soul trapped in the body<\/strong><\/span>.<\/p>\n

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\"\"Saint Augustine ardently fights against the theses of Manes… yet full of Christianity!\u00a0<\/span><\/h5>\n

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In other words, it is a conflict between the spiritual world, the Light of Good, and the material world, the Darkness of Evil. According to this doctrine, the human being created by God possesses a divine soul, but because of his material body, he carries within him the traces of darkness incarnated by Satan.<\/p>\n

Light and Darkness coexist without ever mingling. But at the moment of human being\u2019s creation, Darkness invaded the Light. From then on, the human soul belongs to the kingdom of Light and its body is made of particles of Darkness.<\/p>\n

Reflection<\/strong><\/span><\/em>
\nWe do not possess a soul, it is outside of us until we let it penetrate our body. Then it is the soul who possesses us. The body awaits the salvation that the soul, finally incarnated, will give it. And this salvation is called awakening.<\/strong><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

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Ancient Awakening<\/h2>\n