Life of Mani

[Bruce Michael]

I posted a snippet about this on a thread started by Postmaster about Augustine.
It's too important a movement to ignore.
The Christian tradition runs that one Scythianus (it is usual at one stage of initiation to take on the name of one's country- Scythia) or Skythianus, a Saracen who lived at the time of the Apostles, "introduced the doctrine
of Empedocles and Pythagoras into Christianity." (Empedocles taught
the doctrine of the four elements and ended his life by jumping into Mt. Etna.)

Scythianus had a disciple "Buddas, formerly named Terebinthus." Terebinthus is thought to be a corruption of "Tere Hintu" Buddha's title "Lord of the Hindus."

Buddas was said to have written four books: Of Mysteries, The Gospel, The Treasure and Heads.

When Buddas died after being hurled off a cliff by a demon while he
was performing mystic rites, a woman at whose house he lodged took over
his property. This woman later bought a slave boy aged seven, named Cubricus. The Parthian royal family of which Cubricus was related, was overthrown in 224, so this fits in fairly well time wise. Cubricus later of course, took the name of Mani.

Buddha had passed on years before, but the reference is probably to
the absorption into Christianity of the spiritual treasures of Greece and Buddhism. The Buddha played an important part in the Christian Mystery.
According to Dr.Steiner, Gautama's Nirmanakaya was experienced by the
Shepherds watching their flocks by night.

As to the future mission of the Manichaeans, I would suggest consulting
Rudolf Steiner's works

-Br.Bruce

[Postmaster]

interesting.. thanks for that Bruce

[Bruce Michael]

Hi Postmaster, Manichaica This is a wonderful site of images. -Br.Bruce

[Postmaster]

Marcion's heretical Christian church which was abolished by Orthodoxy had a theological theory of "manifestation" of God to describe Jesus Christ as opposed to the Son of God (ancient Greek concept). This then opened the doors for Mani to include all religious founders as Manifestations. This dude created the first ideology of religions all being the same and the equallity of man. It's from this doctrine that the Freemasons, Sufis and even the Baha'i faith originate from. Mani influenced Islam greatly but Islam only accepts prophets from the Abrahamic line. And also through St. Augustine Mani influences late developing Christianity.

Difference in religion and culture have been the source of some pointless and despicable hate.

[Bruce Michael]

Originally Posted by Postmaster

Marcion's heretical Christian church which was abolished by Orthodoxy had a theological theory of "manifestation" of God to describe Jesus Christ as opposed to the Son of God (ancient Greek concept). This then opened the doors for Mani to include all religious founders as Manifestations. This dude created the first ideology of religions all being the same and the equallity of man. It's from this doctrine that the Freemasons, Sufis and even the Baha'i faith originate from. Mani influenced Islam greatly but Islam only accepts prophets from the Abrahamic line. And also through St. Augustine Mani influences late developing Christianity.

Difference in religion and culture have been the source of some pointless and despicable hate.

Tibetan Buddhism was also influenced by Manicheanism.


Here's how Trevor Ravenscroft explains how Mani taught an
essentially monistic system:

"Manichaeism is a monistic system. For the Manichee, there is only one
universe and it is man himself who has divided it into two: the perceptual
and the conceptual. And it was within man himself that Mani sought a bridge between the world of the senses of the body, and the world of the spirit. He found it by integrating the senses of the body with the senses of the spirit in order to reveal within all terrestrial phenomena the spiritual reality which fashions and sustains them. In such a manner, Mani perceived that all human beings were themselves sun spirits. He taught his followers how to be reborn on the spirit and how to live in accordance with the life of Christ during his three years in a physical body on earth ( that is, from the moment of the baptism in Jordan to the death on the cross at Golgotha.)"

The Zoroastrian priests considered Mani's teaching that Ahura Mazdao had incarnated in Christ a dangerous heresy- although you can find this prediction in their own writings This is one of the factors that sealed the fate of Mani and brought about his terrible death.

-Br.Bruce

[Bruce Michael]

DearAll,
Here is part of Mani's message as given by
Trevor Ravenscroft:

Evil has not existed as evil from the beginning but only in its
elements.
For what is good and right is different for different times.Thus what
at first belonged to the good because it belonged to the time, later
worked injuriously. Taken merely in its elements then, evil is of the
same origin as good, and it too therefore is without end. But as evil
it does end. Yet it determines its own end, being placed in a
position to do so by the sacrificial act of the good which freely
mingles with it. In order that good shall be able to redeem evil, it
develops so far while separated from it, so that it then has the
power through partly uniting with the evil to place it in the
position of becoming good out of free will, stimulated by the radiant
light of the good.

This is represented in the Eastern tradition as the symbol of the Dragon chasing the pearl.

-Br.Bruce

[Thomas]

I would like to say again that Augustine had already abandoned Mani for Plato, and then subsequently Plato for Christ.

So the influence of Augustine on Christianity shows its Platonic roots, but a reading of The Confessions or De Trinitate will show his philosophy had moved far beyond the doctrines of both.

Thomas

[Bruce Michael]

>I would like to say again that Augustine had already abandoned Mani for >Plato, and then subsequently Plato for Christ.

I don't doubt that Augustine had left Mani, but as the Jesuits say, "give me the child and I'll show you the man".

Ravenscroft gives us more of mani's message:

As the further development of the world brought about the severance
of the world of light, that is, the severance of the heights from the
dark flood of the depths, Satan was not himself without beginning but
was nevertheless without beginning in his parts and elements; thus it
was these parts which came together out of the elements and formed
themselves into Satan. His head was that of a lion, his trunk was
that of a dragon, his wings like that of a great bird, his tail was
that of a water animal. [Here again reference is made to the fixed
stars, in this instance to the reflection of the four quarters of the
zodiac.]

As this being had formed itself out of the darkness, it was called the
dragon, the old serpent. Then he began to destroy, to swallow to
injure other beings, stalking hither and thither to right and to left
and penetrating down below into the depths where he continued to
bring injury and destruction to all who sought to overpower him.
Thereafter he departed upwards into the heights and catching sight of
the radiance of the light felt a repugnance for it.

When he further saw that this radiance was only strengthened by
coming into contact with its opposite, he was alarmed crumpled up
altogether limb by limb and withdrew into fundamental matter.

But now once again he manifested himself and darted once more the
heights.
And now also the light earth observed the activity of Satan and his
intention to attack and destroy. And as the earth observed this,
behold! the world of insight, the world of knowledge, the world of
silence, then the world of understanding, and the world of gentleness
observed it. Thereupon the King of the Paradise of Light himself
observed it and considered by what means Satan might be met. His own
hosts were in all truth powerful enough, but in the realm of light
there was only good. Thereafter he with his righteous with his twelve
worlds, his five elements, created a race final race of men. This
race he sent below that it might mix itself with the darkness. And it
was this race which was to fight the dragon.

-Br.Bruce

[Thomas]

1 Corinthians 13:11
"When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child. But, when I became a man, I put away the things of a child."

Touché?

Thomas

[Thomas]

And on Ravenscroft:

Steiner himself loved Walter Stein, his enthusiasm and headlong commitment, and regarded him as a very special pupil. He was like the naughty boy in the class whom teacher has a soft spot for. Walter Stein also had a special pupil who was equally naughty and got into lots of trouble. This was Trevor Ravenscroft, who shocked the movement rigid by writing a book called The Spear of Destiny. This was a powerful novel which taught people a lot about anthroposophy but was also extremely misleading about certain facts in Steiner’s life, in fact flatly untrue in certain instances. This was of course Trevor’s responsibility, but he was bullied by his publisher not to be too specific about where truth ended and fiction began, as he proposed to put it out as a straight non-fiction title. Trevor knew it was fiction and said so. But Trevor had an Achilles’ Heel. He was an alcoholic and he needed the money. The publisher prevailed and Trevor concurred. As a result the book was a lot more successful than it would otherwise have been and they both made a lot of money.

STANLEY MESSENGER | Lucifer and Ahriman under the Bed
A journal of Anthroposphy

As a sole source, and quoting as a source one who has admited his work is fiction, is not good scholarship.

If one is going to present an 'alternative Christianity' then one's research and sources need to be precise, and certainly not quoting fiction as reliable data. You cannot hope to be taken seriously otherwise.

Thomas

[Bruce Michael]

Dear Br.Thomas,

1 Corinthians 13:11
"When I was a child, I spoke as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child. But, when I became a man, I put away the things of a child."

>Touché?

And once a little child showed him the error of his ways.....

Parry!



>The publisher prevailed and Trevor concurred. As a result the book was a >lot more successful than it would otherwise have been and they both >made a lot of money.

I'm not quoting from that book, Old Son.
Prof. Goodrick-Clarke through his research, was able to clear up most of the mysteries on that subject.

Then primeval man armed himself with the five spirit spheres, five
gods, with the fluttering breath, with the wind, with the light, with
the water and the fire. The first thing with which he clothed himself
was the breath.

Over the fluttering breath he wrapped the mantle of light that
undulated downwards, over the light he drew the veil of the welling
water and protected himself with the blowing wind. Finally he took
the fire as a shield, and lance in hand hastened to descend from
paradise.

Then the dragon supported himself on his five spiritual spheres- on
the smoke, the flame, the darkness, the scorching wind and
suffocating fumes. He armed himself with them, took them for shield
and went forth against primeval man. They fought long the dragon
finally won the victory over man, devoured some his light and
enveloped him with his spirit spheres and elements.

Then arose the storm, the whirling dance of death, and hell consumed
itself.
Thus arose the human race. Humanity, however,recognised the friend of
light, the King of the Paradise of Light.
And this radiance filled him with delight.
The light of man that the dragon had swallowed caused it to feel
pleasure in light. May the light be enkindled by light! -rejoiced
humanity, and the abyss rose ever higher and higher, radiating,
sparkling, shining and emitting light like a sun. Thus were the
substances, redeemed, uplifted, illuminated and warmed, so that
gentleness proved stronger than hatred. In man, gentleness redeemed
the dragon from hell.

-From the Cup of Destiny: Ravenscroft

Most of what Ravenscroft writes comes directly form Dr.Walter Stein.

>As a sole source, and quoting as a source one who has admited his work >is fiction, is not good scholarship.

I have quoted from many authors on this subject already.

-Br.Bruce

[Bruce Michael]

Dear Friends,

Mani was a "native of Ectabana", and a very special place it was too.
In central Iran, the modern name for the town is Hamadan- 400 km south west of Tehran. The tomb of the great Iranian scientist/philosopher, Avicenna, is in Hamadan. He was a vizier there- though much later than Mani (11C).

The whole city was tribute to astrological knowledge- what a fitting place for the young Cubricus/Mani to be born.

"Herodotus described the city as being ringed with seven concentric walls,
the battlements of which were coated with gold and silver and various
colours, but this account was probably not meant to be taken literally.
Recent and ongoing excavation is beginning to produce the first archaeological evidence of its ancient splendour."

"Colors and jewels are parts of astrology; and ancient cities, as Ectabana,
were built and colored after the planets."

"Today's Hamadan is what is left of Ecbatana, The Medes' capital before they formed a union with the Persians."

Pictures:
Page of the province of hamadan

-Br.Bruce

[Bruce Michael]

Most sources it seems, give the town of Mardinu in Southern Babylonia as the birthplace of Mani.

This the now the town of Mardin in Turkey:

-Br.Bruce

[Bruce Michael]

Shalom All,
When I posted a little on the life of Mani earlier on, I mentioned the Mughtasilah, a Jewish ascetic group - followers of John the Baptist. Mani's father had taken the boy at the age of four to live among this group.

'Mughtasilah' means, 'Those Who Wash Themselves'. They were Mandaean from "manda" meaning "secret knowledge."

The ritual bathing of the Mandeans was not just symbolic or of mundane value. Rudolf Steiner spoke of how when one washes one's hands the astral hand is also affected in the cleansing process- particularly if the
intention is such.

Here is another view of the word "Terebinthus" from the Catholic encyclopedia:

"Through misunderstandings the Aramaic word for disciple (Tarbitha, stat abs. Tarbi), Greek and Latin sources speak of a certain Terebinthos, Terebinthus of Turbo, as a distinct person, whom they confound partially
with Mani, partially with Patekios, and as they also forgot that Mani,
besides being Patekios' great disciple, was his bodily son, and that in
consequence the Scythian teacher, Scythianus, is but Fatak Babak of Hamadam, the Scythian metropolis, their account of the first origins of Manichæism differs considerably from that given in Oriental sources."

From this we could assume that "Buddas Terebinthus" means disciple of
Buddha.
More speculation!

Remember, Hamadan is Ectabana.

-Br.Bruce