Manichaeism is a former major world religion, founded in the 3rd century CE by the Parthian prophet Mani, in the Sasanian Empire.
The Shabuhragan, which means "dedicated to Šābuhr", also translated in Chinese as the Chinese: 二宗经; pinyin: Èrzōng jīng; lit. 'Text of Two principles' was a sacred book of Manichaeism, written by the founder Mani himself, originally in Middle Persian, and dedicated to Shapur I, the contemporary king of the Sasanian Empire. This book is listed as one of the seven treatises of Manichaeism in Arabic historical sources, but it is not among the seven treatises in the Manichaean account itself. The book was designed to present to Shapur an outline of Mani's new religion, which united elements from Zoroastrianism, Christianity, and Buddhism.
Cao'an is a temple in Jinjiang, Fujian, Luoshan Subdistrict. Originally constructed by Chinese Manichaeans, it was considered by later worshipers to be a Buddhist temple. This "Manichaean temple in Buddhist disguise" had historically been seen by modern experts on Manichaeism as "the only Manichaean building which has survived intact". However, other Manichaean buildings have survived intact, such as the Xuanzhen Temple, also in China. In 2021, Cao'an was inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List along with many other sites near Quanzhou because of its unique testimony to the exchange of religious ideas and cultures in medieval China. Over 2022, the number of tourists to the location doubled and preservation efforts began.
Chinese Manichaeism, also known as Monijiao (Chinese: 摩尼教; pinyin: Móníjiào; Wade–Giles: Mo2-ni2 Chiao4; lit. 'religion of Moni') or Mingjiao (Chinese: 明教; pinyin: Míngjiào; Wade–Giles: Ming2-Chiao4; lit. 'religion of light' or 'bright religion'), is the form of Manichaeism transmitted to and currently practiced in China. Chinese Manichaeism rose to prominence during the Tang dynasty and despite frequent persecutions, it has continued long after the other forms of Manichaeism were eradicated in the West. The most complete set of surviving Manichaean writings were written in Chinese sometime before the 9th century and were found in the Mogao Caves among the Dunhuang manuscripts.
The Manichaean Diagram of the Universe is a Yuan dynasty silk painting describing the cosmology of Manichaeism, in other words, the structure of universe according to Manichaean vision. The painting in vivid colours on a silk cloth survives in three parts, whose proper relation to one another and digital reconstruction was published by Zsuzsanna Gulácsi.
The Manichaean Painting of the Buddha Jesus (Chinese: 夷數佛幀; pinyin: Yí shù fó zhēn; Wade–Giles: I2-shu4 fo2-chên1; Japanese: キリスト聖像; rōmaji: Kirisuto Sei-zō; "Sacred Image of Christ"), is a Chinese Southern Song dynasty silk hanging scroll preserved at the Seiunji Temple in Kōshū, Yamanashi, Japan. It measures 153.5 cm in height, 58.7 cm in width, dates from the 12th to 13th centuries, and depicts a solitary nimbate figure on a dark-brown medieval Chinese silk. According to the Hungarian historian Zsuzsanna Gulácsi, this painting is one of the six documented Chinese Manichaean hanging scrolls from Zhejiang province from the early 12th century, which titled Yishu fo zhen (lit. "Silk Painting of the Buddha [Prophet] Jesus").
Manichaean scripture includes nine main books: the Seven Treatises of Manichaeism, all personally written by Mani in Syriac, the Shabuhragan written by Mani in Middle Persian, and the Arzhang, a series of illustrations painted by Mani.
The Book of Mysteries, also known as The Book of Secrets, one of the Seven Scriptures of Manichaeism. This scripture is transliterated in Chinese as "阿罗瓒部" (Āluózànbù) in Yilue, transliterated from the Middle Persian "razan", meaning "Secret" (Secrets).
Psalms and Prayers is one of the Seven Scriptures of Mani.
The Chinese Manichaean hymn scroll is a scroll found by British archaeologist Aurel Stein in the Mogao Grottoes. It contains a series of hymns used in religious ceremonies. It is currently held at the British Library, where it is catalogued as number S.2659.
The Incomplete scripture of Manichaeism was discovered by British archaeologist Aurel Stein in Mogao Caves. The Tang Dynasty Manichean Dunhuang Manuscripts of Jingdong is one of the three Manichaeism Dunhuang Chinese Documents. They are now held in the collection of National Library of China, number BD00256.
The three Persian religions, as a medieval Chinese concept, referred to a group of Iranian religions that spread to Tang China. They were recognized and protected under Tang rule, helping them to prosper in China at a time when Sassanid Iran was falling to the early Muslim conquests. The three religious movements identified by the term were Zoroastrianism, the Persian Church, and Manichaeism.
The Dunhuang Manichaean texts refers to three Manichaean manuscripts of the Tang dynasty found in the Buddhist scripture cave of Mogao Grottoes in Dunhuang.
The Xiapu Manichaean manuscripts are Chinese Manichaean manuscripts from Shangwan Village 上万村, Baiyang Township, Xiapu County, Fujian Province, China. They first became known to academia and the general public in October 2008. Today in Baiyang Township, the texts are used for rituals conducted for Lin Deng 林瞪 in the three villages of Baiyang 柏洋村, Shangwan 上万村, and Tahou 塔后村.
Leaf from a Manichaean book MIK III 4974 is a fragment of Manichaean manuscripts collected in Germany Berlin Asian Art Museum, drawn in the 10th century, 20 At the beginning of the century, it was discovered by German Turpan expedition team in Xinjiang Gaochang Ancient City. The remaining page is 7.9 cm long and 15.5 cm wide, with an illuminated manuscript illustration drawn in the center of the front. The upper part of the book is written with Middle Persian Benediction The scriptures indicate that this fragment originally belonged to a Manichae Liturgical book.
Manichaean manuscript fragment number "MIK Ⅲ 4979" is a collection Fragments of Manichaean illuminated manuscript in Germany Berlin Asian Art Museum, painted during the 8th–9th centuries, and were found in the early 20th century. German Turpan expedition team found in Xinjiang Gaochang site. The broken page is 12.4 cm long and 25.2 cm wide, with slender painting illustrations drawn on both sides, written in Sogdian in Manuscript, Turkic and Middle Persian text.
The Cangnan Stele is the temple stele of the Yuan Dynasty Manichaean monastery Xuanzhen Temple (选真寺). It is the only Manichean stone monument found in the world so far, Has been listed as a national second-class cultural relic, now in the Cangnan County Museum, in Zhejiang Province. The monument is 150 cm high, 76 cm wide, and 10 cm thick, half on the forehead of the round stele; the inscription is inscribed in seal script, "Xuansiji". Lin Wushu called the Xuanzhen Temple according to the inscription "It was built by the church of the neighboring countries of Jiangsu, and was built before the Gai Peng family." It means that the Mingjiao of Xuanzhen Temple still inherits the tradition of Manichaeism in the Tang Dynasty, influenced by foreign religions, and is different from ordinary folk religions.
Manichaeism has a rich tradition of visual art, starting with Mani himself writing the Book of Pictures.
Gábor Kósa is a Hungarian historian of religions, an associate professor at the Faculty of Humanities of the Eötvös Loránd University, Department of Chinese Studies.
In Manichaeism, Siddartha Gautama is considered one of the four prophets of the faith, along with Zoroaster, Jesus and Mani. Mani believed that the teachings of Gautama Buddha, Zoroaster, and Jesus were incomplete, and that his revelations were for the entire world, calling his teachings the "Religion of Light".
