Like nearly every religious founder or seeker; Mani (216–277 C.E.), a Parthian raised in Mesopotamia in an Aramaic-speaking Jewish-Christian community known as the Elchasaites visited India in 240 A.D. On his return to Mesopotamia(modern-day Iraq); he broke with the Elchasaites and founded his own religion.
According to a lecture from Dr. Char Yar, “Manichaeism was well established in Northern India and had a strong Buddhist expression in its internal working along with a strong traditional Hindu imagery.”
“It would appear that Manichaeans existed throughout India, north to south, as late as the latter 20th century in small pockets among their Hindu neighbors.”
“Under the direction of Mani, a missionary post was established in Kanchipuram in Tamil Nadu not too far from Chennai.”
“Manichaeans in India saw a mutual binding of Hinduism and Buddhism.”
“Vishnu, Krishna, Buddha, Mani and various others were identified as Messengers of Light or a manifestation of one of the previous Messengers.”
“Two major texts used by Manichaeans in India included the Gospel of Thomas and later the Dhammapada.”
“Most of the communities, it would seem, recited prayers four times per day as the standard form of worship in a household. However, there appear to have been additional prayers for corporate worship.”
“Manichaeans in India observed numerous festivals and made many pilgrimages alongside Hindus.”
“Along with physically making pilgrimages and wanderings, Manichaeans practiced a ‘spiritual pilgrimage’ once each month during the new moon, where they believed they were communing with the Divine Teacher (the current Messenger of Light) in the spirit. They believed their spirit, or perhaps a particle of light, was able to leave the body, as it were, temporarily and be raised up to the heights where the Divine Teacher resided.”
“The regular pilgrimages included visiting sacred spaces such as rivers, streams, shrines and other places of religious significance to Manichaeans.”
“According to the Manichaean expression of the Religion of Light in India, Maitreya is a manifestation, or emanation, of Mithra. In this form, within Monijiao, He is referred to as Mitri Burxan. Not only is Mani the Apostle of Light referred to as ‘Buddha Mani’ but he is also identified as being one and the same as Mitri Burxan or at least an emanation of Mithra, the Divine Teacher (Mir Izgadda, the Third Messenger).”
“Mani was often symbolically represented with the image of a peacock and sometimes as with the imagery of Murugan. At least some Manichaean circles strongly identified Mani with Murugan Kartikeya. There are prayers referring to the ‘Vel’ (spear) of the Messenger Mani which he uses to pierce the darkness and evil; the prayers speak of the Mother of Life giving the spear to him for divine work. Murugan is often depicted as holding the Vel.”
“Brahma, Shiva, Vishnu, and Ganesha are four aspects which were highly regarded by Manichaeans of India. These were viewed as aspects of the supreme God and of the Divine Teacher:
“In most cases, the Manichaeans in India were rather strict concerning the practice of vegetarianism, however, in other cases, some associated groups abstained from eating meat six days out of the week and permitted it on at least one day, while there is some indication that meat was permitted among others but not on the Sabbath and certain days of fasting, new moons and full moons. Yet others permitted themselves to eat meat only one day out of the year, but again, not on the Sabbath.”
His followers are more famous for their influence on the Romans and latter-day Christianity; but they had a presence spanning most of the ancient world.
