The Teachings Of The Prophet Mani

I believe in the Two Eternal Principles, Light and Darkness, Spirit and Matter. I affirm the teachings of the Prophet Mani, our Illuminator, who showed us the path of redemption through Gnosis. I recognize the World of Light, ruled by the Father of Greatness, as the ultimate source of all goodness, truth and beauty.  I believe in the aforementioned dualism and in the truth that the Two Principles currently exist in an unnatural state of mixture, manifested as the world we live in.   I believe in the Three Times, The Time before Mixture, The Present Time of Mixture and The Future Time in which the Light and Darkness will once more be separate.   I believe that it is the goal of true religion to assist in the bringing about the end time, when the Principles will once more be separate from one another and the Light restored to its original home in the Realm of Light.   I believe that the Prophet, Mani, is the seal of the prophets, and the Religion he founded, the Religion of Light, is the final Religion and the one best suited to accomplish the restoration of Light. 

Cosmology  

I recognize our universe as a battlefield, where Light and Darkness wage their eternal war. The World of Light, our spiritual home, is beleaguered by the Prince of Darkness, resulting in an entanglement of light particles within the constraining material world. This primal tragedy gave rise to mankind and our earthly existence. I acknowledge the ongoing cosmic conflict, detailing the entrapment of particles of Light within the Darkness of materiality, induced by the machinations of the Prince of Darkness. I understand humanity as the primary venue for this struggle, every individual containing both Light and Dark elements.  Soteriology  On the subject of Soteriology, I uphold the teachings of Mani, proposing a path to salvation through enlightenment and understanding, a Gnosis. I believe that through adherence to the Three Seals – virtuous speech, virtuous action, and virtuous thought, symbolized by the Seal of the Mouth, Seal of the Hands, and the Seal of the Bosom, the soul can be liberated, the divine Light within me, from the shackles of worldly Matter.

Eschatology  

In accepting Manichaean eschatology, I anticipate a time when the Light finally triumphs over Darkness. A ‘call from above’ will catalyse the purification and discharge of all captive light from the world of matter. The Prince of Darkness and his realm will be vanquished, the universe will burn with a purgatorial fire and the Light within me will find its path back to reunification with the World of Light.  

On the ritual meal   

The ritual meal is a collection of food alms given and prepared by the Hearers to the Elect for eating so they may release the Light from being bound in its material shackles.