Mar Mani’s Books in the End

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A thousand books will be preserved… they will come into the hand of the Righteous and the Faithful [the] Gospel and the Treasury of Life, the Pragmateia and the Book of Mysteries, the Book of Giants and the Epistles, the Psalms and [the] Prayers of my lord, his Icon and his Revelations, his Parables and his Mysteries…

How many will be lost? How many will be destroyed? A thousand lost, another thousand recovered; for they will find them at the end.

Why Humanity Does not Trust the Swine of Darkness

A quote from the Holy Book of Light concerning false religious leaders and why humanity has lost trust in those who claim to teach righteousness.

Pseudo-religious leaders have soiled their hands by touching the dark one; their garments are stained with the blood of the Saints. The earth is filled with the blood of the innocent Saints – the Brethren and Children of Mar Mani. The religious houses are full of lies; they have become a den of vipers and the habitation of every unclean bird. Hypocrisy abounds among those who claim to support the children of earth. They have filled their purses with gold, squandered it on great structures and worldly possessions. For these reasons humankind has lost all hope in such men. The Living Spirit has given them a new name – Swine of Darkness.

(The Manichaean Holy Book of Light)

Alms-giving for Intercession of the Hearers

The whole concept of Alms-giving for intercession (particularly food or tangible gifts as sacrifices) was revealed to Mani. Mir Izgadda said that Alms-giving is “central to the Hearers’ salvation.”

He also said that most congregations in the old days did not have any of the Elect with them. “The Hearers would often travel to distant locations to present their Alms.”

The following is a passage from the Holy Book of Light in regards to Alms.

[blockquote]All of these alms that are given in the world because of the Name of Ilaha (God, Zurvan), by every creed whatsoever (other religions) in His Name, every place to which they will bring these alms they lead them to affliction and hardship and wickedness. There is no rest or open gate (in these other religions) through which they come out and find occasion to ascent to Ilaha, because of whose name they are given, except only in the Holy Assembly, the one in which the Commandments of the Alms-Service are placed. Now the Holy Assembly exists in two persona, the brothers and the sisters.

Know that the one who brings the alms and the memorial of the person who has come out of the body (died), brings rest. The entreaty which he makes accomplishes four great victories.

1. He rescues the Living Soul that is entwined and bound in the whole world.
2. He brings rest to the Holy Assembly by the alms which he brings for the person who has been released from his body (died). The blessed children of the assembly rest upon it.
3. The third victory is that which the donor accomplishes on behalf of the person who has come out of the his body. It is an alms for him and a remembrance for his brother or his father or his mother or his son or his daughter or his kinsman who has come out of the body.
4. For one’s own self.[/blockquote]

There is no blessing when there are no alms and intercession. The food alms and intercession make up one of the most important facets of Manichaean ritual. There are ways this can take place when individuals are in isolated areas, and hopefully it is followed carefully and with great attention, and the blessing of the earthly Manichaean assembly can go forward.

Why Can’t We Remember our Past Life?

From the Manichaean Holy Book of Light:

On an occasion when Mir Izgadda was teaching in Chennai, a disciple asked Him, “Lord, since some believe they have lived past lives, why can they not recall those lives?” Mir Izgadda took the disciple’s hand into those of His own and said, “My son, knowing of one’s past life is dependent upon memories. Memories are dependent upon the brain. The brain is part of matter. When the body dies, so does the brain. The only thing that exists after the passing of the body is the stream of consciousness that you might refer to as the soul. Because memories are dependent upon the brain, such memories of all those things which the body experienced disappear. For the very few that experience reincarnation, it is only their stream of consciousness that re-enters the world of matter. Do not think, my child, that all souls re-enter this world, but the truth is, most souls enter either into one of the celestial realms or one of the lower realms and do not receive a physical body in the world of matter and illusion again.”

The Holy Book of Light is the official Scriptures of the United Manichaean Assembly, currently being translated. Follow @HolyBookOfLight on Twitter for updates and quotations from the Manichaean Scriptures.

Miryazd Na’amaz (A Prayer to the Living Spirit)

The following is a Manichaean prayer for regular daily use for all brothers and sisters, regardless of whether they are Hearers or Elect. It is known as “Miryazd Na’amaz” which means “The Prayer of the Living Spirit” who is also known as Mir Izgadda.

The base translation appears in parenthesis. The intention of the prayer’s text appears after the main text which is then followed by the text without English. The prayer is taken from the Holy Book of Light. This can be said at anytime of the day or night, with a congregation or alone. One can meditate on the intention of the prayer while working, or chant the words while walking or taking care of chores or other daily activities.

This is one of the most important prayers that is among all the prayers of Maninaye.

Miryazd Na’amaz (A Prayer to the Living Spirit)

Mir Yazd Izgadda (The Living Spirit, the Messenger)
Mir Yazd Ilzada (The Living Spirit, the Divine Descendant)
Mir Yazd Fara’il (The Living Spirit, Light of God)

Mir Izgadda Anoush (Lord Messenger, Eternal One)
Mir Arman Keyvan (Lord, Hope of the World)
Mir Hami Keyvan (Lord, Protector of the World)

Mir Yazd Izgadda (The Living Spirit, the Messenger)
Mir Yazd Yashar (The Living Spirit, the Messenger Who Lives Forever)
Mir Yazd Ilnouri (The Living Spirit, Divine Light)

Mir Parizad (The Lord of Divine Origin)
Mir Parsa’il (The Holy Lord from God)
Mir Arsham’il (The Extremely Powerful Lord from God)

Mir Izgadda.
Mir Izgadda.
Mir Izgadda.

Amin, Meytar, Meytar.