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 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.

The Apostle Mani Called

“Peace be with you, Mani, both from myself and from the Lord Who sent me to you and Who chose you for His message. He has commanded you to invite (others) in your own right and to preach on His behalf the Truth, laying it upon you to do so with your utmost effort.”*

“Very many are the visions and very great the marvels which he showed me throughout all that period of my youth.”**

* Manichaean Texts from the Roman Empire, by Gardner and Lieu

** Cologne Mani-Codex, translated by Profs. J. M. and S. N. C. Lieu