• Embed Doc
  • Copy Link
  • Readcast
  • Collections
  • CommentGo Back
Download
 
L
IFE OF
M
ANI
: B
EFORE HIS COMING OUT
 
1 September 21, 2006 – 11:23 AM
Life of Mani acc. to the Shabuhragan
1
 
BT 11 no. 5.1 M 49 MM ii, pp. 307-08
2
 
 [How to live a good life] 
 
... thus it is seemly that he in the same way that he takes revenge and protects the land and cultivates (it) and callsto account and eats meat and drink wine and has a wife and a servant boy and makes a house and wealth (forhimself) and weeps for the sake of his body and brings ... in the land and commits robbery and damage and behavestyrannically and mercilessly, in that same way he should ask about the wisdom and knowledge of the gods andreflect for the sake of his soul.And also those future matters ...... which he has, he shall keep back from lust and coition and evil thought and evil speech and evil deeds.And he should keep his hand away from robbery, as well, and damage and *tyranny and mercilessness.And he should *protect earth and water and fire and trees and plants and wild and domestic animals and he shouldnot hurt them much. For those, too, are alive through that light and good grace of the gods (= the Living soul).Just like that warrior and the farmer and ... and soul ...
[Mani and the Companion/Twin] 
I said, “You have ...and from your hand ...and other things you have given me [and] brought to me.”
And even now he himself accompanies me
, and he himself keeps and protects me. And in his power I fight withÂz
3
and Ahrimen
4
and teach men wisdom and knowledge and save them from Âz and Ahrimen.And I ... these affairs of the gods and the wisdom and knowledge of the gathering of the souls that I have receivedfrom [the]
Twin
...... through the
Twin
 ...
my own family
 ... I stood.And the path of the wise seized me, and these things that the Twin had taught me I then began to tell and to teachto my father and the elders of the family. And when they heard it they were astonished.And just as the wise man who found and ploughed the seed of a good and fruitful tree in untilled soil [and -]ed [it]and brought it to [well-]tilled and prepared soil ...
BT 11 no. 5.2
... the twin who was *sent [from? that] light and good grace of the gods (= the Living Soul) [that] *Âz stole. And hedid not allow ... to ... . He protects the world ... liberator and savior...... and about that light and good grace of the gods that Âz stole. And he [sent?] to the [land] of Babylon and to allthe lands ...
BT 11 no. 5.3
Then I began ...
the Twin in Babylon
...the land [of ?] in all places to wander.... was together [with ...] ... and Arwayistan (= Mesopotamia) ... that away to Rome ... and there teach ...
1
These texts are fragmentary. Holes are indicated by ... and restorations by [...]. An asterisc * means conjectural translation.MP = Middle Persian. Pa = Parthian. So = Sogdian.
2
BT = Berliner Turfantexte. MM = Mitteliranische Manichaica. M = Manichean manuscript (in Berlin), So = Sogdian.
3
The evil principle of Matter, Greek Hyle.
4
Satan, Prince of Darkness.
 
L
IFE OF
M
ANI
: B
EFORE HIS COMING OUT
 
2 September 21, 2006 – 11:23 AM
From a list of hymns
M 4.2v
Begun (is the list of) hymns about the deliverance.... and favored am I who sprang from the land of Babel.I sprang from the land of Babel and stood up in rectitude.I am a ... herald who went forth from the land of Babel, so that I should call the call in the world.I pray to you gods, to all the gods: Forgive me my sin in mercy!Ended (is the list of) hymns about the deliverance.
Early childhood among the Baptists
BT 11 no. 2.15 Pa
I shall come ... On account of ... *prophet ... and from the writings ... heard the testimony. ...
Buddha
from ... I am...A hundred ... came ... account.Together with ... I went to ...Moreover ...
the assembly
...
BT 11 no. 2.1
...
baptisthood
soft ... you were a boy ... you *baptize ... when the time came ... the well-doer. And .... to ... may beso that ... and for the souls.[And
in year five] hundred thirty-[nine of] the rule
[of Alexander? ...] ... and praised ... they ... now you(r) twin(
 yamag
) ...
Elchasai
...... that beloved one, hail ... said, “Hail unto [you, ...] truthful. Because ... from the father. Man ... of the captives ...gave ...
Journey to India
BT 11 no. 9
 [The conversion of the king of Turan] 
 
And when the king of Turan saw that the well-doer had got up, then he, too, from afar was on his knees. And heimplores the well-doer and speaks to him respectfully “Do not come hither before me!” Then the well-doer wantthere. He stood up and went to meet him. And he kissed him. Then he says to the well-doer, “You are the Buddha,and we are sinful people. It is not seemly that you should come to us. Because of that for as many feet we advancetowards you, so much merit and salvation will there accrue to us. But if you come towards us, then for as many feetyou advance towards us, so much demerit and sin will there accrue to us.”Then the well-doer gave him his blessing. And he says to him, “Be blessed! Just as you now on earth among menare full of glory and honored, in that same way you on the last day of (your) soul, (you shall possess) the divine eye,you shall be full of glory and noble. And among the gods and the beneficent [righ]teous you shall be immortal forever and ever.”Then ... he seized the hand ...
BT 11 no. 2.2
... so that I may take you to a *righteous *shareholder. He went to where there was righteous one, and informedhim. The righteous one said, [“So be it.”]The apostle led the righteous one up into the atmosphere and said, “What is higher?” The righteous one said, “Mysphere.”The apostle said, “Again, what is greater?” He said, “The earth that bears everything.”Again he said, “What is greater than these?” The righteous one said, “The sky ...”
 
L
IFE OF
M
ANI
: B
EFORE HIS COMING OUT
 
3 September 21, 2006 – 11:23 AM
[“Again,] what is greater?” He said, “The sun and the moon.”“Again, what is lighter?” He said, “The wisdom of the Buddha.”Then the king of Turan said, “Of all these you are the greatest and lightest, for, in truth, you are the Buddhayourself.Then the
dênabar
(= Manichean) said to the king of Turan, “You shall act in the same way that ... you are.”Then the king of Turan said to the apostle, “... all in ...”Then Lord Mani expounded to the king of Turan much insight wisdom, and he showed him heaven and hell, thepurification of the worlds, sun and moon, soul and body, the apostles who have come to various countries, pious andsinner, and the actions of the elects and the hearers.Then when the king of Turan and the noblemen heard this word they became happy, adopted the belief, andbecame well-disposed toward the apostle and the religion.Further, when the king of Turan was [with the apostle in the garden] the king of Turan was delivered. And hefound the brothers transported. The brothers did homage to the devout one, and the apostle told the king of Turan aparable:“There was a man, and there were seven sons. When the time of death had come, he called his sons. Seven ...primeval ... and ... a cattle pick ... bound. And he said, “... bring to one place!” Nobody ... After that he opened a ...... to Bagard (a female deity?) ...asked me ...wisdom of the *gods(?) ...took the right hand ...and before ...After that I went ...city ...I went in before the *king: “Hail to you from the gods!”The king said, “Whence are you?”I said, “
I am a physician from the land of Babylon
.”...... went in. And the girl became healthy in the whole body. [In] great joy she said to me, “Whence are you, my godand vivifier and ... my ...?”
Various encounters on his journeys
BT 11 no. 2.3
 [The King of Waruzhan, Georgia] 
 
[The coming] of the apostle of light ..
[As he saw] the figure of the apostle/angel... and fell forward[and became] *unconscious. And the people were [amazed].Thereupon [...] prayed, “To us ...... Jesus ...He ... the teaching of the religions by his own [... and their] evil he overcame.[Thereupon] Habza, king of Waruzhan [said], “What is this *miracle?”And they said, [“This] is [...].”But ...Habza *asked ...
of 00

Leave a Comment

You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...
You must be to leave a comment.
Submit
Characters: ...