Give me the run down on Manichaeism, Veeky Forums

Give me the run down on Manichaeism, Veeky Forums.

How did it lose to Christianity?

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They never got support from a major empire.
>expand into Roman Egypt and Africa
>persecuted by both the Church and the Roman state
>expand into Persia
>persecuted by the Sassanids
>expand into Mesopotamia and Arabia
>persecuted by the Caliphs
>expand into China
>persecuted by the Tang dynasty
>expand into Central Asia
>don't get persecuted
>die out because you have a bunch of literally whos as followers

But was it inferior? Was it theologically shit compared to the other major religions?

IIRC the term today is used an insult to those with very black and white belief systems.

Inferior to what? Other systems of make believe? At least the Manicheans had an answer to the Problem of Evil.

Prajna Paramita Mantra: The Heart Sutra

Avalokiteshvara, The Bodhisattva of Compassion
meditating deeply on Perfection of Wisdom
clearly saw that the five aggregates of human existence are empty
so he released himself from suffering.

He said, "O monk Sariputra, Form is nothing more than emptiness, emptiness is nothing more than Form, Form is emptiness; emptiness is form."
The other four aggregates of human existence are also nothing more than emptiness, emptiness nothing more than the four aggregates.

The true nature of things is empty. Nothing is born, nothing dies; nothing is pure, nothing is impure; nothing increases nothing decreases.
In emptiness there is no form, no feeling, no thought, no will, no consciousness. No eyes, no ears, no nose, no tongue, no body, no intention, no sight, no sound, no smelling, no tasting, no touching, no thinking.

In emptiness, there is nothing seen, willed, and perceived. Neither is there ignorance nor end to ignorance. Neither is there old age and death nor end to old age and death.
Neither is there suffering, nor a path to follow to end suffering. Neither is there attainment of wisdom, nor wisdom to attain.

The Bodhisattvas rely on the Perfection of Wisdom, with the heart on no delusions, no hindrance, no fear. But the selfless Nirvana here and now. All the Buddhas, past, present, and future, deeply meditating on the Perfection of Wisdom, and living in enlightenment.
Therefore, the Heart Sutra is the greatest mantra, the brightest mantra, with no equal.
This mantra annihilates all suffering. This is truth with no doubt. Namely this is the hidden message of the Heart Sutra. So say it, "Go, go beyond suffering, and attain the Self of Enlightenment. Alas! This joy of Being here and now. and attain the self of enlightenment."

Gone,
gone,
gone over,
gone fully over.
Awakened!
So be it!

what do I need to read to learn about them

>everything is made up becuz i dont understand theology

Retard

haha epic
you showed that theist

All of the early gnostic sects lost to Christianity. Only gnostic group which was successful was Islam.

By the time Manichaeism came around in Mesopotamia (the birthplace of ancient mystery and Gnostic religions) Christianity already had established sizable communities throughout the Mediterranean and the Middle East. Manichaeism did have a chance in the Persian Empire where it might have been tolerated and elsewhere but everywhere it went it was either persecuted or died out over the ages. Would’ve been interesting if it gained a following in India, though.

It is an heresy of Christianity, obviously a mere heresy can't be better than the actual-thing.

>heresy of Christianity

It's as much a Zoroastrian/Buddhist offshoot as it is a Christian one.

The cosmology was idiotic, it was like something out of mediocre fantasy anime.

They belived the world is a filtration column created to separate particles of light form particles of darkness as these got mixed when demons ate the first man and then died out of food poisoning. Who would follow that shit?! Some easily impressed uyghur goat herder, not a citizen of China or Persia or Rome.

How true is the idea of direct succession from Manicheans to Cathars through Paulicians and Bogomilists?

>Islam is gnostic
Wew lad

>expand into Central Asia
>per-killed by the Muslims

>The cosmology was idiotic, it was like something out of mediocre fantasy anime.
>They believed they believed the sky was a water filtration column and that man became mortal after the first woman ate fruit from a forbidden tree. They also believed God became man and was crucified and resurrected after three days. Who would follow that shit?! Some easily impressed Mediterranean goat herder, not a citizen of China or Persia or Rome.

what this guy saidThe truth of a religion is utterly irrelevant, as none of them are true. What matters is whether or not the people in power think they are useful.

Looking at it it looks like some syncretic offbeat sect but it's beliefs are much in line with other Gnostic belief systems which is why it's classified as such with the general ideal of trapped light particles needing to return to the creator or infinite light.

gnosis.org/library/manis.htm

>Would’ve been interesting if it gained a following in India, though.
Nestorians are the ones who got a hold of that region. Not to mention the vast diversity already present there. It might have blended into one of the various schools and sects. Wouldn't be farfetched if another Gnostic sect did so.
Probably the reason why Nestorianism survived which was also popular among Central Asians since according to Muslims they could be considered people of the book.

Some of it's stories or myths seem derived from Gnostic sources. The rest of it is Semitic tribalism.

isnt that the heresy from ck2 that always dethrones zoroastrianism in the first 100 years

>Inferior to what? Other systems of make believe?
your fedora is bigger than your brain