TRADICIÓN
Maniqueísmo
La tradición se nombra por su fundador y por su lengua de origen: el volumen que reúne sus textos fija el término en su sentido primario, «The term ‘Manichaean’ is here used in its primary sense, with reference to the religion that was founded by Mani (or Manichaios, that is Mani ‘the living’ as the original Syriac was transmitted into Greek) in the early Sassanian empire during the third century of the common era» «Manichaean Texts from the Roman Empire, ed. Gardner y Lieu · p. 45».
Quien habla en primera persona se presenta apóstol y se dice nacido del Padre de la Verdad: el exordio del Cologne Mani-Codex reza «I, Mani, the apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, the Father of Truth, from whom I was born» «Manichaean Texts from the Roman Empire, ed. Gardner y Lieu · p. 94», y el primer kephalaion remite todo su saber a una sola fuente, «This is how everything that has happened 20 and that will happen was unveiled to me by the Paraclete» «Manichaean Texts from the Roman Empire, ed. Gardner y Lieu · p. 137» —la cifra intercalada es la numeración de líneas del impreso—.
Lo que esa revelación enseña se resume en una fórmula que los propios textos repiten: «Mani’s teaching was summarised by the catchphrase, that ‘of the two principles and the three times (or moments)’» «Manichaean Texts from the Roman Empire, ed. Gardner y Lieu · p. 57», y el salmo que la comunidad canta la dice en su propia voz: «When the Holy Spirit came he revealed to us the way of truth and taught us that there are two 10 natures, that of light and that of darkness, separate one from the other from the beginning» «Manichaean Texts from the Roman Empire, ed. Gardner y Lieu · p. 268». La historia que de ahí sale empieza con el rescate del Primer Hombre —«The first: He brought the First Man up from the contest, the way 25 a pearl is brought up from the sea» «Manichaean Texts from the Roman Empire, ed. Gardner y Lieu · p. 307»— y termina en la Estatua Final: «For, when all the light will be purified and redeemed in the universe at the last, the collector of all things, the Last Statue, will gather in and sculpt itself» «Manichaean Texts from the Roman Empire, ed. Gardner y Lieu · p. 68». Frente a esa esperanza los textos ponen una advertencia igual de escueta: «These are the two deaths. The first death is temporal; but the second death is eternal. It is the 20 second death!» «Manichaean Texts from the Roman Empire, ed. Gardner y Lieu · p. 307».
Al Padre de la Grandeza los textos lo llaman por el nombre de la relación misma: «Love is the Father of Greatness, who dwells in his glorious land. The entirety of the divine has been revealed therein! These two are a single living body, the Father and his love» «Manichaean Texts from the Roman Empire, ed. Gardner y Lieu · p. 370».
La comunidad que se reconoce en esos textos se llama iglesia y se sabe elegida: «I have chosen you, the good election, the holy church that I was sent to from the Father» «Manichaean Texts from the Roman Empire, ed. Gardner y Lieu · p. 46». Se organiza en dos grados y no en uno, y así lo consignan desde fuera y desde dentro: «For they would have their church consist of those two classes, elect and auditors» «Manichaean Texts from the Roman Empire, ed. Gardner y Lieu · p. 73». Al primero le toca la regla estricta —«Know and understand that the first righteousness a person will do to make truly righteous is this: he can embrace continence and purity» «Manichaean Texts from the Roman Empire, ed. Gardner y Lieu · p. 341»—; al segundo, un trío de obras practicables sin dejar el mundo: «The first work of the catechumenate that he 30 does is fasting, prayer, and alms-giving. Now, the fasting by which he can fast is this: he can fast on the lord’s day and rest from the deeds of the world» «Manichaean Texts from the Roman Empire, ed. Gardner y Lieu · p. 342», con la oración dirigida a las dos lumbreras, «he can pray to the sun and the moon, the great light-givers» «Manichaean Texts from the Roman Empire, ed. Gardner y Lieu · p. 342».
La razón por la que esa iglesia se tiene por distinta de las anteriores la dicen sus propios libros en una lista de diez puntos que el corpus conserva en dos lenguas. En el fragmento persa medio: «This religion which was chosen by me is in ten things above and better than the other religions of the ancients» «Manichaean Texts from the Roman Empire, ed. Gardner y Lieu · p. 184». En el kephalaion copto: «The church that I have 30 chosen is superior in ten aspects over the first churches» «Manichaean Texts from the Roman Empire, ed. Gardner y Lieu · p. 387». La primera ventaja es la misma en las dos versiones, y es geográfica y lingüística antes que doctrinal: «Firstly: The older religions were in one country and one language; but my religion is of the kind that it will be manifest in every country and in all languages, and it will be taught in far away countries» «Manichaean Texts from the Roman Empire, ed. Gardner y Lieu · p. 184»; «However, my hope, mine: It is provided for it to go to the west and also for it to go to the east; and in every language they hear the voice of its proclamation, and it is proclaimed in all cities» «Manichaean Texts from the Roman Empire, ed. Gardner y Lieu · p. 387». La segunda razón que se adjudica es la permanencia por escrito y por jerarquía: «However, my religion will remain firm through the living ( . . . tea)chers, the bishops, the elect and the hearers; and of wisdom and works will stay on until the end» «Manichaean Texts from the Roman Empire, ed. Gardner y Lieu · p. 184».
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Obras adscritas
cada adscripción se consigna en la ficha de su obraQué dicen de ella las obras
cómo la define cada obra, con su pasajeChittick — The Sufi Path of Knowledge (1989)
Manichaean Texts from the Roman Empire, ed. Gardner y Lieu
Escrituras de Nag Hammadi, ed. Meyer 2007
El Umbral de la Consciencia (2026, en curso)
Afirmaciones
29 entradas«The term ‘Manichaean’ is here used in its primary sense, with reference to the religion that was founded by Mani (or Manichaios, that is Mani ‘the living’ as the original Syriac was transmitted into Greek) in the early Sassanian empire during the third century of the common era» — el nombre de la tradición y el de su fundador se dicen en el mismo acto, con la lectura del nombre siríaco como Mani el viviente.
«I, Mani, the apostle of Jesus Christ through the will of God, the Father of Truth, from whom I was born.» — el exordio del Cologne Mani-Codex, con que la tradición se abre en primera persona.
«This is how everything that has happened 20 and that will happen was unveiled to me by the Paraclete;» — la fuente única que Mani reclama para su saber; la cifra intercalada es la numeración de líneas del impreso.
«I have become a single body, with a single Spirit! ( Keph. 15: 23–24)» — la unión con el Paráclito por la que Mani mismo pasa a ser llamado así; el espacio dentro del paréntesis es de la capa de texto.
«Mani’s teaching was summarised by the catchphrase, that ‘of the two principles and the three times (or moments)’. The two principles are those of light and darkness: whose realms in the beginning are separate, the dark unknowing of the light; then during the middle are in part mingled, the reality of this present universe; but at the end will be the triumph and eternal victory of life and light over death.» — la fórmula con que la propia tradición se resume, dos principios y tres tiempos.
«When the Holy Spirit came he revealed to us the way of truth and taught us that there are two 10 natures, that of light and that of darkness, separate one from the other from the beginning.» — el salmo 223 canta la misma doctrina en voz de la comunidad reunida; las cifras intercaladas son la numeración de líneas del impreso.
«The kingdom of light, on the one hand consisted in five greatnesses, and they are the Father and his twelve aeons and the aeons of the aeons, the living air, 15 the land of light; the Great Spirit breathing in them, nourishing them with its light.» — las cinco grandezas del reino de la luz según el mismo salmo; las cifras intercaladas son la numeración de líneas del impreso.
«However, the kingdom of darkness consists of five storehouses, which are smoke and fire and wind and water and darkness; their counsel 20 creeping in them, moving them and raising them to make war with one another.» — los cinco almacenes del reino contrario, en guerra unos con otros; las cifras intercaladas son la numeración de líneas del impreso.
«The first: He brought the First Man up from the contest, the way 25 a pearl is brought up from the sea.» — la primera de las siete obras del Espíritu Viviente, con el símil de la perla; la cifra intercalada es la numeración de líneas del impreso.
«For, when all the light will be purified and redeemed in the universe at the last, the collector of all things, the Last Statue, will gather in and sculpt itself.» — el término de la historia según los Kephalaia, la Última Estatua que reúne y esculpe en sí toda la luz.
«These are the two deaths. The first death is temporal; but the second death is eternal. It is the 20 second death!» — la advertencia con que el kephalaion 39 cierra la esperanza; la cifra intercalada es la numeración de líneas del impreso.
«Love is the Father of Greatness, who dwells in his glorious land. The entirety of the divine has been revealed therein! These two are a single living body, the Father and his love;» — el kephalaion 63 nombra al Padre por el amor y los declara un solo cuerpo viviente.
«I have chosen you, the good election, the holy church that I was sent to from the Father.» — la comunidad se dice elegida y enviada desde el Padre.
«For they would have their church consist of those two classes, elect and auditors.» — los dos grados de la iglesia, dichos aquí por Agustín en de haeresibus y confirmados por los textos propios.
«Know and understand that the first righteousness a person will do to make truly righteous is this: he can embrace continence and purity.» — la primera justicia que el kephalaion 80 impone a los Elegidos.
«And he can also acquire “the rest 10 of the hands”, so that he will keep his hand still before the Cross of Light.» — el reposo de las manos, definido como quietud ante la Cruz de Luz; la cifra intercalada es la numeración de líneas del impreso.
«The third is purity of the mouth, so that he will keep his mouth pure of all flesh and blood; and not take any taste at all of the “wine” name, nor fermented drink.» — la pureza de la boca, tercera parte de la misma regla.
«The first work of the catechumenate that he 30 does is fasting, prayer, and alms-giving. Now, the fasting by which he can fast is this: he can fast on the lord’s day and rest from the deeds of the world.» — la regla practicable de los Oyentes, con el ayuno del domingo; la cifra intercalada es la numeración de líneas del impreso.
«he can pray to the sun and the moon, the great light-givers.» — la dirección de la oración maniquea, hacia las dos lumbreras.
«This religion which was chosen by me is in ten things above and better than the other religions of the ancients.» — la fórmula de las diez ventajas en el fragmento persa medio del Shabuhragan.
«The church that I have 30 chosen is superior in ten aspects over the first churches.» — la misma fórmula en el kephalaion copto 151; las dos versiones se conservan sin armonizar.
«Firstly: The older religions were in one country and one language; but my religion is of the kind that it will be manifest in every country and in all languages, and it will be taught in far away countries.» — la primera ventaja, universalidad de lengua y de país.
«However, my hope, mine: It is provided for it to go to the west and also for it to go to the east; and in every language they hear the voice of its proclamation, and it is proclaimed in all cities.» — la misma ventaja en la versión copta, con la esperanza que va a oriente y a occidente.
«However, my religion will remain firm through the living ( . . . tea)chers, the bishops, the elect and the hearers; and of wisdom and works will stay on until the end.» — la segunda ventaja, permanencia por la jerarquía viva de maestros, obispos, Elegidos y Oyentes.
«Fourthly: This revelation (of mine) of the two principles and my living books, my wisdom and knowledge are above and better than those of the previous religions.» — la cuarta ventaja, que pone los libros vivos por encima de los de las religiones anteriores.
«Indeed, all the (apostles), my brethren who came prior to me: (They did not write) their wisdom in books the way that I, I have written it. (Nor) did they depict their wisdom in the Picture(-Book) the way (that I, I have) depicted it.» — la razón que la tradición da a sus escrituras y a su Libro de las Imágenes: los apóstoles anteriores no escribieron ni pintaron.
«Understand, o my beloved ones: All the apostles 25 who are on occasion sent to the world resemble farmers;» — la imagen con que el primer kephalaion ordena la cadena de apóstoles en que la tradición se inscribe; la cifra intercalada es la numeración de líneas del impreso.
«There is not any time the tree is bare of fruit! Rather, instead, those about to ripen as they pick them shall propagate other ones there.» — la consecuencia de esa imagen: ninguna generación queda sin salvación.
«These five mysteries 20 and these five signs came about first in the divine. They were proclaimed in this world by an apostle.» — los cinco signos del trato entre los fieles —la paz, la diestra, el beso, la salutación y la imposición de manos— dichos como repetición de arquetipos divinos; la cifra intercalada es la numeración de líneas del impreso.