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Manichaeism (/ ˌ m æ n ɪ ˈ k iː ɪ z əm /; [4] in Persian: آئین مانی Āʾīn-ī Mānī; Chinese: 摩尼教; pinyin: Móníjiào) is a former major world religion, [5] founded in the 3rd century CE by the Parthian [6] prophet Mani (216–274 CE), in the Sasanian Empire. [7]
Zoroastrianism is often compared with Manichaeism. Nominally an Iranian religion, Manichaeism was heavily inspired by Zoroastrianism [citation needed] because of Mani's Iranian origin, and it was also rooted in prior Middle-Eastern Gnostic beliefs. [216] [223] [217] Manichaeism adopted many of the Yazatas for its own pantheon.
The "three Persian religions" include: Zoroastrianism (xiān-jiào 祆教); The Christian Church of the East (jǐng-jiào 景教); Manichaeism (míng-jiào 明教); Zoroastrianism was first introduced to China during the early Northern and Southern dynasties period, while Christianity and Manichaeism were both introduced to the Central Plains during the Tang dynasty.
Shapur was not converted to Manichaeism and remained Zoroastrian, but he favored Mani's teachings, which mixed Christianity, Buddhism and Zoroastrianism, and took him into his court. [9] [29] Mani is said to have performed miracles, including levitation, teleporting and healing, which helped him to gain converts in the Iranian elite. [30]
Angra Mainyu (/ ˈ æ ŋ r ə ˈ m aɪ nj uː /; Avestan: 𐬀𐬢𐬭𐬀⸱𐬨𐬀𐬌𐬥𐬌𐬌𐬎, romanized: Aŋra Ma i niiu) is the Avestan name of Zoroastrianism's hypostasis of the "destructive/evil spirit" and the main adversary in Zoroastrianism either of the Spenta Mainyu, the "holy/creative spirits/mentality", or directly of Ahura Mazda, the highest deity of Zoroastrianism.
The adaptation of Manichaeism to the Zoroastrian religion appears to have begun in Mani's lifetime however, with his writing of the Middle Persian Shabuhragan, his book dedicated to the Sasanian emperor, Shapur I. [8] In it, there are mentions of Zoroastrian divinities such as Ahura Mazda, Angra Mainyu, and Āz.
In Zoroastrian scripture, Mithra is distinct from the divinity of the Sun, Hvare-khshaeta (literally "Radiant Sun", from which the Middle Persian word Khorshed for the Sun). However, in Zoroastrian tradition, Mithra evolved from being an all-seeing figure (hence vaguely associated with the Sun) into a divinity co-identified with the Sun itself ...
Mazdak was the chief representative of a religious and philosophical teaching called Mazdakism, which he viewed as a reformed and purified version of Zoroastrianism, [1] [2] although his teaching has been argued to display influences from Manichaeism, the Carpocratians, and Plato's Republic as well.