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The Story of the Death of Mani
T he various descriptions of Mani’s last days and death range from the one here, which says nothing of Mani’s suffering and emphasizes his disciplined calm and salvation, to others that speak of his torture and martyrdom. While Mani had enjoyed support from the Persian king Shapur I, with the advent of Bahram I his fate changed. The Zoroastrian magi were eager to consolidate their national religion and to halt the spread of Manichaeism and Christianity. The high priest Karder, who appears in the text, may have engineered Mani’s imprisonment and death. After the unfortunate audience with the king, Mani was fettered and taken away in chains. While in his cell, he was apparently able to speak to his close followers, and during these days he designated his twelve messengers and seventy-two bishops, who would form the clerical structure of his church. The story of his execution parallels the story of the death of Jesus in the New Testament gospels, including the Gospel of John. In John 17, the so-called high priestly prayer, Jesus discusses with god his accomplishments on earth, even as Mani does in his prayer to Ohrmizd, below.
By some accounts Mani died by fasting and mortification and “at eleven o’clock ascended out of his body to the great sanctuary on high.” Other documents say the messenger of light was flayed alive or was crucified. A song from the Coptic Manichaean Songbook has the king ordering a burning torch thrust through Mani’s body to insure that he is dead; he then orders the body cut up and the head set on a pike high over the city gate. This burning torch may be compared to the spear jabbed into Jesus’ side to guarantee his expiration according to the Gospel of John.
THE STORY OF THE DEATH OF MANI 1
BAHRAM I AND MANI
Mani came to the audience of Bahram I, after the king had summoned me—Nuhzadag the interpreter—and Kushtai the scribe, and Abzakhya the Persian. The king was at the dinner table and had not yet washed his hands nor finished his meal.
The courtiers entered and said, “Mani has come and is standing at the door.”
The king sent the lord the message, “Wait awhile until I can come to you myself.”
Then the lord again sat down to one side of the guard and waited there until the king had finished his meal, when he was to have gone hunting.
The king stood up after his meal. After putting one arm around the queen of the Sakas and the other around Karder, 2 son of Ardavan, he came to the lord. His first words to the lord were, “You are not welcome here.”
“Why? What wrong have I done?” replied the lord.
“I have sworn an oath not to let you come to this land!” And then he angrily told the lord, “What good are you? You don’t fight or go hunting. Perhaps you are needed for doctoring and healing, but you don’t even do that!”
Then the lord told him, “I have done you no evil. I have always done good in tending you and your family. And I have freed a multitude of your servants from demons and witches. And I caused many to rise from their sicknesses. I have held down the fever of many. And many who died I brought back to life. ”
MANI’S SPIRITUAL VOYAGE TO THE FATHER IN THE SKY
Like a sovereign who removes and lays his weapons aside
and also his clothes and puts on another royal garment,
so the messenger of light laid aside the warlike dress of the body
and took his seat in a ship of light, 3
where he received the divine garment, the diadem of light,
and the beautiful garland.
Then in great joy he flew with the light gods
who were on his right and on his left,
with the music of the harp and songs of happiness.
He flew because of holy miraculous power
like swift lightning and a star darting to the column of glory, 4
the path of the light, and the moon chariot 5
where the gods meet.
And there he remained with god, Ohrmizd the father. 6
Yet below him, Mani had left the whole flock
of the just-orphaned and sad.
PRAYER TO OHRMIZD
The ever powerful one stood in prayer, imploring the father with praise: 7
I have cleaned the earth and spread the seed
and the fruit full of life I have brought you.
I have built a palace and a quiet monastery
for your spirit.
And the holy spirit I sowed in a green flower garden
and brought you a delightful garland.
Brilliant trees I made fruitful
and showed the road leading to the sons high in the air.
I entirely fulfilled your holy commands
and for them I was sent into the world.
Take me now into the peace of salvation
where I will no longer glance at the figures of enemies,
nor hear the voice of tyrants.
For the time of this birth,
unlike my earlier ones,
affords me the garland of victory.
THE EARTH TREMBLES AS HE ENTERS NIRVANA
On the fourth of the month of Shahrevar, on Monday at the eleventh hour, when he had prayed, Mani shed the wonted garment of the body.
Like the swift lightning he gleamed
brighter than the light of the sun, the chariot glittered,
and the messengers spoke and greeted the just god.
The sides of the house of the sky broke.
The earth trembled. A mighty voice was heard,
and people who saw this sign were confused
and fell on their faces. 8
It was a day of pain and a time of sorrow
when the messenger of light entered death,
when he entered the complete nirvana . 9
COMMANDS FROM THE CHARIOT OF WATER
He left behind the leaders guarding the church. Mani the noble prince has fulfilled his promise, telling us,
For you I shall wait above in the chariot of water,
on the moon, my resting place until the world is saved,
and always send down help to you.
Whoever strikes you, do not strike back.
Whoever hates you, do not hate back.
Whoever envies you, do not envy again.
Whoever strikes you with anger, always return him kindness,
and what you deplore in others do not yourself do. 10
No, you must endure insults and abuses
from those of higher station, from equals and those below,
because you who are devout and endure will not waver.
If someone throws flowers against an elephant,
these flowers cannot smash an elephant.
If raindrops fall on a stone,
these raindrops cannot melt the stone.
So insults and abuses can in no way make the devout
and of good endurance waver.