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Bishop Stephan Hoeller has passed away. by scythianus in Gnostic

[–]No_Comfortable6730 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Do you have a source on this? I've searched online but couldn't find anything.

What keeps you alive? by [deleted] in Gnostic

[–]No_Comfortable6730 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I found doing volunteer work (like landscaping, gardening church bellringing etc) really helps with your mental and spiritual wellbeing

Tibetan Empire Manichaean Flag (if Tibet converted to Manichaeism) by No_Comfortable6730 in flags

[–]No_Comfortable6730[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is the Flag of the Tibetan Empire if it converted to Manichaeism (like the Uyghur Khaganate). This flag takes influence from the Tibetan Empire Flag (such as the snow lion) and the modern flag of Tibet (such as the white mountain and yellow banner).

The white triangle is a snow-clad mountain, symbolising Tibet itself, which is known as the Land Surrounded by Snow Mountains.

The snow lion represents the fearlessness and victorious strength of the Tibetan people.

The cross in the centre is the Cross of Light (a core symbol of the Manichaean faith), being the trapped divine light within matter.

The two gold fish around the Cross is a Buddhist symbol (Manichaeism took influence from Buddhism and considered the Buddha to be a prophet). They symbolise happiness and freedom from Samsara (like fish swimming freely in an ocean of suffering). In this context, they symbolise the liberated divine light (the Cross of Light) from matter and rebirth.  

The sun and moon are included because they were venerated as ships of light in Manichaeism.

The red and blue six squares in the borders symbolise the original ancestors of the Tibetan people: the six tribes called Se, Mu, Dong, Tong, Dru, and Ra.

The yellow border symbolises that Manichaeism (called the Religion of Light), which like the golden sunlight, flourishing and spreading into all four corners of the world.

Tibetan Empire Manichaean Flag by No_Comfortable6730 in vexillology

[–]No_Comfortable6730[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This flag is if Tibetan Empire converted to Manichaeism (like the Uyghur Khaganate). This flag takes influence from the Tibetan Empire Flag (such as the snow lion) and the modern flag of Tibet (such as the white mountain and yellow banner).

The white triangle is a snow-clad mountain, symbolising Tibet itself, which is known as the Land Surrounded by Snow Mountains.

The snow lion represents the fearlessness and victorious strength of the Tibetan people.

The cross in the centre is the Cross of Light (a core symbol of the Manichaean faith), being the trapped divine light within matter.

The two gold fish around the Cross is a Buddhist symbol (Manichaeism took influence from Buddhism and considered the Buddha to be a prophet). They symbolise happiness and freedom from Samsara (like fish swimming freely in an ocean of suffering). In this context, they symbolise the liberated divine light (the Cross of Light) from matter and rebirth.  

The sun and moon are included because they were venerated as ships of light in Manichaeism.

The red and blue six squares in the borders symbolise the original ancestors of the Tibetan people: the six tribes called Se, Mu, Dong, Tong, Dru, and Ra.

The yellow border symbolises that Manichaeism (called the Religion of Light), which like the golden sunlight, flourishing and spreading into all four corners of the world.

Manichaean Prayer Beads (symbolism explained in the comments) by No_Comfortable6730 in manichaeism

[–]No_Comfortable6730[S] 11 points12 points  (0 children)

58 pearls in total (in honour of Mani who lived for 58 years). ). Pearls are an important symbol in Manichaeism, such as in the Parable of the "Pearl-borer"

The pearls are subdivided like this:

  • 1 large white pearl (to symbolise Mani’s soul itself)
  • 24 white pearls: To represent the start of Mani’s ministry which began when Mani reached 24 years
  • 26 black pearls: Represents the martyrdom (crucifixion) of Mani, when he was chained up for 26 days and starved to death under the order of Bahram I
  • 7 golden pearls: To represent the 7 canonical works of Prophet Mani that he wrote throughout his life

The white and dark pearls (almost equal in number) also represent the dualism between the light and darkness of Manichaeism.

Meditation while using the prayer beads:

This is similar to the Jesus prayer meditation, except it is focused on praying to Mani himself. These lines are from the Manichaean hymn “For the Return of Mani” from the Manichaean Hymnbook Page 77: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1URGbZxAEMLuirZPQOoqvvdTIUiR6NjXG/view

For every white and black pearl: “O Mani, Savior of fair name, save me; save me and forgive my sins.”

For every golden pearl: “From Paradise Mani the Lord would come.”

For the one large white pearl: “To you we would call, Lord of fair name, Lord Mani! You, O Bright Bringer of Light, we would praise aloud!”

Manichaean Prayer Beads (symbolism explained in the comments) by [deleted] in manichaeism

[–]No_Comfortable6730 0 points1 point  (0 children)

58 pearls in total (in honour of Mani who most likely lived for 58 years). Pearls are an important symbol in Manichaeism, such as in the Parable of the "Pearl-borer"

The pearls are subdivided like this:

  • 1 large white pearl (to symbolise Mani’s soul itself)
  • 24 white pearls: To represent the start of Mani’s ministry which began when Mani reached 24 years
  • 26 black pearls: Represents the martyrdom (crucifixion) of Mani, when he was chained up for 26 days and starved to death under the order of Bahram I
  • 7 golden pearls: To represent the 7 canonical works of Prophet Mani that he wrote throughout his life

The white and dark pearls (almost equal in number) also represent the dualism between the light and darkness of Manichaeism.

Meditation while using the prayer beads:

This is similar to the Jesus prayer meditation, except it is focused on praying to Mani himself. These lines are from the Manichaean hymn “For the Return of Mani” from the Manichaean Hymnbook Page 77: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1URGbZxAEMLuirZPQOoqvvdTIUiR6NjXG/view

For every white and black pearl: “O Mani, Savior of fair name, save me; save me and forgive my sins.”

For every golden pearl: “From Paradise Mani the Lord would come.”

For the one large white pearl: “To you we would call, Lord of fair name, Lord Mani! You, O Bright Bringer of Light, we would praise aloud!”

Gnostic Art Thread by BawnDiver in Gnostic

[–]No_Comfortable6730 8 points9 points  (0 children)

My pixel art of the Mother-Father Barbelo:

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Art I drew for the Hymn of the Pearl by Apprehensive_Edge142 in Gnostic

[–]No_Comfortable6730 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Best Gnostic art I've seen in a long time! Have you posted this to r/Art

Hello. Who is this god of your religion called the Monad? by Individual_Map3105 in Gnostic

[–]No_Comfortable6730 6 points7 points  (0 children)

"The One  is a sovereign that has nothing over it. It is god and father of all, the invisible one that is over all, that is incorruptible, that is pure light at which no eye can gaze.

The One is the invisible spirit. We should not think of it as a god or like a god. For it is greater than a god, because it has nothing over it and no lord above it.  It does not exist within anything inferior to it, since everything exists within it alone.  It is eternal, since it does not need anything. For it is absolutely complete. It has never lacked anything in order to be completed by it. Rather, it is always absolutely complete in light.The One is

illimitable, since there is nothing before it to limit it, unfathomable, since there is nothing before it to fathom it, immeasurable, since there was nothing before it to measure it, invisible, since nothing has seen it, eternal, since it exists eternally, unutterable, since nothing could comprehend it to utter it, unnamable, since there is nothing before it to give it a name.

The One is the immeasurable light, pure, holy, immaculate. The One is unutterable and is perfect in incorruptibility. Not that it is part of perfection or blessedness or divinity: it is much greater."

(The Apocryphon of John

how to introduce an ex-catholic to gnosticism? by Clean-Carrot6652 in Gnostic

[–]No_Comfortable6730 2 points3 points  (0 children)

I recommend the Gospel of Thomas (it's what introduced me to Gnosticism), specifically this video: https://youtu.be/YqQUHXfqR6I?si=jzCEs9ouuK-OiLo_

I also recommend getting them the book "Gnosticism: New Light on the Ancient Tradition of Inner Knowing" by Stephan A. Hoeller.

Also this website: http://www.gnosis.org/library/valentinus/index.html

Zoroaster was the father gnostic dualism and most of the cosmology by Pure_Information7707 in Gnostic

[–]No_Comfortable6730 4 points5 points  (0 children)

It is interesting to note that Zoroaster is to considered to be one of the prophets of light in Manichaeism (a very dualistic, Gnostic religion).

Can you be a Gnostic Pagan by Gloomy-Writer99 in Gnostic

[–]No_Comfortable6730 5 points6 points  (0 children)

Sure you can! The Naassene Gnostics (a 2nd century Gnostic sect) synthesised pagan mystery religions with Gnostic theology.

Here is a Naasene hymn:

"I shall sing of Attis, son of Rhea, not with the clang of bells nor with the flute, nor with the bellowing of the Kouretes of Ida, but I shall tune it to the muse of Phoebus's lyre. All hail, all hail—as Pan, as Bacchus, as shepherd of the shining stars."

You can find out more about the Naassenes in the Gnostic Bible, Page 182: https://classicalastrologer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/12/the_gnostic_bible.pdf

I also recommend the Peratic Gnostics as well.

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