Guides for the Path of Light
Resources for Elect (ascetics) and Hearers (supporters) planting house fellowships today. Rooted in Mani's teachings: strict ethics for Elect, supportive roles for Hearers.
Daily Practices & Prayers
Elect: 7 daily prayers (dawn, noon, etc.), fasting, vegetarianism. Hearers: 4 prayers, almsgiving to Elect.
- Dawn Prayer: Invocation to the Living Spirit and columns of glory.
- Confession (weekly): "I confess my sins against the light particles in food and action..."
- Meal Ritual: Elect consume alms; hymns sung for ascent of light.
Sample Prayer: "O Father of Greatness, send thy light to free the captive sparks within me. Amen."
Calendar Observances
Monthly fasts (Taqizad), Yimki days, high festival: Bema (commemorates Mani's ascension; throne ritual, hymns, joy—typically spring, post-fast month).
- Bema Festival: Annual celebration of Mani's return; erect symbolic throne, sing psalms.
- Weekly Lord's Day: Fasting, communal meal, hymns.
House Church Planting Guide
- Gather small groups (Hearers support Elect).
- Hold agape meals, study texts, share light.
- Focus: Liberate light through ethics, avoid harm to living beings.