Moni Guangfo


Moni Guangfo is one of the longest and most important Xiapu Manichaean manuscripts. The manuscript contains 83 pages, 659 lines, and over 8,300 Chinese characters in total. The text was discovered by Chinese researchers in 2009 and belongs to Chen Peisheng 陈培生, a priest or ritual master in Shangwan Village 上万村, Baiyang Township, Xiapu County, Fujian Province, China.
Although the manuscript was likely transcribed a few hundred years ago, its contents date back to around the 9th–11th centuries. Moni Guangfo contains many Middle Iranian words transcribed using Chinese characters.

Contents

The Moni Guangfo manuscript contains 83 pages, 659 lines, and over 8,300 Chinese characters. There are 82 pages of text, since the 83rd page is blank. An summary and outline of the text can be found in Ma & Wang. Chapters in Moni guangfo 《摩尼光佛》 are:
  1. Xiasheng zan 《下生贊》
  2. Jisi zhou 《吉斯咒》
  3. Tianwang zan 《天王贊》
  4. Chengyang libai dasheng, shizun 《稱揚禮拜大聖，世尊》
  5. Qiqing zhufa zhong 《啟請諸法眾》
  6. Kaitan zan 《開壇贊》
  7. Gongjing shifang changzhu sanbao 《恭敬十方常住三寶》
  8. San guiyi 《三皈依》
  9. Yi fo jianxiu, ru fa zhufen xiu 《依佛漸修，如法炷焚修》
  10. Daxiang zan 《大香贊》
  11. Dui tudi zan 《対土地贊》
  12. Wuleizi 《隨案唱五雷子》
  13. Xieshi zuo xinli 《歇時做信禮》
  14. Liantai 《隨案唱蓮台》
  15. Wu fo ji 《五佛記》
  16. Xin mingjie 《新明界》
A more detailed outline of Moni Guangfo is given below.
;Part 1: Rituals for Good Fortune
  • First Period
  • *Inviting Buddhas : Nārāyaṇa, Zoroaster, Śākyamuni, Jesus, and Mani
  • *Venerating the Triratna : Buddha, the Dharma, and the Saṅgha
  • *Incense Offering Praise
  • *Inviting Buddhas : Raphael, Michael, Gabriel, Sariel, and Jacob
  • *Praising the King of Heavens
  • *Praise to Land's Gods : contains six hymns
  • **1st piece: Middle Iranian mantra
  • **2nd piece: Chinese piece
  • **3rd piece: Middle Iranian mantra
  • **4th piece: Chinese piece
  • **5th piece: Middle Iranian mantra
  • **6th piece: mixed Middle Iranian and Chinese piece
  • Second Period
  • *Inviting Buddhas
  • **Inviting Moluo 默羅
  • **Inviting Yishu 夷數
  • **Inviting Jinni lushen 謹你嚧詵
  • **Inviting Moni 摩尼
  • **Inviting Sun and Moon Buddhas of Light
  • **Inviting Lushena 盧舍那
  • **Inviting Venerable Buddha Who Upholds the World
  • **Inviting Four Great Venerable Buddhas : Nārāyaṇa, Zoroaster, Śākyamuni, and Jesus
  • **Inviting the Jade Emperor
  • **Inviting various great Bodhisattvas
  • **Inviting all past and future Buddhas
  • **Gatha to finish the invitation of the Buddhas
  • *Worshipping Buddhas : Lightning King, Jesus, and the Long Life Nectar King
  • *Reading the Scriptures and Reading Goddess Incantation
  • Third and Fourth Periods
  • *First Purification of the Altar
  • *Inviting Buddhas
  • *Penitential Mysterious Prayer
  • Reading Prayer, Praise to the Envoys of Light
  • *Farewell Ritual for the Buddhas
;Part 2: Rituals for Funeral
  • Praise of the Descent : incarnation in Suristān
  • Incantation of St. George
  • Worshipping Buddhas
  • Inviting Buddhas : Nārāyaṇa, Zoroaster, Śākyamuni, Jesus, and Mani
  • Worshipping Buddhas : Nārāyaṇa, Zoroaster, Śākyamuni, Jesus, and Mani
  • Purification of Speech : Middle Iranian mantra
  • Inviting Buddhas : Raphael, Michael, Gabriel, Sariel, and other envoys of light.
  • Praise of Preparing the Altar : worshipping and praising the Light-Nous
  • Honoring Universal Permanent Triratna
  • Venerating the Triratna
  • Incense Offering Praise
  • Great Praising Incense Offering
  • Inviting Five Buddhas : Nārāyaṇa, Zoroaster, Śākyamuni, Jesus, and Mani
  • Rest, Performing Worshipping
  • Singing "Lotus Stand"
  • Leading the Deceased Souls to the Right Path
  • *Ascending the Precious Palace
  • *Ascending the Glory Palace
  • *Ascending the Moon Palace
  • *Ascending the Sun Palace
  • *Ascending Eternal Light
  • *Ascending the Three Constancies : the Father of Greatness, Jesus, and the Light-Nous
  • Worshipping the Five Buddhas : Mani, Nārāyaṇa, Zoroaster, Śākyamuni, and Jesus
  • Praise to Five Pleasures : wisdom, light, power, purity, and obeying the Buddha's teaching
  • Gatha of the New Light-World

Pantheon

The Manichaean pantheon names in Moni Guangfo are quite similar to, but not identical to, the names used in the Dunhuang Manichaean texts. They include:
  • Merciful Mother = Cimu 慈母 ‘Merciful Mother’
  • Primal Man = Xianyi 先意 ‘Primal Thought’
  • Manichaean pair of Call and Answer = Guanyin 觀音 and Shizhi 勢至
  • Virgin of Light = Dianguang 電光 ‘Lightning’; Dianguang wangfo 電光王佛 ‘Royal Buddha of Lightning’; shentong Dianguang wang 神通電光王 ‘Lightning sovereign with supernatural powers’
  • Living Spirit = Riguang Jingfeng 日光淨風 ‘Sunshine Pure Wind’
  • Rex Honoris = Shitian wang 十天王 ‘King of the Ten Firmaments’
  • Splendor, Splenditenens = Chishi zunfo 持世尊佛 ‘World-Holder Honorable Buddha’
  • Light-Nous = Weimiao shanxin wang 微妙善心王 ‘King of Subtle and Wonderful, Beneficent Mind’; Weimiao Da Huiming 微妙大惠明 ‘Subtle and Wonderful Great Wisdom Light’; Weimiao Jingfafeng 微妙淨法風 ‘Subtle and Wonderful Pure Law Wind’
  • Jesus = Yishu 夷數
  • Column of Glory = Jin'gang xiangzhu Lushena fo 金剛相柱 盧舍那佛 ‘Diamond Column of Glory, Vairocana Buddha’