Chinese Manichaean Hymn Scroll

Chinese Manichaean hymn scroll
Material	paper
Writing	Middle Chinese
Created	Tang Dynasty
Discovered	1907 in Dunhuang Mogao Caves Buddhist scripture cave
Present location	LondonBritish Library
Identification	S.2659

Short description: Manichaean document

Scholars looking at the manuscripts of "Xiang Zhan" (left) and "Mani Light Buddhism Rules" in the British Library.

The Chinese Manichaean hymn scroll is a scroll found by British archaeologist Aurel Stein in the Mogao Grottoes. It contains a series of hymns used in religious ceremonies. It is currently held at the British Library, where it is catalogued as number S.2659.^[1]^[2]

Introduction

The first volume of the manuscript is slightly incomplete, and the content is written in the form of poetry. Among them, there are 1254 sentences of seven-character poems, and a few four-character and five-character poems.^[3] According to Lin Wushu's research, these hymns were translated from a Middle Iranian language, rather than original by the Manicheans.^[1] Many of the contents are dedicated to the Yishu (Jesus), and the hymn to the highest deity of Manichaeism.^[4]

In the 'Praise Jesus' text

After Manichaeism was introduced into China, because the image of Jesus was quite unfamiliar to Chinese culture, missionaries combined it with Buddhist imagery, called Jesus Buddha, and made him a model of great mercy and relief.^[5] Therefore, believers wrote in the following excerpt from the hymn "Praise Jesus Text", which is like a Buddhist scripture in the Chinese Manichaean hymn scroll.

The Buddha-Jesus, who is the most powerful and compassionate person in the world, forgives my sins.

Listen to my painful words and lead me out of the sea of poisonous fire. I wish to give the fragrant water of liberation, the twelve jeweled crowns and the drapes. To cleanse me from the dust of my wonderful nature, and to adorn my pure body to make it upright. May I be rid of the three winters and three poisonous knots, and the six thieves and six poisonous winds. Let the great dharma spring glorify my nature, and let the trees of nature and flowers flourish. May the great waves of fire and the dark clouds and fogs be quenched. Let the great dharma day shine brightly, so that my mind may always be pure. May I be relieved of the disease of dumbness and blindness, and of the monsters and devils. Send down the great Dharma medicine for speedy healing, and silence the divine incantation to drive away the spirits. I have been subjected to so many obstacles and countless other hardships. In view of this, the great sage should forgive me and save me from all the disasters.

May Jesus have mercy on me and free me from all demonic bonds.

References

↑ ^1.0 ^1.1 林世田 (2011). "國家圖書館藏《摩尼敎經》的文獻價値" (in zh-Hans). http://www.nlc.cn/newhxjy/wjsy/zg/zgdq/201104/P020110427449213607392.pdf.
↑ Sims-Williams, Ursula (2013-09-23). "Some Syriac Manichean Treasures in the British Library" (in en). https://blogs.bl.uk/asian-and-african/2013/09/some-syriac-manichean-treasures-in-the-british-library.html.
↑ "唐寫本《摩尼敎經》" (in zh-Hans). 2011. http://www.nlc.cn/newhxjy/wjsy/wjls/wjqcsy/wj33/zpjj/201107/P020110708550478219960.pdf.
↑ 王媛媛 (2017-07-31). "唐代漢文摩尼敎資料所見之「法王」" (in zh-Hans). http://www.nxkg.org.cn/index.php?m=content&c=index&a=show&catid=15&id=248. Retrieved 2020-05-24.
↑ Gong, Fangzhen (2012-08-01) (in zh). 融合四方文化的智慧. 新潮社文化出版. ISBN 978-986-316-114-1. https://books.google.com/books?id=YUc8DwAAQBAJ&dq=廣惠莊嚴夷數佛&pg=PT102.