| Siddartha Gautama (釋迦文佛) | |
|---|---|
 The Buddha in the Manichaean Diagram of the Universe | |
| Predecessor | Zarathustra |
| Successor | Jesus (夷數) |
| Ethnic group | Magadhi Prakrit |
In Manichaeism, Siddartha Gautama is considered one of the four prophets of the faith, along with Zoroaster, Jesus and Mani.[1] Mani believed that the teachings of Gautama Buddha, Zoroaster, and Jesus were incomplete, and that his revelations were for the entire world, calling his teachings the "Religion of Light".[2]
Manichaeism also often calls Jesus a Buddha[3] This is because the term prophet was unfamiliar to a Chinese audience so Buddha was used as a substitute. It does not imply a belief in enlightenment.[3]
Manichaeism was introduced into China during the Tang dynasty through Central Asian communities[4] and was regarded as an improper form of Buddhism by the Tang authorities.
- ^ Gulácsi, Zsuzsanna (2015). Mani's Pictures: The Didactic Images of the Manichaeans from Sasanian Mesopotamia to Uygur Central Asia and Tang-Ming China (PDF). Nag Hammadi and Manichaean Studies. Vol. 90. Leiden: Brill. ISBN 978-90-04-30894-7.
- ^ John Kevin Coyle (15 September 2009). Manichaeism and Its Legacy. BRILL. pp. 13–. ISBN 978-90-04-17574-7. Retrieved 27 August 2012.
- ^ a b Gong, Fangzhen (2012-08-01). 融合四方文化的智慧 (in Chinese). 新潮社文化出版. ISBN 978-986-316-114-1.
- ^ Ma & Meng (2011), p. 55–56.