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The MoA Week In Review – (Not Ukraine) OT 2023-232
Last week's post on Moon of Alabama:
> The recurrence of the conflict shows once again that the protracted standstill of the peace process cannot go on. The fundamental way out of the conflict lies in implementing the two-state solution and establishing an independent State of Palestine. <
—
Other issues:
Nazis:
Chinese chips:
> Industry sources told CSIS that U.S. companies were losing revenue not as a direct result of no longer selling to Huawei, but rather because Huawei was replacing U.S. chips with their own self-designed versions.
…
The United States has incurred essentially all of the costs of an aggressive export control policy toward China, but it has done so in a way that does not provide all the potential strategic benefits of actually constraining China’s future technological capabilities. <
Spooks:
Use as open (not Ukraine related) thread …
Today I would like to share a fairly obscure account of cosmogonic creation, or genesis, here with you, the one given by the persian prophet Mani (216-77) who founded a true Weltreligion, one of four (as they say) known to mankind. Unlike the other teachings, the Manichean church was eradicated from the face of the earth, down the last disciple (who were located all the way between Spain and Japan, with their centres mostly along the silk road, today in Uzbekistan) , and all of the original scriptures. Mani himself wrote seven books, of which one was dedicated to his contemporary Bardesanes (of Damascus), an influential scientist at his time – that alone tells you a lot about Manis approach towards his teaching. Mani spoke and wrote aramaic, though he is credited with a reform of persian scripture, among other inventions. One of his books contained only illustrations (made by himself), and he carried this one on him at all times, using it in conversations and showing it to the illiterate. He had a fairly good working relation with Shapur I., the first of the Sassanids (225ff), but eventually the older Zoroastrian state religion was favoured, and Mani died in prison after being convicted for plotting to “dissolve the universe”. As we shall see, that verdict is true.
I realize this is going to be lengthy, but there is really not much of a choice in presenting this subject. One of the reasons for this is current state of scientific reconstruction of the teachings, made possible about 100 years ago when remnants of scripture were found at the rim of the Gobi desert next to the cracked skulls of the last surviving believers, whose traces are lost about 1200AD. Later more scriptures were discovered, at Nag Hamadi and, curiously, in a Köln (Cologne)library. None of them were writings by Mani himself, and the whole field is thusly skewed towards the views of opponents, among them one Augustinus, who had actually been a Manichean himself before working for roman christianity. I have to admit that I do not trust him, and shall give evidence by pointing out the famous, yet in fact sophistic trickster-style argument in favour for a “just war”, where the war has already broken out according to the premise.
Such shenanigans are irritatingly common in the literature on Manichaeism, which is suspect. The more solid scientic works are generally linguistic or historical in nature, while no reearcher of note in all of academy tries to understand the emrging body of the teachings at face value, i.e. philosophically, or (more specific) theologically. Full disclaimer: I have been closely working with a guy who really dug into the whole affair, spending many years learning everything about it that he could, including study of aramaic and middle persian language at our local university. We met many of the more influential academics there over time, and gradually he became the best of themn, at least within the german-speaking field. He doesn’t publish, though. My own understanding is based on what was gathered in the many conversations with him, while we were trying to shape our conceptions together; with some success as it seems, made possible in large part because we could rely on Edmund Husserls phenomenology (a most radical and stringent philosophy that has an unhappy history, on which I expanded during the Heidegger debate earlier this year at MoA).
But now on to the meat of it.
Manis narration is that of a “universe” of three times, happening in succession. At first, there is a realm of pure light, where god is basically throwing a party with his guests, created in his own image, but also (technically) unmade, as we simply cannot constitute our existence as other than being many, i.e. among others. The party escalated, and the befuddled Sophia somehow managed to fall into a formless, absolute non-thing (Ungestalt/aoristos dyas), devoid of any light [possibly = nous], the single god-quality that there is, think sentience, mind, awareness, consciousness, and perhaps Buddha-Nature.
Catastrophe ensues. The original darkness, hitherto unknown in the realm of light, suddenly appears, already intermingled with light, and thus now capable of noesis (awareness) itself. The Ungestalt longs for the light that was previously unknown to them, and it tries to gain possession over it. – This idea is a more abstract successor to the classical dualist persian theology, where Ahriman (“angry mind”) and Ahura Mazda slug it out between them. The concept allows resolving of the problem of the evil in this world, something that monotheist thought isn’t capable of [Leibniz’ Theodizee].
So in the “second time” there is an intermingling of darkness and light, in a confined zone we may term the cosmos, itself being included (a part of) something larger, the realm of light that transcends cosmos as a meta-cosmos, where, as I assume, the party is still in full motion. But god and his friends do miss us, just as we are missing them, and whole business of time is about the process of separation of darkness and light. Apparently, we have volunteered to go into zone of the catastrophe to remediate the situation by throwing us against and into the Ungestalt, which reduces our noetic cohesion – basically smashing us into loosely connected dots, confined to or even trappped in our bodies within time and space, and making us forgetful (अविद्या) about our true origin, our mission down here, and our Buddha-Nature.
The good news is that, in the end, we will get ot of here. Mani even gives a number 8just short of 1,500) years until the process of separation, akin to a destillation (and evidently the metaphorical deeper meaning behind the handshake gesture), is complete. The cosmos then has turned into a cold and dark ball, and is discarded into a prepared ditch. At this point, darkness has been banned for good, and the festivity resumes in full splendour. We are to be given medals of commendation for our pains, Mani promised. And that’s it, then.
How did he know? He says that he was approached by his “heavenly twin” (even god has one, and it’s Thomas) with the task to convey the full picture, after earlier attempts by other prophets failed to do so. Mani recognizes them, and claims to be promised by Jesus return of, well, Jesus I guess; not being sure here. Another lead into this kind of experience might – I stress that it is a speculation – be related to the effects of the halucinogenic substance DMT, which Mani had (in principle) access to. There’s also an anecdote where our prophet visits an oligarch, who brags to him with his gardens, asking him if the gardens of light are of the same beauty. Mani responds by offering him a drink, to good effect and satisfaction of the oligarch, who reportedly retains a lasting and favorable memoir of the experience.
Posted by: persiflo | Oct 8 2023 22:33 utc | 45
Today I would like to share a fairly obscure account of cosmogonic creation, or genesis, here with you, the one given by the persian prophet Mani (216-77) who founded a true Weltreligion, one of four (as they say) known to mankind. Unlike the other teachings, the Manichean church was eradicated from the face of the earth, down the last disciple (who were located all the way between Spain and Japan, with their centres mostly along the silk road, today in Uzbekistan) , and all of the original scriptures. Mani himself wrote seven books, of which one was dedicated to his contemporary Bardesanes (of Damascus), an influential scientist at his time – that alone tells you a lot about Manis approach towards his teaching. Mani spoke and wrote aramaic, though he is credited with a reform of persian scripture, among other inventions. One of his books contained only illustrations (made by himself), and he carried this one on him at all times, using it in conversations and showing it to the illiterate. He had a fairly good working relation with Shapur I., the first of the Sassanids (225ff), but eventually the older Zoroastrian state religion was favoured, and Mani died in prison after being convicted for plotting to “dissolve the universe”. As we shall see, that verdict is true.
I realize this is going to be lengthy, but there is really not much of a choice in presenting this subject. One of the reasons for this is current state of scientific reconstruction of the teachings, made possible about 100 years ago when remnants of scripture were found at the rim of the Gobi desert next to the cracked skulls of the last surviving believers, whose traces are lost about 1200AD. Later more scriptures were discovered, at Nag Hamadi and, curiously, in a Köln (Cologne)library. None of them were writings by Mani himself, and the whole field is thusly skewed towards the views of opponents, among them one Augustinus, who had actually been a Manichean himself before working for roman christianity. I have to admit that I do not trust him, and shall give evidence by pointing out the famous, yet in fact sophistic trickster-style argument in favour for a “just war”, where the war has already broken out according to the premise.
Such shenanigans are irritatingly common in the literature on Manichaeism, which is suspect. The more solid scientic works are generally linguistic or historical in nature, while no reearcher of note in all of academy tries to understand the emrging body of the teachings at face value, i.e. philosophically, or (more specific) theologically. Full disclaimer: I have been closely working with a guy who really dug into the whole affair, spending many years learning everything about it that he could, including study of aramaic and middle persian language at our local university. We met many of the more influential academics there over time, and gradually he became the best of themn, at least within the german-speaking field. He doesn’t publish, though. My own understanding is based on what was gathered in the many conversations with him, while we were trying to shape our conceptions together; with some success as it seems, made possible in large part because we could rely on Edmund Husserls phenomenology (a most radical and stringent philosophy that has an unhappy history, on which I expanded during the Heidegger debate earlier this year at MoA).
But now on to the meat of it.
Manis narration is that of a “universe” of three times, happening in succession. At first, there is a realm of pure light, where god is basically throwing a party with his guests, created in his own image, but also (technically) unmade, as we simply cannot constitute our existence as other than being many, i.e. among others. The party escalated, and the befuddled Sophia somehow managed to fall into a formless, absolute non-thing (Ungestalt/aoristos dyas), devoid of any light [possibly = nous], the single god-quality that there is, think sentience, mind, awareness, consciousness, and perhaps Buddha-Nature.
Catastrophe ensues. The original darkness, hitherto unknown in the realm of light, suddenly appears, already intermingled with light, and thus now capable of noesis (awareness) itself. The Ungestalt longs for the light that was previously unknown to them, and it tries to gain possession over it. – This idea is a more abstract successor to the classical dualist persian theology, where Ahriman (“angry mind”) and Ahura Mazda slug it out between them. The concept allows resolving of the problem of the evil in this world, something that monotheist thought isn’t capable of [Leibniz’ Theodizee].
So in the “second time” there is an intermingling of darkness and light, in a confined zone we may term the cosmos, itself being included (a part of) something larger, the realm of light that transcends cosmos as a meta-cosmos, where, as I assume, the party is still in full motion. But god and his friends do miss us, just as we are missing them, and whole business of time is about the process of separation of darkness and light. Apparently, we have volunteered to go into zone of the catastrophe to remediate the situation by throwing us against and into the Ungestalt, which reduces our noetic cohesion – basically smashing us into loosely connected dots, confined to or even trappped in our bodies within time and space, and making us forgetful (अविद्या) about our true origin, our mission down here, and our Buddha-Nature.
The good news is that, in the end, we will get ot of here. Mani even gives a number 8just short of 1,500) years until the process of separation, akin to a destillation (and evidently the metaphorical deeper meaning behind the handshake gesture), is complete. The cosmos then has turned into a cold and dark ball, and is discarded into a prepared ditch. At this point, darkness has been banned for good, and the festivity resumes in full splendour. We are to be given medals of commendation for our pains, Mani promised. And that’s it, then.
How did he know? He says that he was approached by his “heavenly twin” (even god has one, and it’s Thomas) with the task to convey the full picture, after earlier attempts by other prophets failed to do so. Mani recognizes them, and claims to be promised by Jesus return of, well, Jesus I guess; not being sure here. Another lead into this kind of experience might – I stress that it is a speculation – be related to the effects of the halucinogenic substance DMT, which Mani had (in principle) access to. There’s also an anecdote where our prophet visits an oligarch, who brags to him with his gardens, asking him if the gardens of light are of the same beauty. Mani responds by offering him a drink, to good effect and satisfaction of the oligarch, who reportedly retains a lasting and favorable memoir of the experience.
Posted by: persiflo | Oct 8 2023 22:33 utc | 46
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