Bema (English spelling)

…The organization of the religious order is thought to have been modeled on that of Buddhism, and was composed of two types of believers: the righteous and chosen ones, or ardavān, who were equivalent to monks, and the lay ones, or niyōshagān. The former were required to abstain from eating meat and harming animals and plants, to abstain completely from food, to fast two days a week, and to fast for a month before the Bēma festival (the largest festival celebrating Mani's martyrdom and ascension to heaven), which is thought to be the precursor of the Islamic fasting month. Mani was favored by Shapur I of the Sassanid Empire and carried out energetic missionary activities that reached India, but was martyred by the religious policy change of the successor king, Warafran I. …

*Some of the terminology that mentions "Bēma" is listed below.

Source | Heibonsha World Encyclopedia 2nd Edition | Information

…教団組織は仏教のそれにならったと推測され，出家に相当する〈義者･選ばれた者ardavān〉と俗人の〈聴聞者niyōshagān〉の2種類の信者により構成されていた。前者には，肉食･動植物損傷の禁止，完全な禁欲，週に2日の断食，イスラムの断食月の先駆となったと考えられるベーマBēma大祭(マニの殉教と昇天を祝う最大の祝祭)に先立つ1ヵ月の断食などが要求された。マニはササン朝のシャープール1世の厚遇を得て，インドに及ぶ精力的な伝道活動を行ったが，次々王ワラフラン1世の宗教政策転換により殉教した。…

※「Bēma」について言及している用語解説の一部を掲載しています。

出典｜株式会社平凡社世界大百科事典 第２版について | 情報