Manichaeism approached evil and suffering through a radical, cosmic dualism. At the heart of its vision stand two eternal and opposing realms: the Kingdom of Light, identified with goodness, spirit, and truth, and the Kingdom of Darkness, associated with evil, matter, and falsehood. Evil is not a distortion of an originally good creation but an independent principle that has always existed alongside the good. A primordial conflict, in which Darkness invaded the realm of Light, led to a mingling of these two orders. From this clash arose the material cosmos, marked by instability, decay, and moral tension. The world, in this perspective, is not a harmonious whole but a battlefield where the consequences of that ancient struggle are still felt.

Within this mixed cosmos, the human being becomes a microcosm of the larger drama. Each person contains a fragment of divine Light in the form of a soul, yet that soul is imprisoned in a body that belongs to the realm of Darkness. Suffering, inner conflict, and moral weakness are understood as the direct result of this dual composition: the soul yearns for its native realm, while the body and its passions pull toward the dark. Ignorance of this true condition allows the forces of Darkness to keep the soul bound more tightly to matter. Evil actions are thus seen less as expressions of the soul’s essence and more as the influence of Darkness working through bodily desires and attachments.

To address this condition, Manichaeism placed great emphasis on knowledge and disciplined practice. Gnosis—insight into the cosmic dualism and recognition of the soul’s origin in the Kingdom of Light—was regarded as essential for loosening the bonds of suffering. This inner understanding was joined to an ascetic ethic that sought to minimize entanglement with the material realm: practices such as celibacy, nonviolence, strict dietary rules, and ritual purity were all oriented toward freeing the trapped Light rather than further mixing it with Darkness. The ideal was a life of pure thoughts, words, and deeds that would avoid harming or imprisoning additional particles of Light.

Manichaean teaching also framed individual effort within a vast, unfolding process of cosmic restoration. The spiritual struggle of each person contributes to a larger movement in which the scattered Light is gradually separated from Darkness and returned to its original realm. Human suffering, in this light, becomes the experiential sign of a deeper metaphysical captivity, yet it is not without purpose: it can awaken the soul to its true home and to the path of liberation. History itself is oriented toward a final resolution, when the liberated Light is gathered back into the Kingdom of Light and Darkness is confined to its own domain, rendered powerless.