The Concise Oxford Dictionary of World Religions (1472 page)

Any kind of canopy or tent, a ceremonial building, but especially the main area of a Hindu temple. It is transferred into Buddhism in relation to
paritta
ritual.

 
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Mandara
.

Jap. and Korean for
ma
ala
.

 
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Mandara
.

The mountain on which, according to Hindus, the gods and giants stood for the
Churning of the Ocean
.

 
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Mand
ra
.

The coral tree (
erythrina indica
) which stands in
Indra's
heaven, and which, when someone smells it, summons up remembrance of times past.

 
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see
T'IEN-MING
.

 
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(from
manda
, ‘knowledge’). Religious group in S. Iraq and the only surviving representative of
Gnosticism
. Important in an extensive literature are
Ginza Raba
(Great Treasure) and
Drasha ed Yahia
(Book of John). The appearance of
John the Baptist
in Mandean texts suggested to some that the Mandeans were descendants of John's own disciples. In their own estimate, their religion is much older. They have a hierarchy of Malki (King), Reesh Amma (leading people), Ganzebra and Termithy (supplying priests). They are strongly pacifist, and believe in redemption being effected by a series of messengers beginning with one known as ‘Gnosis of Life’. They may be the Sabeans mentioned in the
Qur’
n
, and today are called by Muslims Subbas.