Manda (religious)

In the Mandalorian religion, the concept of manda held significant spiritual and philosophical weight. For a living Mandalorian, manda described a specific condition: the accomplishment of philosophical harmony between the mind, the body, and the spirit. Furthermore, manda represented the combined soul of the Mandalorian people, into which individual Mandalorians transitioned upon their death.

Rather than the literal afterlife envisioned by ancient Mandalorians' previous beliefs, the manda, a metaphysical concept, could be most accurately characterized as an oversoul – a shared state of existence for all Mandalorian souls following death.

To become a part of this oversoul, a Mandalorian needed to not only grasp their culture as defined by the Resol'nare, but also genuinely embody its principles throughout their lives. Mandalorians who failed to adhere to the Resol'nare were labeled dar'manda—meaning soulless, or someone who lacked awareness of their heritage and, consequently, had no place in the Mandalorian afterlife. Within the Mandalorian community, being dar'manda was considered a destiny far worse than death.

The Mandalorian faith in the collective afterlife of the manda significantly impacted their burial traditions. While cremation was generally favored, Mandalorians, when faced with burying numerous fallen warriors, would create extensive mass graves to lay their dead together.

Although many species found the idea of unmarked mass graves repulsive, Mandalorians held the belief that the body was merely a tool for accomplishing tasks and disseminating knowledge. Once the soul had journeyed to the manda, the fate of the physical form held no importance. The practice of burying their people collectively in mass graves mirrored the shared consciousness that every Mandalorian was thought to experience in the manda after death.