G inza R abba
The Great Treasure
An equivalent translation of the Mandaean Holy Book
Translated by
Qais Mughashghash Al-Saadi Hamed Mughashghash Al-Saadi
Second Edition Germany 2019
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inzaR
abba The Great TreasureAn equivalent translation of the Mandaean Holy Book
Translated by
Prof. Dr. QaisMughashghash Al-Saadi Hamed Mughashghash Al-Saadi Publisher
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Mandaic fonts and artsby: Qais Al-Saadi
© All rights reserved to Qais Al-Saadi& Fouad Chasib Muhyi Nopart of this publicationmay be reproduced,stored in a retrieval systemor transmittedinanyform or by any means electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without theprior written permission of the authors.
G inza R abba
right V olume
The first circle (from inside) contains theshort term of the Mandaean testimonyof faith:
“Hayyi exists, my Lord exists, Manda 'd Haii exists”. The following inner cricle containsa Mandaean prayer (see p. XXI).The nextcircle contains the opening phrase of the rightGinza (see p.l).The28outer circles contain the phrase “Ginza Rabba” in Mandaic calligraphy.
’BshumayhondHayyi rabbi Inthe nameof the Great Hayyi
How much I will be happy when the Mandaeans can read their religious books in their own language, Mandaic, but unfortunately, they cannottoday.The English language has become thelanguage of the majority of them, since they today livein many countries rather than in their homeland,Iraq and Iran. We would likethat all of them, and especially thenew generations, have the chance to read and learn more about their religion.
The Ginza Rabba is their main holy book.It is important that every Mandaean family own it, read it, learn from it, and follow its teachings.This is the purposeof this translation and the reason for rendering the meaningof the text in a comprehensiblelanguage rather than preciselyfollowing the words of the original text itself.
Wehave ensuredthis work to an honest and careful committee consisting ofProf. Dr. QaisAl-Saadi, Mr. Hamed Al-Saadi and Mr.
Fouad Chasib Subbi. I have followed their hard workand helped to answer their questions regarding the meanings of some Mandaic words and texts.
I would liketo mention here that the Ginza Rabbain its original Mandaicis the base upon which we depend.
Iappreciate the effortsof the committee and thank them andthose who sharedwiththemin this very important project. I pray to Hayyi Qadmayyi, theGreat Life,to bless them.I call upon the Mandaeans, and especiallythenew generations, toread it and follow theteachings whicharethe teachings ofour firstreligion, the teachings of the Great Life.
’u Hayyi zaken
Rishema Salah Jabbar Tawos
'Bshumayhon’dHayyirabbi In the nameof the Great Hayyi
Theprinciplesand the teachingsof any religion have to be preserved ina book, so thatthe followers of the religion can readand understand them. It shouldbe written in a comprehensible language, to ensure that itsreadersget the full benefit of it.
Our holy book, the Ginza Rabba, was written in the Mandaic language. Unfortunately, most of theMandaeans nowadays have lost the opportunity to learn their mother language. Therefore, we have foundit necessary to translate our holy book into Arabic. An efficient specialized committeeaccomplished this project in Iraq, finishing in 2001.
Because the Mandaeans are today distributed in a diaspora, in which most live in countrieswhere English is the common language,it once again became necessary to translate our holy book, the Ginza Rabba, intoEnglish forthe benefit of our descendants andforthose who wouldlike to know more about Mandaism.
The committee that volunteered to undertake this great project consists of Prof. Dr. Qais Mughashghash Al-Saadi, Mr. Hamed Mughashghash Al-Saadi, and Mr.Fuad Chasib Subbi. Wepersonally followed the progress ofthis translation and took note of the great effortsexerted to accomplishit.
It is important to mention here that no translation can be substitute for the original text, especially with regard tosacred books.
Foragreater understandingof the principles and the teachingsof the Mandaean religion, it is important to read and depend upon the original textsin Mandaic.
I fully trust the sincerity and efficiency of the committee in translating the meaning of the original Ginza Rabbas texts, and invoke Hayyi Rabbi,the Great Life,to bless them and hope that the Mandaeans who know English and the coming generations willget the most benefit fromit.
’uHayyi zaken
Rishema Sattar JabarHillo Head of the Mandaean Community
’Bshumayhon’dHayyi rabbi In the nameof the Great Hayyi
TheSabean Mandaeans, to whom Ibelong, considerthe Ginza Rabba as the main sacred scripture that contains the principles and instructions of their religion. They have a great appreciation for their holybook due toits unique language and primal teachings which bear witness to the antiquityof their mono-theistic faith.
Unfortunately, the Mandaeans in Iraq and Iran ceased learning their language as aresultof using Arabic and Persian intheir daily lives. Due to their emigration to many countries of the world, they acquired knowledge of other foreignlanguages, such as English, which is of great relevance to the coming generations.
We realized the importance of presenting the Ginza Rabba in a language which our children can comprehend. We want to help the Mandaean youth to read their holy book and understand their faith, since wehave noticedtheirinterest and howproudthey wouldbeto deal with their scriptures just asother communitiesdo.
Since I arrivedin Australia alongwith the first Mandaeans in 1979, I have attendedto this important matter. The more that Mandaeans were forced to leave theirhome countries, the more theyhave hoped to gather themselves together in one land, such as Australia. The futureofour children and the survivalof our doctrine has always been our mission.
Due to my deep faith and abiding love of my people, I have dedicated myselfto translating the Ginza Rabbainto English for my family, grandchildren and children of all Mandaeans. We are responsible for preserving the heritage that our ancestors have maintained for thousands ofyears in a language that is under
standable for everyone everywhere.
Reverend Rishema Salah Jabbar Tawos and Reverend Rishema SattarJabbar Hillo appreciatedthis idea and encouraged me tokeep pursuing this project.They suggestedthe well known Mandaean,Prof.
Dr. Qais Mughashghash Al-Saadi, to support this translation based upon his wide knowledge of this field.
Icontacted him,and then visited him threetimes inGermanyto discuss the details of the project. I was following with him the developmentofthe work and how he was in contact with Reverend Rishema Salah and Reverend Ganzibra Sattar todiscuss with them and with otherpriests about the correct meanings oftheMandaic words and some special passages according to the original texts.
It ismy honor to thank Reverend Rishema Salah Jabbar Tawos, Reverend Rishema Sattar Jabbar Hillo,Prof. Dr. Qais Al Saadi, and Mr.Hamed Al Saadivery much for theirsupport with this translation.
I am very honoured to support this project, in order to make it availablefor my community.
I prayto Hayyi Qadmayyi,the GreatLife, to acceptthis work from me, according to His grace upon my health, my family, and my livelihood.
I praytoHayyiQadmayyi to contribute to other projects in the future that serve our religion. May this work, whichis freeof charge for the Mandaeans,beconsidered forme asa Zidqa Brikha or “Blessed Oblation” in this lifeandin the World ofLight.
’u Hayyi zaken
FouadChasib Muhyi (Yahia br Yasmen)
Preface
Although Mandaeans neglected to document their history and have lost much of their oral traditions,they werequite eager to keep their religiousheritage by copying their manuscripts. Theytherefore adopted strict regulations for copying their sacred manuscripts, to maintain andpreserve them from one generation tothe next.
The Ginza Rabba, or Great Treasure, is Mandaeans’ largest collection of religious principles and instructions. According to their beliefs, the Ginza was the first revelation of God toAdam and thus considered as their holy book. Among Mandaeans, the book is also known as Sidra Rabba,the great codex orSidra’d Adam, the codex of Adam.
As unique as these people are, their holy book is specially arranged: itconsists of two volumes, the yamina or “right” and smala or “left” Ginza.The“right” volume is larger and contains 18 chapters dividedinto individual tractates, whereasthe “left” volume includes 3 main chapters containing many hymns. The way of binding both volumes together is veryparticular and used by the Mandaeans only for this book. Both parts have to be bundledtogether inonetome; the
“left” part isplaced upside-down tothe “right” part, so that both parts canbe read from right-to-left according to theMandaic alphabet.1
The Ginza Rabbavaries in its contents and deals with spiritual, even metaphysical aspects. It also dealswith the mortal life of human beings and describes ancient visions concerning life after death. In particular, the “right” volume depicts the Mandaean theology, cosmogony and anthropogeny, i.e. the Mandaeans’ dogma of monotheism and the creation story of the cosmos and mankind; in this part, Mandaeanethicsareoutlined bya detailedaccount of moral
Some Mandaeans think this procedure arose from differences between the contents of the two parts:
the “right” part deals with life and contains the creation and the descent of the Soul into the body of Adam, whereas the “left” part contains the texts about death, and how the Soul departs the body to ascend to the World of Light. In addition, I see that the first copyist collected the right part from several different Mandaic texts, whereas the texts of the “left" part were already together in one roll and dealt with one subject. In order not to mix the contents of the “left" part with the other texts, he used this way to collect them separately together in one book. In any case, the reader will respect the
“right” side when he reads either the “right” or the “left” part.
duties. On the other hand, the“left” volume is concernedentirely with thereturnof the soulto its origin inthe world of light; it is aboutthe ascent ofthe soul afterdeath andthe ideaof eternal life.
Generally,the Ginza Rabba represents consecutively the principles of the Mandaean doctrine: the belief oftheonly one great God, Hayyi Rabbi, to whom all absolute properties belong; he created all the worlds, formedthe soul through hispower,andplaced it by meansof angelsinto the human body. So he createdAdam and Hawa/Eve,the firstman and woman. Since thesoulwas broughtdown to the material world,ithas to stay for a defined period of time in thehumanbody and is obliged to suffer its worldlyfate; however, the soulasa part of the divine creation should encourage human beings to do good deeds and to confront evil withGod’s help. God therefore sent the saviour to protect thesoul,along with messengers to guide the people to a pious lifeaccording to His will. When the soul completes its predestined lifespan, the saviourwill cometo accompany it backfrom thebodyto its origins, whereupon it has to pass through several stations of purification.
Inancient times, theSabeansMandaeans were able to read and understand their manuscripts in their own language. The Mandaic language and alphabet were in official use during certain historical eras in southern Mesopotamia. Themore that other languages were perceived forofficial use due to politicaland social changes, the more Mandaeans lostthechance to practice and educate themselves in their mother tongue; nowadays, its main use islimited toritual practice by clerics.
In more recent times, Mandaeans have been facing serious difficulties in reading and understanding the Ginza Rabba, and explaining its contents totheirchildrenand neighbors.
In the past, there were severalserious attempts to translate the Ginza Rabba into foreign languages byscholars aspart of their studies ofMandaean religion. This began with the attempt of the Swedish Orientalist Mathias Norberg to translate it into Latin in 1815/1816.
The first printed version of the Ginza Rabba was copied by the German Orientalist Heinrich Julius Petermann in 1867. Then the
German scholar Wilhelm Brandt attempted to translate the whole book into German, but only published some portions in 1839. His colleague Mark Lidzbarskiproduced the first translationof thewhole book into German in 1925. Other scholars included in their publications some passages translated into English, usually relying upon the German version.
Despite these considerable efforts, Mandaeanswere unable to use these editions in IraqandIran due tothe unfamiliarity of German and Latin there. As the result of an increasing need to have a comprehensible Gvnzain Iraq, the headship ofthe Mandaeans decided to translatethe GinzaRabba into Arabic.
In contrast to prior editions, the leadership took under considerationnotto create a direct translation (word by word) as has beendone before, butrathertoproduce a comprehensibletranslation accordingto the basic meaning of the text, conveying the sense of the original. The Arabicversion was edited in a poetic manner and has been proofed under the supervision of the leadership of the community.
Since the last quarter of the twentieth century, the Mandaeans have been forced toleave their homelands. They have escaped to many countries, so that three-quarters of them are now living in the Diaspora: 4,000live in the USA, 8,000inAustralia andNew Zealand, and about 15,000 Mandaeans live in Europe, mostly in Sweden, Holland, Germany, England, Denmark, Norway, and Finland. There are also roughly 3,000 Mandaeans in Syria and another 500 in Jordan, waiting for any chance to be accommodated as refugees. The remainder of the Mandaeans is still living in Iraq andIran.
Due to theiremigration to foreign countries, thenew generationof Mandaeansis becomingfullyintegrated into their new societies. They aredeeply influenced by the cultures and the languages of thesenew
“homelands”.However, they have tosustain their identity by means of understandingtheirown religion andpresenting their faith to other interestedpeople.
As a result of this, it became necessary to translate the Ginza Rabba into English, so that coming generations will maintain their religious education in a language which is of common use.
Ganzibra Sattar Jabbar Hillo and Rishema Salah Jabbar Tawos entrusted me with this challenging task. They agreedto rely upon the Arabic edition, which was translated in Iraq in 2001, conveying the translated meaning intoEnglish.
Because of some lapses which were known tome concerningthe Arabic translation, I decided to make a comparativeanalysis between the Arabic translation and theoriginal in Mandaic: correctingsome expressions and enumerations; avoiding unnecessary poetic words thatwere needed for the rhyme scheme, but not mentioned in the original; explainingsome religious ideasand literary meanings which were incorrect in boththe Iraqiedition and Lidzbarski’s edition, and thus ensuring that such passages are translated accurately into English.2
In addition, I was also ofthe opinion notto includerefined texts which reflectthe same meaning or have an identical context, especially in the leftpart. ButI included one more tractate in Book Threeof the
“left” part; this section was not translated into Arabic, and refers to Sunday and its importance as asacred day.
Weintended tobundlethis book according to thetraditional way as mentionedabove, containing theright andleft part. Furthermore, some special mandaic figure names and terms may have several meanings relying on the context. Therefore, they are listed in a glossary atthe end of the book. The transliterated terms are always written in italics with capital letters and followed by English translation. They also may include special letters which are to pronounce as follows: “t”: stronger pronunciation than a regular T,
“s”: to bepronounced like S in sun; an apostrophe,such as “ ’Dmutha
“ is to be pronounced like I in image.
I have put the whole work into an evaluation study. It is about 100 pages in Arabic, which was presented to the leadership of the Mandaean community, and which will be published to remark upon the needed corrections on the Arabic translation.
Even though this edition represents a translation of the meaning, reflectingthe intentions behind theoriginal textrather than a literal translation,we were quite careful and attentivetowards conveying the spirituallyworded textfrom its Mandaic origins to an understandable language. The Ginza Rabbashould be easily read and understood by everyone; our aim is to make its ancient heritage coherent with modern usage, sothat readers are notconfused.
Hamed Mughashghash Al-Saadi was entrustedto participate in the process of the translation and I would like to acknowledge my appreciation to him.
I would like to thank RishemaSalah Jabbar Tawos and Rishema Sattar Jabbar Hillo for involving me inthis important project. I also wish to thank Fouad Chasib Muhyi for generous financing this project.
Finally, I would like to acknowledge my indebtedness to Charles Haberl for his review andhis important comments. Special thanks go to Rabbi TarmidaRafid Al-Sabtyandmy son Sam Al-Saadi for their efforts, andto all whogaveahand in this project.
We hopethat we were able topresentthe Ginza Rabba in theway to be appreciated as it always has been considered as the Great Treasure. May Hayyi forgive any inadvertent error may have happened in this translation, and forgive our sins by means ofthis deed, and accept this effort to helpMandaeans to learn more about their religion.
’u Hayyi zaken
Prof. Dr. Qais M. Al-Saadi (br hayyibr hawamamany)
Germany,June2019
“I bear witness that there isHayyi, the sublime King of Light.I bear witness that thereis God who emerged from Himself Your name is notvain; your name is eternal, o Hayyi, my Lord and Manda 'd Hayyi.”
G inza R abba
R ight V olume
Monotheism... 1
Recommendations... 6
Upon each faithful Mandaean, I will place my right hand... 18
Forgiveness... 20
The messengerof light... 24
A call forwedding... 26
The creation... 27
The creation of Adam... 58
Baptizing Hibil Ziwa... 65
The descent of the savior... 70
Prohibitions... 84
The ascent of the soul to the Matrathi... 89
Yuhana’sascent to the Worldof Light... 99
Shilmai... 106
Dananukht... 113
The instructions of Yuhana... 121
Manda’d Hayyi’s warning tothebelievers... 125
Thefirstillumination... 128
The second illumination... 130
Anush... 136
Inquiries of Anush... 153
Thehymns... 155
Theworldofdarkness... 162
Promises to the sincere... 164
Preachings to the Mandaeans... 165
The great ’Nbat... 168
Anush is the word... 174
Hibilis the exalted grapevine... 177
Thecreation ofthe livingwater... 181
A messagefor the NaSurayyi... 184
Instructions for Yawar... 186
The sublime ’Dmutha counterpart... 188
The creation oftheworld... 192
The call of Hayyi... 196
The origin ofthe soul... 198
The believer’sloveforHayyi... 199
Anadmonition ofone ofthe Uthri... 200
Kushta, youaremy guide... 201
Manda’d Hayyi is calling... 202
The deluge... 203
Glossary... 206
Index... 214
’Bshumayhon’d Hayyi rabbi In the name of the GreatHayyi
TT praise You with a pureheart, myLord, Great Hayyi.
You are theSublime of the worldsof light.
You arerichest in all things, and You are thehighest aboveall other things.
Distinguished from all worlds of light We ask Youfor healing and victory,
guidance for our souls, guidance forour hearing andspeech, andweaskYoufor mercy and forgiveness.
We abide in You ourLord, Lord oftheuniverse.
uHayyi zaken
GR, Book One P* Glorification
Monotheism
'Mshabba Maray blebba dakhya
May my Lord be praised with a pure heart
’Bshumayhon d Hayyi rabbi In the name of the Great Hayyi
/J /^e istheGreat Hayyi, the all-seeing,the all-powerful, the all-
^7 £ knowing,the almighty, and the wisest of all.He isthe ageless and the age-old, the stranger from the worlds of light, theone without needfrom the worlds oflight.He isspeech, hearing,and sight, healingand victory,strength and stability.He is Hayyi, the delightof our hearts, and the forgiveness of oursins.
Praised bemyLord, master of allthe worlds, with apureheart!
MayYoubepraised! Blessed, exalted,venerated, and revered isthe sublimely magnificent, the king of thesublime light, the true God, whose power is endless andinfinite. Thereare no limits to His glory and noendto His brilliance.
Oh, Great Hayyi, Youare forgiving of all things, the ever-relenting, thecompassionate, the merciful, the redeemer of all believers, the patron ofthe righteous, the almighty, thewise, the all-knowing, the all-seeing, thedistinguished,theruler withdominion over everything, themaster of the upper, middleand lowerworlds of light. He is the great countenance of glory, who is unseen and unbounded. He has no partner in His dominion and no rival for His scepter. Whosever depend on Him will not come to disgrace, whosoever sincerely glorifies Hisnamewillnot fall from His grace, and whosoever trusts Him with confidence willnot abasehimself.
GR, Book One I'* Glorification
He is the supreme lord of all rulers. Nothing that did not come from Him has ever existed, andnothing that does not come fromHim everwill. He is everlasting, without death, and omnipresent,without bounds. By His manifestlight and perfect brilliance,He shines over all the universes, theangels who standbefore himin their brilliance,and thegreat light, which hoversover themandshines.
They submissively worship, praise and acknowledge theLord of Greatness,the supreme King of Light,whose radiance, light, andglory are measureless, numberless, and limitless, and who is allsplendor, all light, all brilliance, all life, all loyalty, all clarity, all compassion, all charity, everyeye,every face, everyappearance of beauty, theentirety ofall understanding, knowledgeand revelation, and thevery essence of glory.
He is withoutlimit and without weight and no darkness will ever reach His light. Heis the almighty and supreme, justiceandrefuge, the most merciful and the most compassionate. Heis the first, from the verybeginning to eternity. He is thecreator ofall things, and the most powerful being without any peer. He is the creator of all that is beautiful,andthe modelthatprovides meaningto everything else.
He isthe lord ofall the enlightened worlds, the lord of all Malki angels, and the high commander ofall the Uthri. He is the light in whichthere is no darkness, the life inwhich there is no death, the good in which there is no evil, the calm without anger, and the tender without the bitter. He is the most splendid, who resides in the far north.He is the source of all light. Heis the father of all the Uthri. He blesses all beingsand rests on allthe righteous, the truthful, and the faithful, who have established His name in their mouths. He is the king, who resides inthe estates of His kingdom.Heis stable,and His brilliance ascends and enlightens without limits, without measure, and without number.
GR. Book One Pl Glorification
He rejoices inhappiness without anysorrow, and his entirekingdom rejoices with Him. He is the beauty, which absolutely nothing else resembles. He is the truth dwelling on high, sitting secure in His abodes. No one candefine His boundless power and vastness. The radianceofHis crown extends everywhere. All the Uthriand angels in all theworldsstand in prayer and praise, praising theirKingof Light.
All the angels openedtheir mouths, and praised the sublime King of Light, saying to Him, “Those who glorify You will discover that Your glorification is limitless, Yourblessing is boundlessand endless, Your grandeur is immeasurable, Your depth is endless, Your Greatness cannot be realized, and Your Highness is higher than anything else.
The blessings, grace, and majesty of the sublime King ofLight blossom upward, come out and are unstoppable, and nobody can understand howthey flow out of You, other than theangels and the messengers who stand before You. All other beingsare ignorant of Your name. They ask one another, “What is the name ofthe Great Light?”andsay, “There is no name like Hisname, and there is noone who called Him by His name, and no one who gave Him His designation.”
Blessed are the righteous who have acknowledged You with pure heart, whobelieved in you witha clearconscience. They blessed You with mouth that was entirelyfull of praise, and praised You with a sinceretongue, they announcedYou withdevout lips and said, “He is the onewithout parents,the Kingof Light for alleternity, and He has no siblings. His throne is established, His kingdom is the great one,and He has no partner in it. He wears magnificent garments which are unlike thoseofthis world. He is blessed in all times and eras, and glorified in all times and eras, and He exists from the beginning tothe end.”
GR, Book One Is’ Glorification
He said, “Let the angels come into being,” and so they did.
According to His order, the angels of light were created. From His purebrightnessthe glorifying angels, who are limitless, innumerable, and deceitless emerged. From His great light, they spreadforthfull of praise. They dwellin His unwavering brightness, in His splendid light, a light withno deceit, in submission without rebellion, in gooddeeds without disunity, in faith without deceit, in truthfulness without deception. Itis a worldof living water, a world of good without evil.
Theangels of light who reside there glorify the Great Hayyi.
The angelsof light glorify the Lordof Light through the brightness that Hebestowed upon them.
The angels of lightglorify the Lordof Light throughthe vestments of brightness that Hebestowed uponthem.
The angels of light glorify the Lord of Light through the garments of lightthat He bestowed uponthem.
The angels of light glorify the Lord of Light through the girdles of brightness thatHe bestowed uponthem.
Theangelsof lightglorify theLordof Lightthrough the coronets of brightness thatHe bestowed upon them.
The angels of light glorify theLord of Light through the strength and steadfastness that Hebestowed upon them.
The angels of light glorify the Lord of Light through the truthfulness, faithfulness and belief thatHe bestoweduponthem.
They are all good and kind, sincere and wise. There is no wrongdoing and no deceit. Some of them reside in each other’s residence, without doing wrong to one another. Each of them is honored, as identical to one another as eyelashes. Their intentions towards each other are obvious. Each of them knows all that has happened tothe other inthe past and the present. They enlighten one another, perfume one another, and extend Kushta Truth to one
1st Glorification GR. Book One
another. They are, by thewill of theirLord, immortal,never growing old, neither having pain norbeingsick. Death does not come near them.Theirvestments are pure, their coronets are steady, and their children arepious. Theynever grow hungrynor feel thirsty; theyfeel neither hot nor cold. There is no abuseagainst them, andthey never get angry. There is no maliciousness in their trees, no bitterness, no withering in their fruitsandtheir roses. Their stances are noble, their seas arecalm, andtheir waterflows purer and colder than milk. Those whodrink it will never die, and never feel sad.
Their years arecountless, andtheir lifespanscannot be measured.
They are happy and delightful,setting outto walk briskly, and in the white land ofthe ether theyfly, wherethe perfect light is not reached bydarkness. Theirfaces are made oflight, as transparent as crystal.
They submit completely, praising the Great Hayyi.
Blessedis the supreme Kingof Light, theking oftheangels and the Uthri. His name is forever glorified. The Uthri. angels, messengers, signs, shapes,rainingclouds, flowing water, tall trees,as well as the brilliancethatshinesupon them were all created by theGreat Hayyi, thesupremeKing of Light.
’u Hayyizaken
GR, Book One 2nd Glorification
Recommendations
'Mshabba Marayblebba dakhya
Maymy Lordbe praised with a pure heart
’Bshumayhon d Hayyirabbi In the name of the GreatHayyi
ff e isthe supreme King ofLight.Hayyi, from Him, the Uthri IL were created. From His splendor and lighttheir dwellings are constructed. They are as glorious as the sun and the moon.
They are reverent whentheyappear toothers. Light and quiet is their gait,whichappears like therays of the sun stretching from heavento the earth. Their virtues are innumerable. Their characteristics are immeasurable. That is the kingdom of the Great Hayyi: justice and accuracy,peace and faith, and complete perfection.
Even if we had a mouth like the sea, or a tongue like the rocks of its depths, or lips like its two banks, we still could not describe Your power over all Your worlds, my Lord.
Blessed are those whoacknowledge You.
Blessedare those who acquire Your knowledge.
Blessed are those whorecognize You.
Blessed arethose who arerecognized by You.
Blessed are those who entreatYou and depend upon You.
Blessed are those whoabsorbYour wisdom and cast asidethe evils of this world, benefitingfrom Your guidance.
GR. Book One 2nd Glorification
Blessed are the righteous and faithful who acknowledge and recognize You; they will ascend to the realm of light invictory.
May You beblessed and glorified, myLord, the supremeKing of Light; may You be blessed and glorified,from nowto eternity.
Through Your wordwereall things created.
You have created the Uthra whose name is Hibil Ziwa, who is called GabrieltheMessenger. You sent himto the world of darkness.
The Lord of Greatness spoketo HibilZiwa:“Go to theworld of darkness, whichiscompletely full of evil—full ofdevouring fire, full of lies and deception. It is sown with thistles and thorns.
Go to thatworld; trample the darknessand the mysteries that are formed from it. Make theearthsolid,extend the firmament and form the stars within it.Givethe sun its shine,themoon its glow, and the stars their luster. Give waterits freshness and the fireitssplendor. The worldistobeginundermy command.
Create the fruits, grapes and the trees according to my order.
Animals ought to come into being, fish,and fowl; each of a maleand a female tobein the service of Adam andhisoffspring. Let therebe a manand a woman, whose namesare Adam and Eve. The angels of fire will bow down tohim. For those who disobey my order, theirfate will bethefire. Let three angels of lightcomeforth andserve as company forAdam.
Let the livingwaters mingle with the stagnant waters, and the whole world shall thrive bythe scent of thelivingwaters. Let the four winds be created, and let fire come forthandlight up the world by your hand.
By the hand of’Ptahil willthe wholeworld belit.
The supreme King of Light said theword, since all things were created by Hisword. ’Ptahil came down,stretchedout the firmament,
GR, Book One 2nd Glorification
trod the earthand summoned the angels of fire. He gavethe sun its shine,the moon itsglow, andthe stars their luster, and each one was putin its orbit. Storms, waterand fire were formed. Fruits, grapes, and trees were formed. Domestic and wild animals of every kind were created from dust,clay,iron, the fog ofclouds,wind, fire, water, seed, blood, bile, and from the other mysteries of thisworld.
Adam and Eve were created and formed. By the power of the supreme Kingof Light, the soulwascast into the body.
The supreme King ofLight said, “The angels offire should bow down to Adam.They should never disobey him. Allof them bowed down,save forthe evilone,who refused, so hisLord captured him.”
I amthe pure messenger. MyLordordered me togo and summon Adam and his wife Eve with a sublime voice: “Teach them about everything; teach them about the supreme King ofLight, whose power and greatness are without limit or number. Teach them about the immortal Place ofLight.
TeachAdam, so that hisheart becomes enlightened,and instruct him toenlighten his mind. You and the two angels who descend with you shouldserve as companionsto him. Teachknowledge to Adam and Eve,and all their progeny, so that the evil and Satan never seduce them. Teach them to pray and worship the supreme King of Light, three timesin the day and two times in the night.
Tell them, ‘Take awife, have children and build a family, so that the world will increase through you. When you approach your spouses, rinse yourselves with water to keep yourselvespure.’
Saytothem:‘My worshipers, do not commit adultery,do notsteal, and do not kill any righteous, faithful human beings. You, who are righteous and faithful! Donot waver in your speech now, andshowno love for sinor deceit. Donot lovegold, silver, and worldly possessions,
GR. Book One 2nd Glorification
and hoard them not, since thisworld is false andit will passaway, together with yourworldly possessions.
Never bow down to Satan, nor worship idols and images.
Whosoever bows down to Satan willbe tormentedin the fireuntilthe Day of Judgment, andthehour of redemption, for as long as the King of Light wishes. He isthe judge who will judge every soulaccordingto itsdeeds.
You, who are righteous and faithful! Pay no attention to Satan’s temptations, and place no confidencein his deceptions.Never testify falselyagainst others. If they call for witnesses, then the faithfulshould bearwitness. Never pervert thelaw. Those who pervert the law are destined tothe fire.
Do not deliver a righteous servant into the custody of an evil master, nor abandontheweakto thestrong.
You, who are righteous and faithful! Respect your father, your mother, and your elder brothers and sisters. Those who do notrespect theirfathers and mothers will becondemnedon the Day of Judgment.
Do not covet thingsthat belong to others. Never object to what your Lord provides, because He determines how each thing is apportioned and delivers it.
Ifevil afflicts you, stand firmand steadfast in your faith. Never twist your words or change yourspeech, anddonot bow your kneeto the rejected Satan.
Call upon your loved ones to listento the praises granted to you by your Lord, so that they may believe and be obedient. If they pay attention and are faithful to the King of Light, the God who called Himself into being,He will honor them, keep them close to you, and be generousand kind to them. If they refuseto listen ordo notlearn from your testimony anddo not believe,theywillbeheld accountable for theirsins.
GR, Book One 2nd Glorification
You, who are righteous andfaithful! If yousee a captive who is faithful and righteous, pay his ransom and freehim.Butneither gold nor silver can ransom the soul; only overt speech and belief can free the soulfrom darkness to light, fromerrorto truth, from disbelief to faith,from deceit and rebelliontotheprayer and praiseof your Lord.
All thosewho ransom soulsshallbe rewarded well.
My sincere believers: give alms to the poorand be a guideto the blind. If you give alms, my chosen ones, do not talkabout it. When you give alms with your righthand, do not tell your left.When you givealms withyour left hand,do not tell your right. Shame uponthose whogivealmsand ruintheir deedsthrough slander!
My chosen ones:if yousee the hungry, feed them. Ifyousee the thirsty,givethem water.If yousee the naked, clothe them. Blessedare those who give alms, theywill be rewarded. Blessed are thosewho clothethenaked,forthey will be dressed inrobes of light. Blessed are those who ransom captives, for they will be welcomed by the messengersof the King of Light.
Whosoever learns my praises will have their name mentioned in the high heavens. Whosoever enlightens himself throughthedoctrines will be one of the Uthri. Whosoever saves themselves from Satan’s temptations will ascendto theWorld of Light. Whosoever sacrifices themselves forthe love oftheirLord are pureand without sin.
I instruct you, my chosen ones: fast thegreat fast,whichis not a fast from the foodand the drink of thisworld.
Fast with your eyes, from winking and gawking. Neitherseenor do any evil.
Fast with your ears, fromlisteningat thedoors ofother people.
Fast with your mouth, from saying lies,anddo not lovegossipand lies.
GR, Rook One 2nd Glorification
Fast with yourheart, from bad intentions, hate, andjealousy; do not break thefast inyour heart.
Fast with your hands, from killing,and commit notheft.
Fast with your body, from someonewho is not your spouse.
Fast with yourknees,from bowing down toSatan and false idols.
Fast withyour feet, from taking paths towardthingsthatare not yours.
This is thegreat fastthat hasbeen setfor you: never breakit,until you depart from your bodies.”
All those who sin in their childhood butthen repentand sin no morewillreceiveforgiveness fromthe Lord. Heis the Kingof Light;
He is the most compassionate, the most forgiving, and the most generous. Allthosewho lovegold, silver,and worldlypossessions, and acquire them bymurder, will fall into theblazing,seething fire.
My chosenones: neverbe close to thekings, princes, and rulersof thisworld; donot trustthem, or their weapons, or the armiesthat they gather, or thegold and the silver that they accumulate. These are sources oftemptation. Those who accumulate them will leave them behind when they go to be roasted in thefire. Theirhands will hold nothingbut fire, and their mouths will breath innothing but flames.
Their power and authoritywill come to an end. Neither the gold nor the silver thattheypossess will prevent themfrom this suffering, nor will they supportthem.
I say to all of you who heed Hayyi’s call: whenever you are standing and wheneveryou are sitting, whenever youare coming and going, whenever you are eating anddrinking, and whenever you are restingand sleeping, with everyall your actions, mention and worship the name ofthe supreme King of Light.
GR, Book One 2nd Glorification
Let waterflow freely and baptize you. Baptize yourselves withthe living baptism that your Lord broughtfrom theWorld of Light, with whichall righteous believers are baptized. Bless thePihtha loaf, and eatit. Praisethe Mambugha water,and drink it. In this way, your sins and trespasses will be forgiven.
All those whoare marked with the sign of Hayyi andover whom the nameof theKing ofLight has been mentioned, who hold fast and firm to baptism, andpractice good and beautiful actions, shallnot be held back on theDay ofJudgment.
Do not consumeblood,carrion meat, deformed animals, pregnant and suckling creatures, aborted fetuses, predatoryor wild animals, or anythingthat wasattackedby a wild animal. Slaughterit with an iron knife; then wash it, rinseit, clean it, cook it, say thenameof the Great Hayyi, overit,and eat it.
Men, ifyou decide totake a woman to be your wife, select her from among your own people and love her. Love and support one other and take care of each another, just as the eyes payattention to the feet. Ifyou love each other and support one another, youcan cross even the great Seaof Suf.
My chosen ones:listen to my sayings, anddo as I recommendto you. If you do not listen to what I say, or you listen but do not respond, you will fall into thedarkness oftheevil.Those who fallwill stay there,and never ascendto the Place of Light. The brotherhood of thefleshwill pass away, but that ofKuslitawill stay constantforever.
So you, siblings in Kushta, be constant and not changeable in your faith. The name of the first of all beings has been set upon your head. Your sign is the signof the living water, andbyit youwill ascend to thePlace of Light.
Those who listen andarefaithful will bepurified,but woe to those who standin theirway. Donot flaunt and beproudof the gold and
GR. Book One 2nd Glorification
silver that youhave. The names of those who are conceited will be removedfrom the Place ofLife.
Do not weep for those who have died and departed from their body, or feel sad and mourn them. Those who tear their clothesfor the lossof the dead will remain in error.Those who pull out their hair for the sake ofthe dead will bebound to the mountain ofdarkness. As longas yourlife isprolonged, your sins willincrease;forthatreason, do not be sad whenever the souldepartsfrom this world.Out of your sorrow, evil spirits will come into being, precede the soul in her ascension toheaven, and troubleher on the Day of Judgment.
Those who love their dead relatives should ask Hayyi to have mercy upon them. Keep praying and glorifying Hayyifor them. Recite hymns for them and do the Masiqtha ritual for them. In this way, Hayyiwill befull of mercyfor them. Radiance shall lead their way, light will comefrombehind them, the messengers ofHayyi will be on their right, andthe angels of lightwillbe ontheir left.They willcome forth from the Matarathypurgatories and the seething cauldron.
Teach the souls so that their hearts will not be suspicious. Let them listen to the gentlespeech and wordsofworship that I have brought to you from the Place ofLight; then their hearts will be peaceful and tranquil.
Blessings to those who listen and believe; they will ascend in victory to the Place of Light. Offerbread, water, and shelter to the poorwho sufferfrom persecution. Be just andlove eachother.
Mychosen ones, follow the ways ofKushta\ never withhold the wagesof some one who works for you,never rob apartner, never take revenge against a friend. Those who steal from their partners or friends willneversee light. Ifyoumake a promise, then fulfill your pledge and oath. Never break your promise. The Uthri andtheangels of light will grant oneother alliances,partnerships, andpromises.
GR, Book One 2nd Glorification
Bemild andmeek with your teachers because they teach wisdom.
Respectthem and never exalt over them; be quite and humble. Never seek out magicians andfortunetellers,becausethey reside in darkness.
Neverswear uponafalse statement. Never renege upon an oath that you have promised. Do not take interest and make an unjust profit. If youdolend money, neverdo it insecret.
My chosen ones, do not commit adultery and do not engage in debauchery; never letyour heart follow Satan’s suggestions, because you will be ledastray. Be consistent andfirm. Bear the struggle ofthe world and support each other until you have fulfilled your measured spanof time and your life hascometo an end.Donot becomeangry and do not become enraged, because anger and rage come from Satan’s temptations; reduceyouranger through faith and worship.
Ifyou see a good, wise man, standin his presence, and learn from his wisdom. If you seeanevil one,who teaches wickedness,stay far away from him and do not seek tolearn from his wisdom. Do notdo what he doesand donot walkin his path.
My believers and myfaithful, loveyour friendsjust as you love yourselves, and spare them from what youwouldspare yourselves. Do good,and furnish yourselves with good deeds foryourLastDay.See, listen, believe,and accept thewords of your Lord. See withyoureyes.
Speak with your mouths. Listen with your ears. Believe with your hearts.
With your hands, make your Zidqa alms and your Tabuthadonations.
Act in accordance with the will of Hayyi; never act accordingto the will of Satan.Do not be fascinated by the beauty ofthe body, forthis beautywill bedegraded and annihilated. Worshipand give praiseto the supreme Kingof Light,for in this manner your sins andguilt will be forgiven.
Neverbow downto Satan ortothe idols of this false world.
GR. Book One 2nd Glorification
All that is born will die. All thatwhich is made by hands willbe corrupted.The whole worldwill perish. Do not haveconfidence on theworld in which youexist because you will not stay in it. The crutch thatsupports you on the Last Daywill be the good worksthat you havedone during yourlife.
My chosenones:neverobjectto what your Lord has commanded you. Demonstrate righteousness,kindness, and humility, which are someofthe essencesoflight.
Men and women marry and have children. If you do not have children, then your family lines will come to an end.Never take slaves as spouses and never let your children be slaves in the houses of masters, as that wouldbe a great sin.Women,who are wives to men, beware ofwhat is not acceptable to Hayyiandnotgood for the people, such as adultery and theft. Beware of magic, for itcomes from Satan’s filth.The love ofa faithful wife isitself anactof faith.Never separate one fromanother until the end ofyour life. Anyone who cheats upon a faithful wife will be judged. Help your children to grow up and educate them respectfully; teach them wisdom, and implant faith in theirheartsand minds. Makethem follow the path of Kushta. Those who neitherguide nor teach theirchildren willbe convicted in the place ofjudgment. If you do teach them but they donot acceptit and do not learn from you, then they are responsible for their own perversion.
If oneamong you should go astray,supporthim. If he thendoes something wrong, reform him and support him once again. If he strays fora thirdtime,guide him andmake him listen to the praising andprayers of God. If he still insistsupon beingdisobedient, uproot this bad seed and implant anothergood one in his place. You asked him to listen, buthedidnotwant to listen, and you askedhimto see, buthe did not want to see, so he shall fall into torment and never rise again.
GR, Book One 2nd Glorification
Do not mockany disabledpersonor be sarcastic towardsanyone who is afflicted with a bodily defect, because all bodies may suffer pain,butno soul should never bemocked or humiliated, except on account oftheir own deeds.
My honoured, sincere, true believers, it is you whom I call my chosen ones, and to you I will explain my beliefs: never praise the planets andconstellations. Neverpraise thesun and moon.They shine only by the will and the command ofthe Great Hayyi. The light bestowed by Hayyi upon them illuminates their dark dwellings. IfHe gave His order, then allof them would come to an unknown end.
Those who bow down to Adonay and have deviated from the originalcall havewritten a bookfor themselves. Never become oneof them. Do not perform circumcisions, andneverfollow those who are neitherfirm nor consistent intheir sayings.
There willalways bemany such people, and many false prophets.
Theywill try to steal wisdom from our people with gold andsilver.
Someof them even consider themselves to be gods.They have their false doctrinesandhavewritten down their falsebooks. They spread greed, lust and passion; they even call themselves prophets.
I am the first messenger, and say to all NaSurayyi: recognize the lies that they tell to one another. One so-called prophet will lie toother prophets. One kingwill insult other kings. They will tempt people with gold and silver, with songs and gaiety, and with monuments of mud and wood. Bysuch practices, they make people fall in harm’s way.Some of them will takepeople byswordandspread injustice and inequity. They will use deceit and corruption to make Adam’s offspring stray from the rightpath. Theywill utter the name of God with theirmouths, even though theyare liars. Theywillsaythat these are thedoctrinesand the books that come from God, but they lie to you and deceive you. I am thepure messenger, and I say to you: do not heedthe callof thelying prophets. Theyare tryingto imitate the three
GR. Book One 2nd Glorification
Uthriwho come down to this world. They are not radiant like the Uthri. Their garmentsare offire, while thoseof the Uthri are of light.
Their scent is odiousand rotten, while that of theUthri isfresh.
Toyou, mychosen and my faithful, I call forthandexplain:dress in the color white, dressyourselvesinwhiteclothinglikethegarments ofradiance and the robes of light. Set awhite turban uponyour head, like a beautifulcoronet.Bind the himyana girdle aroundyou like the living water that the Uthribindaround their waist; wear sandals. Hold a Margna staff in your hands, likethe staff of livingwater that the Uthricarryin the Place ofLight.
Faithful and righteous believers: never claim anything, about which you are uncertain. Never claim revelation, as Hayyi alone provides revelations. Arm yourselves witha defense that is stronger than iron, the knowledge of NaSirutha andthetrue words from the Placeof Light. Give one another good advice about how you havebeen instructed and warned. Just as youreyes see, your mouthsspeak, and your ears listen, your hands must do good deeds and accomplish beautiful things. Donotbe like weeds, which soak up water but bear no fruit.
’uHayyi zaken
GR, Book Two T' Glorification
Upon Each Faithful Mandaean, I Will Place My Right Hand
’Mshabba Marayblebbadakhya
May my Lord be praised witha pure heart
’Bshumayhond Hayyirabbi
In the name of the Great Hayyi
/O his is thefirstcall that wasgranted to Adam, who is the first of thelivingrace. Itwas a speech and a testimony.
Then the whole world will be carried off by pestilence and the sword. The souls are destined to separate fromtheir bodies, andthese souls will ascend to the light without any sins or debts. OnlyRam and his wife Rud will remain. From them, humanity will survive and increase in number. Adam is destined to live one thousand years.
Between Adam and Ram and Rud will passthirty generations. They will all ascend to the light with asingle ascent, since theystandin a single doctrine, proceed according to a single speech, and testify accordingto a single worship.
Then the world will be carried off by fire. All souls, which are without sin, are destined to separate from their bodies and ascend upward to the light, because they will not have denied the first call and will not have distorted the first speech. Only Shurbai andhis wife Shurhabil will remain behind, and through them humanity will be newly restored and increase in number. Between Ram and Rud and Shurbai and Shurhabil willpasstwenty-fivegenerations.
Then after Shurbai and Shurhabil the world will be carried off by flooding.Only Noah will remain from the Ark, togetherwith hisson Sam.Between Shurbai and Noah will passfifteengenerations. All of
GR, Book Two 1st Glorification
humanity willbe sweptaway by water, for it iswritten for themthat the souls will separate at that juncture from their bodies and ascend to the light.From Noah, humanity will increase in number, and theywill continue to bear witness withasingle call and a single doctrine.
ThenI will make a proclamation:I, the messenger of Hayyi, and two angels,who are my companions. From Noah to the building of Jerusalem, there will be six generations, consisting of a thousand years.
Then King Solomon, the son of David, will be born to be the great king of the Jews, the ruler of Jerusalem. The demons will obedient to him. They will submit to his will, but because he is obsessed with himself andungratefulto thegrace of Godhe will lose his rule.
Three hundred and sixtyprophets will appearin Jerusalem. They will all testify to the name of Mara’d Rabutha, the most gracious.
Then Anush Uthra will ascend, by the powerof the King of Light, and he will settle in ’MshuniKushta,where all the Uthri are hidden from the eyesofhuman beings. After that, Jerusalem willbe destroyed,and theJews willgo into exile andbe scattered in allthecities. Then the wordswill be distorted, war and fightingwill happen, andthe fateof the entireworld will be threatened.
I am Manda’d Hayyi.I will placemy right hand uponeach faithful Mandaean whoremains true to thecall, and continues tobe baptized in flowing water.Listen, heed my words, andlearn, you whoare my faithfulbelievers, so thatyouwill ascend in victory to seethePlaceof Light.
’uHayyi zaken
GR, Book Two 2nd Glorification
F orgiveness
’Bshumayhond Hayyi rabbi In the name of the Great Hayyi
^^ord of Praise,
look upon usand nevercondemnus.
My Lord, wehave sinned,
forgive us and never condemn us.
Most forgiving,mostaffectionate, mostmercifulGod, look upon us, andnever condemn us.
All-seeing, all-discerningGod,
lookupon us, andnever condemnus.
Most beneficent,most merciful God, lookupon us, and be kind to us.
King of Light,
please listento our request and nevercondemn us.
Magnificent,omnipotent,and gentle God,
take us into Your mercyand never condemn us.
Redeemer of all believers,
pleaselisten to our petitions andnever condemn us.
Sustainer of thepious, wehave sinned, lookupon us and nevercondemn us.
GR, Book Two 2nd Glorification
You are the creator of all that is good,
the savior of all the most beautifulthings in the life;
heed our call and never condemn us.
Bestower of all boons,
giveus power and never condemn us.
Omnipotent God,
save us fromallevils and catastrophes.
Youarethe savior of allsouls, saveus from oursins.
You defend and protect the sincere believersfrom sin:
please guide ustorighteousness,so we willnever be dishonored.
You give strength to Your worshipers, please grace us withYourstrength.
You are sourceof all praise and prayer, let usbe surrounded by Your praise.
Mostsupremeking wholovesall things, surroundus withYourlove.
Youare thehealer,
please cureour sins andnever condemn us.
Youarethe onewho illuminates all things, illuminate us withYour radiance.
You, whogives with full hands,
give us Yourhand, so that we will not be dishonored.
Youare the steadfast, who steadies the paths of the righteous,
GR, Book Two 2nd Glorification
so that wewillneverrun astray of theright path.
Most truthfulandmosttrustworthy God, keep sin away fromthosewho believein You.
Creator of all theworlds, who separateslife from death,
light fromdarkness, good fromevil, and truth fromfalsehood, keep sin away fromthosewho worship You.
You, who arethe kingof all things,
You, who made the earthsolid and stretched out the firmament, keep sinaway from those who love You.
You,whoare the source of the living water,
You, who make the fruits, grapes, andtreespleasant, keep sin away fromthose wholove You.
You,who preservesthe soul, protectus from all that is bad.
You arethe source of faithfulmessengers,
who grants praise and wisdom to the believers,the guide and the judge;
keep sinawayfromthose who loveYou.
You, who revealsall things,
revealthe swordto us and keep injustice away from those who loveYou.
You, who perceiveall things, forgive us, never condemn us.
GR, Book Two 2nd Glorification
We are a gathering of sinners: our eyes leer, our mouths slander, ourhandsgrope, and our ears listen to evil,but may ourLord accept our repentance,
have mercyupon us, and never condemn us.
Master of allsouls,
may we see Yourradianceand Yourlight, andbecome faithful.
Whenwe hear Yourpraise, truthfulness abides inour hearts.
As our hearts arefull oftruth, we agree to praise You,
we listen to Your words,andthe sound of the lifethat You sent to us.
Our Lord, we have sinned;
forgiveour sinsandoffenses.
Yourname is praised andglorifiedin the Place of Light.
’uHayyi zaken
GR, Book Two 3rd Glorification
T
heM
essengerofL
ight’Bsh umayhon’dHayyi rabbi In the name of the Great Hayyi
II am the messengerof light,the angel who camefrom light. I came herewithunityand radiance in myhand,andlight and praiseare upon me. I came bearing baptism and the Rushma sign, and came with asummons and a proclamation.
I am the messengerof light. I illuminated the darkness and the gloom. I called forth with a summons and a proclamation for this world, from thebeginning to the end. I called and Isaid, “Everyone must takecare of themselves.They mustcommit to savingthemselves from the burning fire. Blessed are those who do good, who keep themselves away from the sins of those who do evil.”
I am the messenger of light. I am the truthful messenger,who is withoutany guile, deceit, weakness,or imperfection. Those who smell my fragrance will receive life. Thosewho lookupon my light, their eyes will be filled with light, and their mouths will be filled with praise, and their hearts willbefilled with Kushta.
The adulterers smelt my scent, and abandoned their adultery. They said,“We wereignorant, so we descended into adultery.Nowthatwe have been guided toknowledge, we will never againbeadulterers.”
I am the messenger ofperfection; I am the truthful messenger, without any weakness or imperfection. I am the tree oflight that is filled with praise, and whosoever smells me will surely receive life.
Theireyeswill be filled with illumination.
The killers inhaled my fragrance,andabandoned killing. They said,“Oh,our Lord, we were directionless, and evil was leading us.
3rd Glorification GR. Book Two
Now we have direction. We beg Hayyi, for His pardon and forgiveness.”
When the magicians smelt myscent, their heartsshivered and they becamefilled withterror. They stopped practicing magic andbegged for forgiveness. Theysaid,“We wereignorant before,butnow we are fully aware. From now on, we will never again practicemagic.”
I am the messenger, the tree of lightthat is filled with praise and life. Whosoever smells it will receive life. Whosoever tastes it will receive life. Whosoeverlistens to it will receive life. The gossips and blasphemers heard my words, and upon hearing them their hearts becamefilled with peace and they established peace for eternity.
Whosoever turns to the Lord will be neither rejected nor dishonored, but the evildoers and the faithless, those who have estranged themselves from the sourceof illumination and those who are swaddled in darkness,do not want to look upon lightand do not want to hear the Lord’s call. Allthoseof evil persuasion fall by their own will into the great SeaofSuf. They will find their abode in darkness, andthe mountain of darkness will swallow them, untilthe Dayof Judgment.As forthose ofus whopraiseYou, oh Lord, You will bear our sinsandour guilt.
May You be praised, King ofLight, who hassent the truth to us, those who love You. You are the savior who delivers the pious believersfrom darkness. Whosoever praises Yourname and loves it willreceive Your forgiveness for their sins.
You were victorious, Manda’dHayyi, and you have aided those who loveyou tovictory.
'u Hayyi zaken
GR, Book 1'wo 4’h Glorification
A C all F or W edding
’Bshumayhon d Hayyi rabbi In the name of theGreat Hayyi
seedlings thatI have planted, I amcalling you.
My elect,whom I havechosen, Iam callingyou.
Do not sneak around before you are married, and do not commit adultery—why be a seducer, and why surrender the weak to the strong?
Do not imitatethe false prophets or the lying judges, who do not risefrom the flowingwaters, andhavenot been strengthened by the Lordwho sits on high.
Bachelors and spinsters, you men who reject women and you women who reject men: goto the shore ofthe sea, and see howthe fish pair off, and do not perish. See how the birds pair off, and do not perish!
Go to thebank ofthegreat Euphrates and see howthe trees drink the water and become heavy with fruit? Now look ata dry riverbed, and see how thetrees on its banks have withered and died—likewise the souls ofthosespinsters who do not seek men and those bachelors who do not seek women will dryup and die. When they part from their bodies,their souls willonly find a place intheclouds of darkness.
My chosen ones, hold marriage festivals for your sons and daughters. Believe in your Lord, the supreme King ofLight. Believe that thisworld is coming to an end. Do not belikethose who hate life and refuse to have offspring. Ifyou want to ascend to the Place of Light, be fruitful.
’u Hayyizaken
GR, Book 1 hrec P’ Glorification
T he C reation
'Bshumayhon’d Hayyi rabbi In the name of the Great Hayyi
O his is themystery. Itisthe first book ofthefirst doctrine, which has existedfrom theverybeginning.
When the fruit was stillinsidethe Fruit, and the ether was still inside the Ether, the glorious Great Mana was there. From him emerged thegreat big manas,whoseradiance is extensive, and whose light is immense. Before these, nothing existed in the great Fruit, which is endless and extensive, andwhose radiance is tooextensive to bedescribed by mouth, andwhose lightistoo immenseforourlips to do justice to it. From this great Fruit emerged a thousand times a thousand fruits, until theywere without end,and athousand times a thousanddwellings, until theywere without number.
Theystood there and praised the glorious Great Mana that resides in the great Ether of Life, which can be found in the white waters of the Yardna that hascome out of the Great Mana, whose delightful fragranceall the roots of light and the great first radiance inhale. The great Yardna is limitless and immeasurable. The plants await it, exulting and rejoicing. From the great Yardna, lesser Yardni come forthwithout limitor measure.
When the fruit was still insidethe Fruit, and the ether was still inside theEther,and thegreat Yura, whose brilliance is extensive and
whose light isimmense, existed, and thegreatYardna of living water cameforth from it,which poured out overthe surface of the ether.
Hayyiformed Himselfin the likeness of the GreatMana, from which
GR, Book Three 1“ Glorification
Heemerged, and made a request to Himself.For this first request, an Uthra whom Hayyi named the Second Life wascreated. Then limitless andcountless Uthri werealso created.
From the living water was created a Yardna, which poured down upon the World of Light like the original Yardna, andthe Second Life wasfirmly established uponit. The Second Life calledmore Uthri into existence, establisheddwellings, andcalledinto existence a Yardna, on which the Uthri were established.
Three Uthri came forth and made a request to the Second Life.
They beggedto be allowedto createdwellings for themselves. What they requested fromthe Second Life, the SecondLife gave them. They consulted one another and built dwellings. They saidto their father,
“Father,are youthe one who produced this Yardnaofliving water that is so wonderful, and its water with so sweet a smell, and the Uthri established here, who are so great?”
Thenthe Second Life spoke,saying,“I wasproduced by the Great Hayyi, and theYardna belongs toHayyi,and you toowere created by the power of Hayyi.”
They said, “Give us some of your light, give us some of your brightness,and give us some of what youhave. It will help us descend under thestreams ofwater,to prepare a world for you and for us. We wanttobe settledin it and to create Uthrifor you and for us; aworld wherethe nameof Hayyi isnot mentioned.”
The Second Life waspleasedby this, and said, “Letitbe.”
When he said that, Hayyi the First Lifewas not pleased. Hesaid a prayerfor theGreatMana whoresides in the great Fruit, and praised him.Therethe Great Mana arose with great splendor, light, and glory, and called into being the Great ’Kbar, whose name is ’Kbar Ziwa,
‘Nbat Yawar the son ofYufin-Yufafin, Sam, the Grapevine, who is full of life andbeloved byall the Uthri,and said to him, “Lookatwhatthe
GR, Book Three Is' Glorification
Uthri are plotting and devising. They are saying that they want to create worlds and establish dwellings,like the mighty Uthri, who are the sons of light. Is ittoyour liking, Manda’d Hayyi, thatthe Uthri of light have abandoned light, andturned their gazetowards darkness, towardsthe great Sea of Suf, towards the howling darkness, towards the devouring, corrupting waters, towards the place that is full of demons,who speak withloud voices, and talk about the devouring fire?”
The Uthra oflight kept silent, and there was no weakness or imperfection in Him. ThenHe spokea second time to him, and said,
“Manda’d Hayyi, see to what end the Uthri deliberate, why their hearts are throwninto confusion,so that theyhave turned their gaze towards a place that is groundless and limitless, towards a place in whichthere isno living water and noradiance.”
Again,theUthra of Wfe maintained his silence.
Then theGreat Mana turnedfor the third time in his majesty to Manda’dHayyi, andsaid, “You are theking of the Uthri, the lordof Kushta, andthe creatorof alltreasures.Wehave givenyou dominion over alltheworlds oflight and the Uthri of light, who residein the dwellings, andeven overthe lower worlds of darkness. You are the one who was intended and designated for that world. Descend to that world before the Uthri descend to it. Go down before they do something hateful and unpleasant,whichis neither acceptable to the Great Hayyi norto you, Manda’d Hayyi. Since you aretheonewho keeps the Uthri in order, you should blaze the path and place the milestones.”
At that point Manda’d Hayyi finally spoke, saying, “When I look for you, whomshall I see? If I find myself in trouble, whom can I trust?Uponwhom should I depend to accomplish the intentionwhich You order meto do?”
GR, Book Three T* Glorification
InHis majesty, the Great Mana said to Manda’d Hayyi, “Youwill never be separated from us. We will be alwayswithyou. Everything that you are saying before us is correct. Youare connected to usand will not be cutoff from us. We arewithyou, becauseHayyi is full of kindness for you. Helpers will be created for you, calm and stable Uthri will becreated and appointed to be yourhelpers. Then helpers will be created,whom you shouldtreat as yourown sons. They will make Hayyi’s summons heard andbecome merchants, whoply their trade and plyit successfully.”
The GreatOne then gave him radiance andlight, andadded to what healready had.
He clothed himin a widerobe, wondrous and endless, He blessedhim with rich blessings,
withwhich the mighty havebeen blessed, And madehim father of the Uthri,
who supplies his friends with provisions.
According to the order of the glorious greatFruit,
Imade Kushta with them,and came to the House ofLife.
Hayyiasked about the Mana from which I was created:
You havecome by the graceof Greatness and thus you were planted.
InHisMajesty, Hayyi saidto Manda’dHayyi,
“Oh,Manda’dHayyi, you sawwhat theUthri did,
GR. Book Three 1st Glorification
andwhat they plan to do.
They leftthe House ofLife
and turned toface theplace of darkness.
Theyleft the company of Hayyi,
for thelove of thecompany ofdarkness.
They left the placeof splendorand light, forthelove of the perishable domain.
They left the Yardna of living water, and went to the stagnant waters.
They went tothe stagnant waters, and to the scorching fire.
They leftthe living flame for the love of the devouring fire, for thelove of the consuming fire,and the blazingfire.
Yes, Manda’d Hayyi, see what the Uthrihave done;
see how their weakness and imperfection areall around them.
IfWe were to upsettheworld and leavethembe, who would put thingsback inorder?
Whowill save them from its weakness, which they themselves have created?
Who willletthe call of the Great One be heard, who reigns in theHouse ofPerfection?”
Hayyi spoke to the valorous, well-armed Uthra,andsaid:
“Was not yourown creation accomplished well beforethe Uthri even existed?
Before theUthri, theGreatOne created youand charged you.
GR, Book Three 1“ Glorification
The Great Onecreatedand charged you, equipped you, charged you, sent you forth, and gave youauthority over everything.
Hegaveyouauthority over the dwellings, andthe mighty gates of the hidden place.
Hegave you authority over thesecret Uthri, who standsteadfast,glorifying the Great One.
He gave you authority over the mighty Yardna, and over the living,shining waters.
When the Powerfulcommanded it, Hecreated Uthriforyou, He created messengers foryou, calm andstable Uthri^
When Hayyi said this to me, I bowedandpraisedthe Almighty.
1praised Him, andthat Hecreated me and bestowed helpers upon me.
I was radiant inmy praise, as I stood in the hiddenplaces;
Ishone withmy enlightenment, whichHayyi had bestowed upon me.
I shone forth with my praise, abouteverythinginthe hidden places;
Ishone forth with my enlightenment,as I turned my attention to the rebels.
Before the Uthri couldgothere, I wentto the placeof darkness.
While I wasstill standing inthe House of Life, I sawthe rebels, I saw the gates of darkness,
I saw theabyss, the completedarkness.
