Mandaean Gnostic Studies: Ginza Rabba: The Divine Call, and, The Ascension of the Soul

Light and Sound on the Path

A Divine Voice Calls Out to All Souls in the Cosmos Summoning Them to Awakening. Also, a section on the the Ascension of the Soul (the Soul is Not Interested in Being Detained in the Lower Planes). Below is from the Ginza Rabba, Mandaean Gnostic Scriptures.

Manda ’d Hayyi is Calling [Gnosis of the Life (God)] is Calling

’Bshumayhon ‘d Hayyi rabbi
In the name of the Great Hayyi [In the Name of the Great Life]

He stands beyond the limits of the cosmos.
He calls from beyond furthest reaches of the universe.
Chosen believers, listen: Manda ‘d Hayyi [Gnosis of the Life] is calling you.
There are witnesses to bear witness to you.
Manda ‘d Hayyi said, “Hayyi knows that I have called. I have called
you, humanity of the earth.
“I called them to worship Hayyi, but they occupied themselves with
the material world.
“I called them to care for their souls, but they were preoccupied by
their bodies.”

The Soul Within Me Yearns
For Hayyi [Life (God)]

’Bshumayhon ‘d Hayyi rabbi
In the name of the Great Hayyi [In the Name of the Great Life]

The soul within me yearns for Hayyi.
The soul within me demands Hayyi.
My goal is to reach the Place of Life.
I am flying, advancing until I reach the first guardian.
The servants of the first guardian came to meet me.
They said, “Let us take this man with us as our captive.
He might serve as a companion to us.”

They asked me, “Hail, companion;
Where did you come from? Where do you go?”

I came from the earth, I am going to Hayyi,
and my path is to the Place of Life.

They said, “This is the Place of Life;
here it is, so where are you going now?”

I said to myself, “I am not one of them.
If I stayed with them, I would endure every torment.
This is not what my soul desires and wants.
The soul within me yearns for Hayyi.
The soul within me demands Hayyi.
My goal is to reach the Place of Life.”

I am flying, advancing until I reach the second guardian.
The servants of the second guardian came to meet me.
They said, “Let us take this man with us as our captive.
He might serve as a companion to us.”
They asked him, “Hail, companion;
Where did you come from? Where do you go?”

I came from the earth, I am going to Hayyi,
and my path is to the Place of Life.

They said, “This is the Place of Life;
here it is, so where are you going now?”

I said to myself, “I am not one of them.
If I stayed with them, I would endure every torment.
This is not what my soul desires and wants.
The soul within me yearns for Hayyi.
The soul within me demands Hayyi.
My goal is to reach the Place of Life.”

I am flying, advancing until I reach the third guardian.
The servants of the third guardian came to meet me.
They said, “Let us take this man with us as our captive.
He might serve as a companion to us.”
They asked him, “Hail, companion;
Where did you come from? Where do you go?”

I came from the earth, I am going to Hayyi,
and my path is to the Place of Life.

They said, “This is the Place of Life;
here it is, so where are you going now?”

I said to myself, “I am not one of them.
If I stayed with them, I would endure every torment.
This is not what my soul desires and wants.
The soul within me yearns for Hayyi.
The soul within me demands Hayyi.
My goal is to reach the Place of Life.”

I am flying, advancing until I reach the fourth guardian.
The servants of the fourth guardian came to meet me.
They said, “Let us take this man with us as our captive.
He might serve as a companion to us.”
They asked him, “Hail, companion;
Where did you come from? Where do you go?”

I came from the earth, I am going to Hayyi,
and my path is to the Place of Life.

They said, “This is the Place of Life;
here it is, so where are you going now?”

I said to myself, “I am not one of them.
If I stayed with them, I would endure every torment.
This is not what my soul desires and wants.
The soul within me yearns for Hayyi.
The soul within me demands Hayyi.
My goal is to reach the Place of Life.”

I am flying, advancing until I reach the fifth guardian.
The servants of the fifth guardian came to meet me.
They said, “Let us take this man with us as our captive.
He might serve as a companion to us.”
They asked him, “Hail, companion;
Where did you come from? Where do you go?”
I came from the earth, I am going to Hayyi,
and my path is to the Place of Life.

They said, “This is the Place of Life;
here it is, so where are you going now?”

I said to myself, “I am not one of them.
If I stayed with them, I would endure every torment.
This is not what my soul desires and wants.
The soul within me yearns for Hayyi.
The soul within me demands Hayyi.
My goal is to reach the Place of Life.”

I am flying, advancing until I reach the sixth guardian.
The servants of the sixth guardian came to meet me.
They said, “Let us take this man with us as our captive.
He might serve as a companion to us.”
They asked him, “Hail, companion;
Where did you come from? Where do you go?”

I came from the earth, I am going to Hayyi,
and my path is to the Place of Life.

They said, “This is the Place of Life;
here it is, so where are you going now?”

I said to myself, “I am not one of them.
If I stayed with them, I would endure every torment.
This is not what my soul desires and wants.
The soul within me yearns for Hayyi.
The soul within me demands Hayyi.
My goal is to reach the Place of Life.”

I am flying, advancing until I reach the seventh guardian.
The servants of the seventh guardian came to meet me.
They said, “Let us take this man with us as our captive.
He might serve as a companion to us.”
They asked him, “Hail, companion;
Where did you come from? Where do you go?”

I came from the earth, I am going to Hayyi,
and my path is to the Place of Life.

They said, “This is the Place of Life;
here it is, so where are you going now?”

I said to myself, “I am not one of them.
If I stayed with them, I would endure every torment.
This is not what my soul desires and wants.
The soul within me yearns for Hayyi.
The soul within me demands Hayyi.
My goal is to reach the Place of Life.”

I am flying, advancing until I reach the House of Life [Eighth Plane/True Heaven].
The righteous came forward to meet me.
In thanks, I bow down and praise Hayyi.
They clothed me in radiance, covered me with light,
and numbered me among the righteous.

Soul, you must raise your lamps
to shine among the lamps of light.
The word of truth has come to you.
It came to the faithful and the righteous.

’u Hayyi zaken