Chapter 76

In the name of the Life! Praises to the Outer Life

Whom Ye caused to dwell without (beyond), The abode that hath limit. For Your eyes are open to (discern) Your own, Your ears hearken at Your Place. Praises to that one great name of Life Which is above all names. Its name resteth on the great Place of Light, On the everlasting abode and on the city of 'uthras, And on the Beam who was greater than all beams, With Whose fight all beams shine And by Whom all souls are justified;

Who establisheth our strength and cutteth us not off From the House of our trust; Who restoreth our souls at the House of Ransom On the Day of Judgement, and perfecteth our souls On the great Day of joy. Praises (be) to One Who is all the 'uthras, And to One Who is all prayers, and to the Predestined One Wvho came and remained for our commemoration And who was established in the presence of Outer Life. (One) on whose mouth Life rested and whose praise Was established without. Praises, praises to the Ancient, the First, To the Son of the great Primal Life Whom Life called, prepared, armed and sent Him forth To the generations. (Lo) Thou camest and didst open a door, Thou didst level a road and tread out a path, Didst set up a boundary-stone And didst knit together a community. Thou wast Helper, Saviour and Guide To the Father of the great Family of Life, And didst knit it together in a Communion of Life, Didst build it into a great Building of sound construction And didst bring it forth to the great Place of Light And the Everlasting Abode.

O callers whom I have summoned! O nourishers whom I have nourished! O builders whom I have raised up And brought out from amongst the peoples, nations and tongues! Behold, here I stand! Behold, here I dwell! Worlds against whom I guard myself Though your words are not far from my face, If ye take mountains (of food) as your viaticum for eating,

They will not satisfy (lit. " complete") you. If ye take seas for your drinking They will not make you perfect (content you). (But) if with perfections ye stand before the Outer Life And before the Eternal Abode, I will count your number, And your reckoning shall be reckoned. Betimes I will come and will fly And will reach the sons of my Name, the sons of my Sign, And the sons of the great Family of Life. I will bind you together into the bundle of Life And I will build you into a great Building of Truth And will bring you forth to the great Place of Light And to the Everlasting Abode.

If there is no hatred, rancour, or dissension amongst you The hand of the unbartablas (customs-officers?) will not search amongst your garments; Ye will not pass over the Bridge Nor walk in a narrow street; Ye will not stand before the judge Nor look on the countenance of the Adversary-at-law; Nor will ye see an averted face. The chief customs-officer will not question you.

Ye will go forth: ye will behold the Perfecter of Souls, One who setteth on paths of surety His friends that are made perfect, A great comrade of the faithful, One of the great band of souls, Who will come out toward you And clothe your souls in a garment of radiance

And in good pure vestments of light Which he will bring you from the Great Place of Light And the Everlasting Abode. He will bring out toward you wreaths, A wreath of victories. And every leaf of your wreaths will (weigh) One thousand and eighty mithqals. Its brilliancy will exceed the brightness of the Sun And its light outshine the light of the moon. Ye will receive your vesture and will receive your wreaths In the presence of the Great (Life). Ye will be great, and called 'uthras amongst the 'uthras. Ye will open your eyes and behold your Judge. Betimes will the dayspring dawn upon you, In strength ye will arise and behold the Outer Ether And the great Beam who is all light, Who was set up before the Great Life: He whom Life created, prepared and sent forth To the ages and to the worlds. And every man who giveth oblation; And took part in the communion from beginning to end. They will make as perfect as the mamas, Like rays of light he will be made to shine On the day of deliverance, on the Day of Redemption, The great Day of Joy; so that his righteous act Stretcheth onward. It will precede you and will uplift, Showing you the Outer Ether and the everlasting Abode, The place which is ancient, (of) Primal Beings, And sons of the great Family of Life. They eat of that which is imperishable And drink that which is not wine, eating well And asking solace. And an 'uthra of Life Cometh and resteth upon them day by day and hour by hour Praises (be) to the fame of the righteous And to the existence of Chosen Elect (men), And to the Unearthly Being who standeth without, Whose eyes are open and fixed upon those Who love his name of Truth (kusta) - Thou art he, Manda-d-Hiia! for thou knowest About that in which the perfect man is made perfect, And about the virtuous man, in what his virtue consisteth. And the Lie, of what doth it consist. Not a word issueth from the mouth of a perfect man But thou knowest it, hast understood and expected it In the great Place of Light and the Everlasting Abode. 'the mountain doth not boast its strength, nor a hero his doughty deeds, Nor doth a bowman vaunt his bow, nor the physician his drugs, Nor the righteous and sage man the utterance of his mouth. Not so: it is an 'uthra of Life which cometh And resteth upon Thy devotees. And those who seek from Him shall find, and to those who ask of Him

It will be given. Day by day, hour by hour, behold us Who stand in Thy name and are upheld by (calling on) Thy name. We hold to Thy Leader of the great company of Truth We have held staunch because of Thy victories. Humiliate us not; cast us not into the hands of tormentors, Liars, hypocrites and the censorious. Let not torturers strike us nor condemners damn our souls! The good will see and wvill be found ready, (But) The wicked will be discomfited and the children of the world be shamed

Perfected (souls) will see that the Life existeth, And will direct their gaze to the great Place of Light and the everlasting Abode.

Thou, Manda-d-Hiia, callest the caller, nourishest the nourisher, buildest the builder,

Exaltest horns, enlargest footsteps and settest up a road, And dost knit together in communion.

Thou art He who constructeth, and who takest out from amongst the peoples, nations and tongues every man who is summoned, worthy and invited. To every man whose term of life is over Thou wilt be a Helper, Saviour and Guide to the great Place of Light and to the everlasting Abode. As to one whose term is incomplete and he standeth (liveth) in the body, (able) to open his mouth, lift up his voice, pray his prayers and to offer up his praise, and whose feet can walk to my House, thine 'uthra shall come and shall rest upon him, Thy friend.

Diffuse Thy light over all who love Thy name of Truth (kusta). Thou hast spoken with Thy Word and hast commanded us with Thy commandment, " Over your words My Word hath precedence: and at the raising of your right hands (towards Me?) My right hand will be lifted towards you. Ye will call, and I will answer you quickly. Ye will seek My hand and I will not withhold it (from) your hands".

We will pray with Thee the 'uthras' prayer and ask of Thee, of the Great (Life), a petition for ourselves, for our friends, for our friends' friends and for those who love the great Family of Life, for the whole Nasiruta of Life, fulfilled and disseminated on earth. Thou wilt bring us some of Thy radiance, thou wilt lend us some of Thy light. We will enter into Thy radiance will go forth in Thy light, will rise in Thy name and be kept right by Thy nature. Truth is Thy name, Knowledge of Life is Thy name, precious is Thy name, magnified is Thy name, victorious is Thy name, victorious are the words of truth wvhich issue from Thy mouth, and victorious are all Thy deeds. And Life is victorious!