Manda (Mandaeism)

In Mandaeism, manda (Classical Mandaic: ࡋࡀࡅࡐࡀ) is the concept of gnosis or spiritual knowledge.^[1] Mandaeans stress salvation of the soul through secret knowledge (gnosis) of its divine origin.^[2] Mandaeism "provides knowledge of whence we have come and whither we are going."^[3]: 531

Etymology

On the basis of cognates in other Aramaic dialects, Semiticists such as Mark Lidzbarski and Rudolf Macúch have translated the term manda as "knowledge" (cf. Imperial Aramaic: מַנְדַּע mandaʻ in Dan. 2:21, 4:31, 33, 5:12; cf. Hebrew: מַדַּע maddaʻ, with characteristic assimilation of /n/ to the following consonant, medial -nd-, hence becoming -dd-^[4]). In his 1965 Mandaic handbook, Macúch suggests that due to the special religious use of the word, -n- was added in order to make it unique from other words with the same root.^[5]

Derived terms

Mandaeism ('having knowledge') comes from the Mandaic word manda, meaning "knowledge".^[6]: 15 Mandaean priests formally refer to themselves as Naṣuraia (Nasoraeans), meaning guardians or possessors of secret rites and knowledge.^[7][8]

Mandaia (Classical Mandaic: ࡌࡀࡍࡃࡀࡉࡉࡀ, lit. 'Gnostic, Knower, Enlightened One'; plural: Mandaiia) is a Mandaic term that refers to a Mandaean layperson, as opposed to a Naṣuraia (Mandaean priest).^[9]: 116

The beth manda (beit manda, bit manda, ࡁࡉࡕ ࡌࡀࡍࡃࡀ, 'house of knowledge'), also called a mandi, is a Mandaean building that serves as a community center and place of worship.

The name of the uthra Manda d-Hayyi literally means the manda (gnosis) of Hayyi Rabbi ("The Life"). Manda d-Hayyi is considered to be the most important uthra, since he is the one bringing manda (knowledge or gnosis) to Earth (Tibil).^[10]

See also

• Gnosis
• Divine spark
• Enlightenment in Buddhism
• Prajñā (Buddhism)
• Prajna (Hinduism)
• Satori in Zen Buddhism
• Neoplatonism and Gnosticism
• Valentinianism § Gnosis

References

1. Aldihisi, Sabah (2008). The story of creation in the Mandaean holy book in the Ginza Rba (PhD). University College London.
2. Drower, Ethel Stephana (1960). The secret Adam, a study of Nasoraean gnosis (PDF). London UK: Clarendon Press. xvi. Archived from the original (PDF) on 6 March 2014. Retrieved 19 February 2014.
3. Deutsch, Nathaniel. (2003) Mandaean Literature. In The Gnostic Bible (pp. 527–561). New Seeds Books
4. Angel Sáenz-Badillos, A History of the Hebrew Language. Cambridge University Press, 1993 (ISBN 978-0521556347), p. 36 et passim. (See also Biblical Hebrew phonology#Classification: "Hebrew also shares with the Canaanite languages ... assimilation of non-final /n/ to the following consonant.")
5. Macúch, Rudolf (1965). Handbook of Classical and Modern Mandaic. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter.
6. Rudolph, Kurt (1977). "Mandaeism". In Moore, Albert C. (ed.). Iconography of Religions: An Introduction. Vol. 21. Chris Robertson. ISBN 9780800604882.
7. Rudolph, Kurt (7 April 2008). "MANDAEANS ii. THE MANDAEAN RELIGION". Encyclopaedia Iranica. Retrieved 3 January 2022.
8. Drower, Ethel Stefana (1953). The Haran Gawaita and the Baptism of Hibil-Ziwa. Biblioteca Apostolica Vaticana.
9. Nasoraia, Brikha H.S. (2021). The Mandaean gnostic religion: worship practice and deep thought. New Delhi: Sterling. ISBN 978-81-950824-1-4. OCLC 1272858968.
10. Buckley, Jorunn Jacobsen (2002). The Mandaeans: ancient texts and modern people. New York: Oxford University Press. ISBN 0-19-515385-5. OCLC 65198443.