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The Asuta Wish: Adam Kasia1 and the Dynamics of Healing in Mandaean Contemplative Praxis2

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The Asuta Wish: Adam Kasia1 and the Dynamics of Healing in Mandaean Contemplative Praxis2 ARAM, 22 (2010) 349-390. doi: 10.2143/ARAM.22.0.2131045 THE ASUTA WISH: ADAM KASIA1 AND THE DYNAMICS OF HEALING IN MANDAEAN CONTEMPLATIVE PRAXIS2 Prof. BRIKHA H.S. NASORAIA & Dr. EDWARD F. CRANGLE (University of Sydney) This work is dedicated to Emeritus Professor Garry W. Trompf, Historian of Ideas Abstract The work represents an initial academic evaluation of healing in Mandaeism. To the authors’ knowledge, the present paper represents the inaugural academic discussion and indeed record of the subject. Historical studies concerning the origin and development of Mandaean religious practices restrict themselves to ritual forms, with subsequent neglect of the contemplative and healing practices that form the foundation of such rituals. With the above in mind, this paper will examine certain of the most relevant textual and artistic evidence from an historical perspective, whereby attention is restricted mainly to how Mandaean con- templative healing praxis is depicted in the main Mandaean texts and art forms. Further, the paper aims to identify the progression of spiritual, healing praxis in Mandaean religion that is developed independently of introduced meditative practices related to healing. That is to say, this work seeks to contribute to an eventual resolution of the problem regarding the most probable source of the Mandaean means to spiritual healing by examining certain of the most relevant textual evidence from critical his- torical and esoteric perspectives. In doing so, the project will consider the important Mandaean text entitled Qulast: The Mandaean Canonical Book and other secret Mandaean scrolls. Reference will be made to recent work on the dynamics of healing in Buddhist meditation. In particular, ongoing collaboration of the authors on the origin and development of the Mandaean means to enlightenment repeatedly came upon and duly noted the similarities in meta- physics and meditative praxis of Mandaeism to esoteric Buddhism. Whilst the authors employ parallel hermeneutical processes, such similarities in metaphysics and meditative praxis raise questions regarding possible cross-fertilisation of ideas, meditative practices and esoteric healing practices originating in early Buddhism and vice versa. At the same time, the present article contrasts elements from various holy books and secret Mandaean scrolls with contemplative practices depicted in the canonical literature of the early Buddhists – the Tipi†aka. 1 Adam Kasia (the Secret Adam, also called Adakas). 2 For the preparation of this article, the authors are grateful for the financial assistance of a research grant awarded from the Research Infrastructure Blocks Grants Scheme (RIBG) of the Australian Government’s Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. 93793_Aram_22_17_Nasoraia.indd 349 18/10/11 15:23 350 THE ASUTA WISH INTRODUCTION The Mandaeans are a cultural identity mainly residing in Iraq and Iran.3 Small Mandaean communities exist also in Europe, the U.S.A., Australia, and else- where as a consequence of the diaspora resulting from recent persecution in Iraq and Iran. (Nasoraia, 2005:4 4 ff., and n.12). With the recent military incursions into Iraq and the real possibility of civil war there and the religious persecution in both Iraq and Iran, survival of the Mandaean religion, which has persisted largely unchanged until today, and the Mandaean community has been gravely threatened. The diaspora adds also to the problem of maintaining the religion and the community as a cohesive entity. As this religion is the last Gnostic religion being practised in the present day, any loss of any of its elements would be a travesty. As recent conflict unfolds, dialogue regarding healing praxis in Mandaeism and Buddhism serves as a minor contribution to the Mandaean record and its relationship to other Knowledge religions. AIMS AND SIGNIFICANCE The genesis of this article was three major exhibitions on Mandaean Baptism and Contemplative Ritual,5 as well as the publication of work on Esotericism, (Crangle, 2004; Nasoraia, 2004a) including research on the dynamics of healing 3 For more details about the Mandaeans see Drower, E. S. The Mandaeans of Iraq and Iran: Their Cults, Customs, Magic, Legends and Folklore, Oxford UP, Oxford, 1937. See also Kurt Rudolph, Mandaeism, Leiden, 1978. 4 Hereafter DQRDK; this work is accepted for publication. See Ebied, Rifaat & Hunter, Erica. (eds) Corpus Codicum Mandaeorum series, Brepols Publishers, in press. 5 These exhibitions of creative work include: 2007 An exhibition of original fine photographic prints by Dr Edward Crangle, Department of Studies in Religion, University of Sydney on “The Mandaean Baptism” to the ARAM Twenty Fourth International Conference on the theme of the “Mandaeans”, held at Sancta Sophia College (University of Sydney), 8-10 July 2007; 2005 The University of Sydney and Australian Catholic University joint exhibition: Masbuta: The Mandaean Baptism, an exhibition of original fine pho- tographic prints by Dr Edward Crangle, Department of Studies in Religion, University of Sydney. Exhibition display: ACU National Gallery, Strathfield: 13 July to 6 August 2005. See USYD News & Events: http://www.usyd.edu.au/news/84.html?newscategoryid=11&newsstoryid=614 Also see ACU National Gallery @ Strathfield: http://arts-sciences-nsw.mary.acu.edu.au/artgallery/05mandaean.html; 2005 The Mandaeans; an exhibition of original fine photographic prints by Dr Edward Crangle, Department of Studies in Religion, University of Sydney. Display Macquarie University Library: 1-8 May 2005. See Macquarie University Earlier Exhibitions: http://www.lib.mq.edu.au/exhibitions/ 93793_Aram_22_17_Nasoraia.indd 350 18/10/11 15:23 B.H.S. NASORAIA & E.F. CRANGLE 351 in Buddhism.6 Mandaean baptismal ritual and associated contemplative prac- tices aim at spiritual knowledge or enlightenment, as well as healing. The work below represents an initial academic evaluation of healing in Man- daeism. To the authors’ knowledge, the present paper represents the inaugural academic discussion and indeed record of the subject. In particular, ongoing collaboration of the authors on the origin and devel- opment of the Mandaean means to enlightenment repeatedly came upon and duly noted the similarities in metaphysics and meditative praxis of Mandaeism to esoteric Buddhism. Whilst the authors employ parallel hermeneutical pro- cesses, such similarities in metaphysics and meditative praxis raise questions regarding possible cross-fertilisation of influences and practices. Geographical proximity of the scholar-contemplatives of early Mandaeism and early Buddhism, and investigation of possible cross-fertilisation of their ideas and practices, has been hitherto neglected or disregarded. No doubt this is due to the challenge of dealing with differing language groups (Semitic versus Indo-Aryan) and differing academic traditions (Middle Eastern Studies versus South Asian Studies). These academic traditions tend to ignore the evidence of geographical location, early commerce, missionary activity etc., which suggest strongly an early interaction between Mandaeism and Buddhism.7 Esoteric teachings inform all ritual healing practices. It is, however, difficult to determine which forms of healing praxis developed independently of other meditative practices that appeared later in the Jordan Valley, later in Mesopo- tamia, and in India. Recent publication on the dynamics of healing in Buddhist meditation, (Crangle, 2007a) and other published material which evaluates the 6 Material on Buddhist contemplative praxis and soteriology that follows is extracted from Crangle, Edward F. (1994) “Chapter 4, Contemplative Practices in the Pali Suttas,” in The Origin and Development of Early Indian Contemplative Practices, vol. 29 Studies in Oriental Religions series, edited by Walther Heissing & Hans-Joachim Klimkeit, (Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz Verlag, 1994), pp. 139-265. See also: Crangle, Edward F. (2007) “The Bodhisattva Intent: Guanyin and the Dynamics of Healing in Buddhist Meditation,” in Bodhisattva Avalokitesvara (Guanyin) and Modern Society: Proceedings of the Fifth Chung-Hwa International Conference on Buddhism, William Magee & Yi-hsun Huang (eds), Taipei: Dharma Drum Publishing Corporation, pp. 65-110. 7 The authors’ interest and expertise in contemplative praxis-comparative esotericism, along with their ongoing collaboration, led also to a unique, seminal exploration of the dynamics of Buddhist and Mandaean contemplative praxis in the recent inaugural International Samadhi Forum 2006. This conference arose from an earlier Samadhi Forum, which met infrequently to bring together scholar-contemplatives of many religious traditions to meditate together before discussing aspects of the meditation. The Forum participants and sponsor were convinced of the worthiness of holding the Forum at an International level in order to preserve esoteric aspects of meditation that are in danger of becoming lost. This is the case of the Mandaean esoteric works and practices, due to recent martial events in Iraq and the subsequent appalling diaspora of the Mandaean people. In particular, the International Samadhi Forum 2006 was an outstanding oppor- tunity to record Mandaean esoteric ideas and practices, while exploring the comparative dynam- ics of other Knowledge systems of religion, especially neighbouring Buddhism. See: Crangle, Edward F. (ed.) (2010) The Pathway to the Centre: Purity and the Mind – Proceedings of the International Samadhi Forum 2006. Sydney: 60th Dhammachai
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