| Type: | Mandaean |
| Hayyi Rabbi | |
| Other Names: | Hayyi, Life, The Great Life, The First Life, Lord of Greatness (Mar d-Rabuta), King of Light, The Great Mind, Truth |
| Associate: | --> |
| Cult Centre: | --> |
| Abode: | World of Light |
| World: | --> |
| Weapons: | --> |
| Artefacts: | --> |
| Symbol: | Light, Living Water (Yardena) |
| Equivalent1 Type: | Manichaean |
| Equivalent1: | Father of Greatness |
| Equivalent2 Type: | Gnostic |
| Equivalent2: | Monad |
In Mandaeism, Hayyi Rabbi (Neo-Mandaic; [[wikt:ࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡓࡁࡉࡀ|ࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡓࡁࡉࡀ]]|translit=Hiia Rbia|lit=The Great Life), 'The Great Living God', is the supreme God from which all things emanate.
Hayyi Rabbi is also known as "The First Life", since during the creation of the material world, Yushamin emanated from Hayyi Rabbi as the 'Second Life'.[1] According to Qais Al-Saadi,Mandaeans recognize God to be the eternal, creator of all, the one and only in domination, who has no partner.[2] "God is worshiped alone and praised as the Supreme Force of the universe. He presides over all the worlds and all of creation."[3] In Mandaeism, is the belief in One God [3] (c.f Middle Aramaic Official Aramaic (700-300 BCE);; Imperial Aramaic (700-300 BCE);: שָׂהֲדוּתָא|sāhduṯā "testimony"[4]).
Hayyi Rabbi is also referred to in Mandaean scriptures as Hiia Rbia Qadmaiia ࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡓࡁࡉࡀ ࡒࡀࡃࡌࡀࡉࡉࡀ ('The First Great Life') or Hiia Rbia Nukraiia ࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡓࡁࡉࡀ ࡍࡅࡊࡓࡀࡉࡉࡀ ('The Alien/Transcendental Great Life').[5] Other names used are [[wikt:ࡌࡀࡓࡀ ࡖࡓࡀࡁࡅࡕࡀ|ࡌࡀࡓࡀ ࡖࡓࡀࡁࡅࡕࡀ]] ('Lord of Greatness' or 'The Great Lord'), [[wikt:ࡌࡀࡍࡀ ࡓࡁࡀ|ࡌࡀࡍࡀ ࡓࡁࡀ]] ('The Great Mind'), [[wikt:ࡌࡀࡋࡊࡀ ࡖࡍࡄࡅࡓࡀ|ࡌࡀࡋࡊࡀ ࡖࡍࡄࡅࡓࡀ]] ('King of Light') and [[wikt:ࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡒࡀࡃࡌࡀࡉࡉࡀ|ࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡒࡀࡃࡌࡀࡉࡉࡀ]] ('The First Life').[6] [7] Kušṭa ('Truth', ࡊࡅࡔࡈࡀ) is also another name for Hayyi Rabbi, as well as Parṣupa Rba ('Great Immanence, Great Countenance'[8]). In the Ginza Rabba (in Right Ginza books 1 and 2.1), the divine countenance of Hayyi Rabbi is referred to as the "Great Countenance of Glory" (ࡐࡀࡓࡑࡅࡐࡀ ࡓࡁࡀ ࡖࡏࡒࡀࡓࡀ|translit=Parṣupa Rba ḏ-ʿqara, parṣufa in Neo-Mandaic).[9]
According to E. S. Drower, the name Great Mind or Great Mana refers to the "over-soul" or "over-mind", the earliest manifestation of Hayyi, from which the soul of a human might be seen as a spark or temporarily detached part.[10] In book three of the Right Ginza, Hayyi is said to have "formed Himself in the likeness of the Great Mana, from which He emerged".[11]
Brikha Nasoraia writes:
See also: Bshuma. Many Mandaean texts and prayers begin with the opening phrase b-šumaihun ḏ-hiia rabia (ࡁࡔࡅࡌࡀࡉࡄࡅࡍ ࡖࡄࡉࡉࡀ ࡓࡁࡉࡀ|link=no), "In the name of the Great Life", (Arabic: باسم الحي العظيم|bism al-Ḥayy al-ʿAẓīm, similar to the basmala in Islam[5] and the Christian Trinitarian formula).