First Khanda

The creation of the worlds and of the human being by God

1.1.1 In the beginning, verily, God alone was, no other blinking thing whatever. He willed: "Let Me now create worlds."

1.1.2 He created these worlds: the water above, the light-rays, death, the waters. Yon is the water, above the heaven; the heaven is its support. The light-rays are the atmosphere; death, the earth; what is underneath, the waters.

1.1.3 He willed: "Here now are worlds. Let Me now create a being to be a steward in them." Right from the waters He drew forth and shaped a human being.

1.1.4 Upon him He set His design.

When he had been so designed, his mouth was separated out, egg-like; from the mouth, speech; and by God's command fire serves speech.

Nostrils were separated out; from the nostrils, breath; and by God's command the wind serves breath.

Eyes were separated out; from the eyes, sight; and by God's command the sun serves sight.

Ears were separated out; from the ears, hearing; and by God's command the quarters of heaven serve hearing.

Skin was separated out; from the skin, hairs; and by God's command plants and trees serve the skin.

A heart was separated out; from the heart, mind; and by God's command the moon serves the mind.

A navel was separated out; from the navel, the out-breath; from the out-breath, death.

A member of generation was separated out; from it, the seed of life; and by God's command water serves the seed.

Second Khanda

The created powers in the human person

1.2.1 These created powers, having been created, fell headlong in this great restless sea. He visited it with hunger and thirst.

They said to Him: "Find out for us an abode wherein we may be established and may eat food."

1.2.2 He led up a bull to them. They said: "Verily, this is not sufficient for us."

He led up a horse to them. They said: "Verily, this is not sufficient for us."

1.2.3 He led up a human being to them. They said: "Oh! well done!" Verily, a human being is a thing well done.

He said to them: "Enter into your respective abodes."

1.2.4 Fire became speech, and entered the mouth.

Wind became breath, and entered the nostrils.

The sun became sight, and entered the eyes.

The quarters of heaven became hearing, and entered the ears.

Plants and trees became hairs, and entered the skin.

The moon became mind, and entered the heart.

Death became the out-breath, and entered the navel.

Waters became the seed of life, and entered the member of generation.

1.2.5 Hunger and thirst said to Him: "For us two also find out an abode."

Unto the two He said: "I assign you two a part among these powers. I make you two partakers among them." Therefore in every offering made for God's sake, hunger and thirst become partakers in it, and the hungry and the thirsty have their share in every charity.

Third Khanda

The creation of food, and the inability of various personal functions to obtain it

1.3.1 He willed: "Here now are worlds and powers that serve in them. Let Me create food for them."

1.3.2 He set His design upon the waters. From them, when they had been so designed, a material form was produced. Verily, that material form which was produced, verily, that is food.

1.3.3 Having been created, it sought to flee away.

One sought to seize it with speech. He was not able to grasp it with speech. If indeed he had grasped it with speech, merely with uttering food one would have been satisfied.

1.3.4 One sought to grasp it with breath. He was not able to grasp it with breath. If indeed he had grasped it with breath, merely with breathing toward food one would have been satisfied.

1.3.5 One sought to grasp it with sight. He was not able to grasp it with sight. If indeed he had grasped it with sight, merely with seeing food one would have been satisfied.

1.3.6 One sought to grasp it with hearing. He was not able to grasp it with hearing. If indeed he had grasped it with hearing, merely with hearing food one would have been satisfied.

1.3.7 One sought to grasp it with the skin. He was not able to grasp it with the skin. If indeed he had grasped it with the skin, merely with touching food one would have been satisfied.

1.3.8 One sought to grasp it with the mind. He was not able to grasp it with the mind. If indeed he had grasped it with the mind, merely with thinking on food one would have been satisfied.

1.3.9 One sought to grasp it with the member of generation. He was not able to grasp it with that member. If indeed he had grasped it with that member, merely with emitting food one would have been satisfied.

1.3.10 One sought to grasp it with the out-breath, the digestive breath. By it he took it in. Thus it is that the digestive breath takes in food, and the one who lives on food lives by it, by God's command.

The giving of the soul

1.3.11 God willed: "How now could this creature exist without My spirit?"

He willed: "How shall I breathe the spirit into him?"

He willed: "If with speech there is uttered, if with breath there is breathed, if with sight there is seen, if with hearing there is heard, if with the skin there is touched, if with the mind there is thought, if with the out-breath there is breathed out, if with the member of generation there is emitted, then by what does a human being know that he is alive?"

1.3.12 So He breathed into him of His spirit. The soul has three states, three conditions of sleep: waking, dreaming, and deep sleep. This is one state. This is another state. This is another state.

The human being's recognition of God

1.3.13 Having been born, the human being looked around on creatures, thinking: "Of what here would one desire to say that it is like unto God?" He saw that nothing is like Him. "I have seen His signs," said he.