Our theme for this issue of Jai is “The Pearl”. Chosen for its spiritual significance, this image can be found in many sacred writings as in the Bible where it refers to something very sacred as in the story of “the Pearl of Great Price” or the saying: “Cast not thy pearls before swine”. The idea of a pearl necklace mirroring spirit is even reflected in a verse of Ramanad Prasad’s translation of The Bhagavad Gita - “One and the same Spirit is present in cows, horses, human beings, birds and all other living beings, just as the same thread is present in the necklace made of diamond, gold, pearls or wood. The entire creation is permeated by Him.”

The Cause – a Grain of Sand
“Nacreous Passion” was a dance/multi media piece that I choreographed several years ago for On the Boards Theatre in Seattle. The central theme was this teaching from the oyster: that something beautiful – the pearl, a nacreous, iridescent, smooth and perfect orb – can be created from an ‘irritant’, a grain of sand invading its interior world.

Symbolically, that which might seem an unpleasant, abrasive situation or ‘problem’ in our personal story can potentially through awareness and creativity in action, bring transformation and wisdom. In other words: ‘Adversity is the mother of invention’. For example, for some people, a rough childhood or a physical handicap is reason enough to give up, while for others it can propel them to greatness.

To see the creative possibilities in any circumstances is like an artist who uses discarded materials as their medium to express their vision. Recycling as Siva, the ultimate artist, does with the elements of the universe into myriad forms.

Our Challenge
Today the ‘problems’ can seem overwhelming, due to our limited view. Overabundance in some parts of the globe, mass starvation in others, political corruption, overpopulation, wars, destruction of our natural resources, and toxic dumping into our environment leading to epidemics of disease/cancer are just a few examples. The ‘pearls’ of our beautiful world and natural resources have been squandered, scattered before the ‘swine’ of human greed. The human hubris and ignorance of seeing all the earth as some ‘thing’ we have a ‘God-given’ right to abuse without regard for other species, our neighbors or our own future generations.

‘Casting Pearls before swine’ – even this saying which denigrates pigs is revealing of our human specie-o-centric viewpoint. The pervasive view is that other animals exist for human consumption since we have power or dominion over them. Matthew Scully in his book Dominion gives a most excellent and thorough study of this biblical idea of human dominion over God’s other creatures, showing that dominion implies responsibility rather than abuse of power.

Prayers
There is a chant in the yoga tradition that we often sing in our classes at Samadhi that is dedicated to the Goddess who is the world itself. This chant describes the Indian premise that all of Nature and our seemingly individual selves are all one, all connection; Yoga is the Realization of that Union. All beings are our relations.

“Salutations to Narayani, the three-eyed divine mother, who brings auspiciousness and who fulfills all the desire for liberation. Realization arises with Her blessing. She is the world itself – Only through the experience of life can the soul be perfected. Honor this gift, your life”.

There is another prayer, “Guru Brahma…,” that reminds us to find the teaching in every experience we encounter, in all three cycles or aspects of life: creation, duration and destruction (of form). We can learn from even the most challenging experience if we are open and willing. If we stubbornly cling to our separate ego-self we fail to receive the pearl of wisdom. The world is always teaching us through the plants, animals, elements, our emotions and other ways. These can help us to open our hearts and minds.

Guru Brahma Guru Vishnu Guru Devo Maheshvara Guru Sakshat Parambrahma Tasmai Shri Gurave Namah

Supreme teacher is Brahma (creator) Supreme teacher is Vishnu (protector/preserver) Supreme teacher is Maheshwara (Siva, destroyer/transformer) Supreme teacher is the source (the Absolute). I offer all of my efforts to that great teacher.

The Effects
There is always a choice in our situation. Every cause has an effect. What transpires now may not always appear to have a cause, but in the Indian assumption of Karma/Reincarnation we are always creating our situation. We may not be aware or remember the overindulgence of yesterday that caused the sickness or disease of today. It is believed that karmic seeds are carried by the ‘Causal body’ beyond a single lifetime. We may not remember the past life that created the conditions we are born into, but it is thought that we are indeed yet responsible.

Life may be fraught with challenges, like the irritation that creates the pearl, but it is how we resolve those tests through our clarity of perception and intention that determines if it will bind us or liberate us! Either we identify with the passing suffering or with the transcendent Self. All suffering is said to arise from ignorance and attachment or identification with the sham of the ego, the separate self.

When we are more concerned with “getting” than with giving, as the prayer of St. Francis so beautifully expresses, we miss out on the gift of Love.

“…Oh Divine Master, grant that I may not so much seek to be consoled as to console, to be understood as to understand, to be loved as to Love. For it is in giving that we receive, it is in pardoning that we are pardoned, it is in dying to self that we are born to eternal life.”

In the practice of yoga we are given the tools with which to beautify our mental state. The Guru in all aspects shines the light into the darkness (Gu=darkness, Ru=light). We learn to bring all our Love into our living. We surround the challenge with the ‘nacre’ or reflected light of the Divine. We see our obstacles as stepping stones. What before seemed to be randomly ‘inflicted’ on us, we now begin to see as our own creation, a lesson we asked for at some time in the recent or distant past.

Indian philosophy teaches that we are always causing our own experience. If it is our ignorance of our interconnectedness with all of nature and all beings that is the seed of this suffering, then by respecting, honoring and living in harmony with all beings we may alleviate our own pain, for all beings’ pain is our pain. Jesus taught this when he said: “Love thy neighbor as thyself and the Lord with all your heart and soul.”

Did the oyster choose to have sand invade its interior space in order to inspire the creation of a beautiful gem? The pearl is the art of the oyster; creativity springing from a strange intrusion.

The human-o-centric viewpoint - to view the pearl as art - stems from a limited human perspective, as do these thoughts from this limited human consciousness. How is the pearl seen from the oyster’s viewpoint? The oyster doesn’t “see” the pearl at all, but the smoothness merely makes the irritant tolerable.

A Resolution
How do we approach our human problems to turn them pearly? We can feel helpless in the face of war, government corruption, corporate control of the ruling body, epidemics of disease, poverty and starvation, global warming, environmental devastation, cruel abuse of voiceless animals in factory farms, genocide, racial and social injustice and mass extinction of our brother and sister species to name a few.

Can we reverse the devastating trends with awareness and skillfulness in action? Can we find solutions through swadyaya (self-observation), facing our own shortcomings and simplifying our personal needs, to create service programs, more intensive recycling and conservation programs, with faith, courage, respect and compassion? Each of us must answer these in his own way. Let us take responsibility for our thoughts, words and actions. Envision a new trend to overcome apathy by taking an active stand to serve future generations of all species with love. As Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita:

“Never does one enjoy freedom from action by not undertaking action, nor does he attain that freedom by mere renunciation of action. For none ever remains inactive even for a moment; for all are compelled to action by the gunas (qualities) inherent in prakriti (nature)…But he, O Arjuna, who, keeping all the senses under control of the mind, engages the organs in karma yoga (yoga of service), without attachment, that one excels. Do thou thy allotted task; for action is superior to inaction. With inaction even life’s normal course is not possible. This world of men suffers bondage from all action save that which is done for the sake of sacrifice (yajna). To this end, O Kaunteya, perform action without attachment.” – from Chapter.3 The Bhagavad Gita according to Ghandi

In the Bhagavad Gita the yoga of knowledge (jnana), devotion (bhakti yoga) and karma yoga (service) are said to be the roads to freedom but bhakti is considered the highest. The practice of ishwara pranidhana (offering the fruits of your actions to the Divine) serves to renew our faith and courage and make change possible. We can’t do it with our egos, so let us manifest the ‘pearl of great price’ that is made up of honesty, devotion, compassion and respect for all life. Through these actions, one by one we will make a necklace of radiance to wreath the world.

Pearlessence
by Evets Sivad

The pearl is often used as a metaphor for transformation of consciousness. It is symbolic of the many dimensions that make up the various layers of the physical realm (prakriti) that veil the absolute (Brahman). In the pearl we see the microcosm, macrocosm, and the metacosm. The source of the pearl begins with a tiny grain of sand (microcosm) and over time as the oyster adds layer after layer the precious pearl begins to manifest into the macrocosm. Similarly, the universe has expanded from a single point, zero point, or singularity, to the incomprehensible reaches of space and time.

Without the source, in this case the grain of sand, the pearl would never be, and yet how unaware we often are of that which was the seed of the pearl. Obviously, the pearl and the source are not separate and never have been. But, because we cannot see the original speck of sand we cease to be aware of its presence, and instead become enamored with the lustrous layers that capture our attention. Likewise, the universe could not exist without its source. The universal seed has given rise to many layers, dimensions and qualities (gunas) creating the grand illusion of reality (maya) that humanity has become enamored with. How can we become aware of the source, the One behind it all?

There is much talk and writing about the nature of the Absolute, or the Source. Is it something, or nothing? When we talk about oneness it is not readily understood in its true nature. Our intellectual endeavors to understand it originate in the realm of the many; the layers, dimensions, and qualities that arise out of the One. When we use our senses and the finite tool of language we can never completely know the infinite, the ineffable. Hence, true knowing of the Absolute must come through an experience that transcends the finite. We call this a spiritual experience.

The spiritual experience is the result of breaking though some sort of boundary or limit. It might range from something as simple as witnessing what you thought was impossible to experiencing something completely mysterious and indescribable. The common denominator is an expansion of awareness to a higher level. The byproduct is wisdom. The Absolute will always be indescribable because it has no comparison. The One is nothing because a thing can only exist relative to another thing. Hence, it is no-thing.

The One Absolute Source is always present. It is the original infinite window on which all the many finite windows of consciousness open and close creating the illusion of maya, individuality, and separateness. If we begin to close down all the many windows of consciousness we may eventually get to the original window. This is what we do when we start down the spiritual path (sadhana) - we begin to move closer and closer to the Source. We begin closing windows which are tantamount to habitual thinking (samskaras) or belief parameters. These closings mark the expansions of awareness, paradigm shifts, or spiritual experiences coincident with sadhana.

Through the discipline (tapas) of practice and self study (swadyaya) we begin to avoid automatically opening up the many windows of the mind that limit our awareness and distract us from the source. In time we learn to focus on a single window of consciousness without distraction. Within this period of undistracted concentration on a single window of consciousness (dyana), we may, if it is to be our karma, ultimately lose our frame of reference. This is a revolutionary moment, in which our individual window of consciousness merges with the original infinite window, and all the qualities of the many (maya: products of time and space) fall away to reveal the One Absolute Source. In a moment of realization our whole universe collapses down to no-thing.

What does this have to do with the pearl? If we look at the pearl from the perspective of a jeweler, s/he would point out its important characteristics. Then, these characteristics would be qualified or judged relative to the archetypal or ideal pearl. For example color, luster, and spherocity are common characteristics that distinguish one pearl from another. On the metacosmic level, ideal consciousness is whole, or expands equally in every direction creating a perfect sphere of consciousness: perfect balance and harmony. When this state of consciousness is realized, the qualities that individuate cease to be. Qualities, like color and luster, have no meaning in the unconditional state because there is no comparison or judgment that separates one from another; it is all one. So the pearl acts as a catalyst for transformation of consciousness. When the ready aspirant sees beyond its splendor, the pearl reveals its power to transform consciousness.