The spiritual significance of the Gnostic Hymn of the Lost Pearl in contemporary times.

 

The Gnostic Hymn of the lost Pearl.
 

I found this lovely hymn in the Gnostic Gospels during my early morning sacred time, and I found so much significance in it. It is broken up into eight stanzas that tell the story of the king's son's journey to Egypt to save a priceless pearl from the serpent.

 

The Hymn of the lost pearl

 

DRESSING FOR THE JOURNEY

 When I was a little child living

in my father’s palace in his kingdom,

happy in the glories and riches

of my family that nurtured me,

my parents gave me supplies

and sent me out on a mission

from our home in the east.

From their treasure house

they made up a cargo for me.

It was big though light enough

so I could carry it myself,

holding gold from the highest houses

and silver of Gazzak the Great

and rubies of India

and opals from the land of Kushan,

and they girded me with adamant

that can crush iron.

They took off my bright robe of glory,

which they had made for me out of love,

and took away my purple toga,

which was woven to fit my stature.

They made a covenant with me

and wrote it in my heart so I would not forget:

“When you go down into Egypt

and bring back the one pearl

that lies in the middle of the sea

and is guarded by the snorting serpent,

you will again put on your robe of glory

and your toga over it,

and with your brother, our next in rank,

you will be heir in our kingdom.”

 

THE DRAGON AND THE DEEP SLEEP

 I left the east and travelled down

to Egypt with my two royal guides,

since the way was dangerous and harsh

and I was very young to walk alone.

I crossed the borders of Maishan,

the gathering place of merchants of the east,

came into the land of the Babylonians,

and entered the walls of Sarbug.

When I went down into Egypt

my companions left me.

I went straight to the serpent

and settled close by him in an inn,

waiting for him to sleep

so I could take my pearl from him.

Since I was alone

I was a stranger to others in the inn,

yet I saw one of my own people there,

a nobleman from the east,

young, handsome, lovable,

a son of kings — an anointed one,

and he came and was close to me.

And I made him my confidante

with whom I shared my mission.

I warned him against the Egyptians

and of contact with the unclean ones.

Then I put on a robe like theirs,

lest they suspect me as an outsider

who had come to steal the pearl,

lest they arouse the serpent against me.

Somehow they learned I was not

their countryman, dealt with me cunningly,

and gave me their food to eat.

I fell into a deep sleep.

I forgot that I was a son of kings

and served their king.

I forgot the pearl

for which my parents had sent me.

Through the heaviness of their food

I fell into a deep sleep.

 

“REMEMBER THE PEARL”

 When all these things happened

my parents knew and grieved for me.

It was proclaimed in our kingdom

that all should come to our gate.

And the kings and princes of Parthia

and all the nobles of the east

wove a plan on my behalf

so I would not be left in Egypt.

And they wrote me a letter

and every noble signed it with his name:

“From your father, the king of kings,

and your mother, the mistress of the east,

and from your brother, our next in rank,

and to you, our son in Egypt, peace!

Awake and rise from your sleep

and hear the words of our letter!

Remember that you are a son of kings

and see the slavery of your life.

Remember the pearl

for which you were sent into Egypt!

Remember your robe of glory

and your splendid mantle, which you may wear

when your name is called in the book of life,

when it is read in the book of heroes,

when you and your brother inherit our kingdom.”

 

THE BIRD OF SPEECH [SOUND]

 And serving as messenger,

the letter was a letter sealed by the king

with his right hand

against the evil children of Babylon

and the savage demons of the Sarbug labyrinth.

It rose up in the form of an eagle,

the king of all winged fowl;

it flew and alighted beside me

and became Speech.

At its Voice and the Sound of its rustling

I awoke and rose from my sleep.

I took it, kissed it, broke its seal, and read.

And the words written on my heart

were in the letter for me to read.

I remembered that I was the son of kings

and my free soul longed for its own kind.

I remembered the pearl

for which I was send down into Egypt,

and I began to enchant

the terrible and snorting serpent.

I charmed him into sleep

by calling the Name of my Father over him

and of my mother, the queen of the east.

I seized the pearl

and turned to carry it to my father.

Those filthy and impure garments

I stripped off, leaving them in the fields,

and went straight on my way

into the light of our homeland in the east.

 

THE LETTER’S VOICE

 On my way the letter that awakened me

was lying like a woman on the road.

And as she had awakened me with her voice

so she guided me with her light

as if she were an oracle.

She was written on Chinese silk

and shone before me in her own form.

Her voice soothed my fear

and its love urged me on.

I hurried past the labyrinth walls of Sarbug

and Babylon on the left

and came to Maishan, the haven of merchants,

perched over the coast of the sea.

My robe of glory that I had taken off

and the toga over it were sent by my parents

from the heights of Hyrcania.

They were in the hands of treasurers

to whom they were committed

because of their faith,

and I had forgotten the robe’s splendor,

for as a child I had left it

in my father’s house.

 

THE GARMENT OF GNOSIS

 As I gazed on it, suddenly the garment

like a mirror reflected me,

and I saw myself apart

as two entities in one form.

The treasurers had brought me one robe,

yet in two halves I saw one shape

with one kingly seal.

They gave me wealth,

and the bright embroidered robe

was colored with gold and beryls,

with rubies and opals,

and sardonyxes of many colors

were fastened to it in its high home.

All its seams were fastened

with stones of adamant,

and the image of the king of kings

was embroidered on it

as it rippled with sapphires

of many colors.

I saw it quiver all over,

moving with gnosis, in a pulsing knowledge,

and as it prepared to speak

it moved toward me,

murmuring the sound of its songs.

It descended and said,

“I am the one who acted for him.

For him I was brought up in my father’s house.

I saw myself growing in stature

in harmony with his labors.”

 

THE TOGA AND THE PEARL

 With regal movements

the robe was spreading toward me,

urging me to take it,

and love urged me to receive it,

and I stretched forth and received it

and put on the beauty of its hues.

I cast my toga of brilliant colors

all around me.

Therein I clothed myself and ascended

to the gate of salutation and adoration.

I bowed my head and adored

the majesty of my father, who sent it to me.

I had fulfilled his commands

and he fulfilled what he had promised.

At the gate of his princes

I mingled with his nobles.

He was happy through me and received me,

and I was with him in his kingdom,

and his slaves praised him resoundingly.

He promised me that I would journey soon

with him to the gate of the king of kings,

and with my gifts and my pearl

I would appear with him before our king.

 (The Gnostic Bible, Willis Barnstone)

Source: The Gnostic Bible

We all can relate. 

I think we all can somehow relate to or wish to be in a state of a “little child living in my father’s palace in his kingdom, happy in the glories and riches of my family that nurtured me”.  One of humanity's primary desires is to be nurtured. Being nurtured is how we grow.

 

“One of the fundamental laws of nature is that; whatsoever is nurtured, nourished and nursed, eventually it germinates, grows and gains ground. The mindfulness is focused on "whatsoever"; to every labor there is a wage.”

― Dr. Lucas D. Shallua

 

If we were not properly raised and nurtured as children, it will always be an unmet inner need that we carry with us until the day we pass away. In a sense, that would be the priceless pearl we seek in Egypt.

Egypt in the ancient context speak of the world that we live in today. Egypt signifies the bodily consciousness and is typically associated with the subconscious or subjective mind. It represents the darkness of ignorance and obscurity. Egypt is also called the sense consciousness, the body consciousness, or the material consciousness.

 

“When you go down into Egypt and bring back the one pearl that lies in the middle of the sea and is guarded by the snorting serpent, you will again put on your robe of glory and your toga over it, and with your brother, our next in rank, you will be heir in our kingdom.”  

 

The Inner Journey

This speaks of the inner journey, the journey into the subconscious, to retrieve that which is precious to you. Whether you like it or not, you have a mission here on earth, and that is to go and retrieve that which is precious to you. It could be your lost relationship, your dreams and hopes, or your nurturing; it literally represents anything you could have lost in this life. It lies in the middle of the sea and is guided by the snorting serpent.

 

I went straight to the serpent and settled close by him in an inn, waiting for him to sleep so I could take my pearl from him. I was a stranger to others in the inn, yet I saw one of my own people there, a nobleman from the east, young, handsome, lovable, a son of kings — an anointed one, and he came and was close to me. And I made him my confidante with whom I shared my mission.  (The east always signifies a spiritual place)

The most crucial point here:

The most crucial point to make here, in my opinion, is that the people you surround yourself with may either elevate or depress you. – The people you will confide our deepest wishes, concerns, and thoughts in are those closest to you. ASK CAREFULLY ABOUT THEM!

 Somehow, they learned I was not their countryman, dealt with me cunningly, and gave me their food to eat. I fell into a deep sleep. I forgot that I was a son of kings and served their king. I forgot the pearl for which my parents had sent me. Through the heaviness of their food, I fell into a deep sleep.

The universal human experience:

This represents the universal human experience: life tricks you into a deep sleep, where you forget all that was so important to you.

It makes me think of the biblical passage Ephesians 5:14-24 Message Translation

Wake up from your sleep, climb out of your coffins; Christ will show you the light! So, watch your step. Use your head. Make the most of every chance you get. These are desperate times! Don't live carelessly, unthinkingly. Make sure you understand what the Master wants.

We genuinely believe that everything will work out for us even though we are sleepwalking or unconscious through life. In this sense, sleep refers to a state in which you are not unaware of or ignorant of your surroundings. 

How to get out of this sleepy state:

The situation that you are in right now calls for an awakening. Your coffin is the circumstances holding you back right now. Use your head signifies a clear vision, goals and dreams! Make the most of every change you get is a call to action. These are desperate times signifies the time you are living in. We often live so carelessly expecting life to work for us. If you do not have a purpose and a plan to get there your life will not work out. Make sure you understand what the Master wants, signifies that you live with understanding your purpose in life.

“You are one thing only. You are a Divine Being. An all-powerful Creator. You are a Deity in jeans and a t-shirt, and within you dwells the infinite wisdom of the ages and the sacred creative force of All that is, will be and ever was.”

― Anthon St. Maarten, Divine Living: The Essential Guide To Your True Destiny

There is so much to unpack, but we'll stop here for the time being. I'll go into further detail in my future blog article.

With love,

Your Spiritual Empowerment Coach

Fanus du Plooy