Remember Who You Are
This is my message, my only message. I will say it in as many ways as I can find to speak. When you remember who you are - beyond everything of physical form and existence, then you are real.
Go to "The Pearl" to read a "remembering" story from 2500
years ago; The Hymn of the Pearl: A paraphrase of an ancient Gnostic story from
the Acts of Thomas by Carol Dawn. 11/7/99
As we begin to search for something more than ordinary life function gives us, we learn that we must reach deep into our inner knowing to discover that "more". Even after we begin to find that extraordinary something we often learn that there are no terms to describe it to others.
Often the first place we begin to look is within organized religion, frequently the source of our earliest training. Or, through our rebellion against our childhood religious teachings we turn to an alternative religious source. If the rebellion is severe enough, an individual might go through a time of atheism or agnosticism. This time period might last many years.
Eventually, our search begins again. There is within each of us a longing, a homesickness that calls us to remember who we are. We are called to find meaning. We have a spiritual hunger or thirst for our source. A life without meaning, without relationship to sacredness is often viewed as intolerable. "Meaning and purpose of life" encompasses the answer to why we are here. Remembering who we are and why we are here is the beginning of our deeper life. It is our great awakening.
Trauma, childhood experiences, betrayals, and the way we perceive these remembered experiences are often the reasons we forget who we are. We become obsessed or fixated with these aspects of who we are. We may identify with the experience rather than our total self. Until we transcend the experience, we can't remember the fullness of the life we were meant to live.
As we learn to deal with addictions, we often learn to become addicted to our addiction. We define ourselves by our addictions. "Hello, I'm Sue. I'm and alcoholic. ... I'm an incest survivor. ... I'm a sex love and relationship addict. ... I'm a narcotics addicted. ... I'm an obsessive compulsive. .... Again, we fail to remember who we truly are.
"Get over it" is a statement I frequently want to say to friends.
This is not to say that we need not process and do therapy in order to cope
with life issues. We have to heal. We do need to process and move beyond
our issues in order to function more effectively. We do not need to
process it endlessly for our entire life.
Moving beyond is the key phrase. We
have to find a way to get over it, to transcend, to transform or in some manner
"cease playing with our own shit". We have to learn to live life, look
backward with humor and to have some joy in our living.
When we begin to remember our life vision, our purpose, the meaning of life, to remember why we are here, then our life work begins. The joy of Bliss can carry us through our work and our play.
.... more later.
The Hymn of the Pearl
A paraphrase of an ancient Gnostic story from the Acts of Thomas
When I was young and innocent I lived in the distant East in the kingdom of my parents, "a child of the royal family." I was nurtured with love, the fullness of spirit, wealth, and the splendor of my home and my family. Luxury surrounded me and "I was happy and content in my kingdom home."
After a time my parents decided to send me, "from our home in the light of the East", on a distant journey to the West. They did not, however, send me forth without provisions. From the "wealth of our kingdom" they prepared for me a bundle, containing all that I might need and still light enough "which I myself could carry." Gold, silver, and precious jewels were placed in my bundle with all my provisions. "I was armed with adamant, an unbending and unyielding metal strong enough to crush iron."
"They took off of me my glittering robe of glory which in their love they had made for me." They removed the mantel "that was measured and woven to my stature" and fit me perfectly.
"And they made a covenant with me, and inscribed it" on my heart that I might never forget it. "If you go down into Khem," the dark earth country of the West, and "bring back the lost pearl with scattered sparks of light, which is in the midst of the sea" of corruption and surrounded by the devouring serpent-dragon, then you shall return to us. You will again put on the glittering robe of glory and contentment. Your mantle of stature will again be placed around you. And "you and your sibling of us will sit in honor in our kingdom."
I came out of the light of the East by a difficult road. I was young and unfamiliar with my travels and I was fearful in those dangerous lands. I was accompanied by "two royal envoys," guardian guides, my parents had provided me.
I and my companions crossed many borders and passed through unfamiliar and dangerous lands. We traversed Northern and Southern lands, harsh lands of burning stones and flowing lava, and cold lands of frozen waters and deep crevasses.
But, "when I arrived at the border" of Khem, "my companions departed."
"I went straight to the serpent-dragon. I dwelt in his abode." I established myself there in an inn. It was my intention to wait for the dragon to sleep so that "I could take my one pearl from him" and return to my kingdom home.
I met there in that distant place, one of my people, freeborn with grace, familiar, and a descendent of royalty, an anointed one. I made him my friend and companion with whom I shared my treasures and my journey. "I warned him against consorting" with the people of Khem or partaking of the fruits of their land, for they were unknowing of our ways and were profaned to us.
I was a stranger there and wished not to be recognized as a foreigner, there only to take the pearl from within the sea of the serpent-dragon. I did not want them to "arouse the wrath of the serpent against me." I disguised myself by taking on their dress and their ways.
I do not know how they discovered that I was not of their land. "But in some way or another they found out that I was not one of their countrymen." They learned that I was from another place.
With great deception, they enticed me to join them in food, drink, and life. Having yielded to their enticements, I forgot who I was and where I had come from. I forgot my kingdom, my covenant, and my purpose. I forgot the lost pearl I had come to retrieve. "I fell into a deep sleep."
My family in my forgotten kingdom "perceived all this and grieved deeply for me." They sent out a "proclamation" for all elders "to come to the gates of the kingdom." They summoned and met with all the wise ones of the light of the East. Together they created a plan on my behalf that I would not be abandoned in the darkness of the West. They wrote to me signifying their resolve. And, "every noble signed his name to it."
"From thy father and thy mother; from all thy relatives; from the wise elders of the kingdom... to our kinsperson in Khem: Rise up. Awaken from your sleep. You have 'come under the great yoke of bondage.' Hear the words we send you. Remember that you are a child of the kingdom.
Remember your pearl for whose sake you have journeyed into Khem, 'remember the lost pearl' with its scattered sparks of light 'for which you have been sent.' Remember your glittering robe, your royal mantle of stature 'which you shall once again wear and with which you shall be adorned' on your return. Remember who you are, 'that you are a child of royalty' and remember the home awaiting you."
My parents, the rulers of the kingdom, sealed this message against the interference of any treacherous influences. "It flew as in the likeness of an eagle, the king of all birds, to my side and lighted down beside me where it became all speech." I heard its rustlings and its words. At its voice and the feelings of it, "I started and arose from my sleep" that held me unaware. I awoke, "took it up, kissed it and I began to read it." It awoke memories of all that had been inscribed in my heart.
I remembered everything. I remembered my kingdom, my royal family, "that I was a child of royal parents and my noble birth asserted itself." "I remembered the one pearl for which I had been sent down" to Khem of the West. I remembered the loud breathing serpent-dragon and the sea where it resides.
I began to chant the names of my father, my mother and my kingdom. "I charmed and overcame the terrible creature. I hushed him asleep and lulled him into slumber." I plucked the one pearl from the lair of the beast and turned to return to my distant home, to my kingdom in the East. I stripped off the accoutrements of the dark earth, and "left it there in the country" leaving it all in Khem.
"And I took myself straight to come to the light of our home in the East."
On my return to the light of the East I again found the message that had been borne to me on the heart of the eagle as I slept the unknowing sleep. "And as with its voice it had awakened me, so too, with its light, was leading me." It now guided me with the light of the kingdom. With the vision of my royal garments before me, and with love and the fullness of spirit drawing me forward, with "it that dwelt in the palace, it gave light before me with its form." "And with its love drew me on and encouraged me to speed."
I passed again through many regions, labyrinths, and dangerous lands. I went forth and again passed through heat and cold, North and South, through lies, ignorance, and hate.
However, "by the hand of" the two guardian guides my parents had provided for me, and "who in their truth could be trusted therewith," had brought me my splendid robe and royal mantle.
"I remembered not the brightness of my robe" and did not recall the perfect fit of the mantle that had been woven to my stature, "for I was yet a child when I had left it" in my palace home. But, suddenly I saw the garments that had been made for me. "When I received it, the garment seemed to me, to become like a mirror of myself." "I saw it all in all."
I saw the garments on me and I knew and saw myself through them, "for we were two in distinction and one in one likeness." I saw myself through it, that we had been divided asunder, being of one; and again, we were one in one shape. The distinction between it and myself melted away.
"The treasurer-guardians who brought it to be, I saw in like manner." They that had been two, now "had one shape upon them." "One royal sign was on both of them who had restored to me" my glorious robe and mantle, "so skillfully worked in our home on high."
I observed my robe still more in all its splendor, variegated with glittering color, adorned in gold and jewels, its seams sewn with threads of adamant, fastened with diamonds. Wisdom of ages was "embroidered and depicted in full - all over it." Also, "all over it the instincts of knowledge were working" and "I saw too that it was preparing to speak."
And I heard it speak. "I heard the sounds of its tones which it uttered," saying, "I am the one that acted on behalf of my parents in whose kingdom I was reared." "I perceived myself, that my stature grew in accordance with my work." "And in its movement it poured itself entirely over me."
"And it hastened, that I might take it. And I ran to meet it and receive it, it reaching out from the hand of him, unto the hand of him that would receive it."
"And I stretched forth and took it," and "adorned myself with the beauty of the colors," and the "flow of motions and instincts of knowledge." "The rippling movement of Gnosis spread through me." " In my royal robe excelling in grace, beauty, and stature, I arrayed myself wholly."
"And when I had put it on, I, in my robe, ascended to the gates of salutation and adoration, to the gates of the kingdom," the gates of the palace of peace, contentment and homage.
I bowed my head and worshiped the fullness of the source which had sent it unto me.
"And that which had been promised was fulfilled."
I entered the gates of the kingdom I had left as a child - with my gifts and my pearl and returned into union with all that reside there.
The Hymn of the Judas Thomas the Apostle in the country of India.