Pearls Before Whine

“Every pearl has its oyster.” – Randall Jarrell

I don’t believe in coincidence. I’ve gotten myself into quite a few prolonged conversations on that point; but the fact remains, for myself, there is only synchronicity and wisdom hidden amongst the layers of daily experience. It’s only up to us to look for them.

Maybe it’s all just loony-bin material. But I can’t speak for the skeptical side of this tendency. I can only wonder at the lack of imagination, the lack of desire for discernment and greater truths; the lack of stunned amazement of life and its diversity. I also wonder at the admirable height of arrogance that makes one believe the only reality is the one we can see. It’s not about right or wrong; to me, it’s just a decision one makes. True or not, I believe one can either choose to pay attention and look for opportunities towards growth and wisdom, or settle into the mindset that it’s all random, and solely based on our own intellectual or emotional chemical synapses, thereby perhaps missing messages and pathways that might otherwise speak to us on levels of consciousness untried.

That said, it’s not always easy to discern one’s own particular path. There are a multitude of subtle layers to this sensibility, and it’s takes practice to recognize them. The world and all its daemons continues to tempt one into false promises, illusions and mixed messages. So it’s not always immediately apparent, of course, where one is headed or exactly how things will play out. That’s why in Surfing the Tao one must rely on the strength and power of the wave to carry us over. There’s a certain amount of trust involved; at least we know we have the wave to ride. Unlike true ocean waves, the Tao is always perfectly available and present.

My own path has recently led me across literally heaps and heaps of pearls. Pearls of every shape, color and variety. Huge black Tahitian pearls; strands and strands of them. Perfectly round ones, and astonishing circled and baroque ones. Gorgeous white, gold, silver and pink South Sea pearls, bigger than gum balls, which virtually emit their own light. Miles and miles of freshwater pearls, from the tiniest to the largest they come, in nearly every shade of the rainbow. Mabe pearls. Blister pearls. Teardrop pearls, coin pearls, petal pearls, tile pearls and keshi pearls. I’ve learned to string them, pushing tiny knots of thread tightly between each precious gem for safety, with your choice of clasp.

The irony is, I’ve never been much of a jewelry person myself. My husband laughs because he says I am the only wife who says, please don’t buy me any more jewelry. It’s too expensive, and I won’t wear it. The only exceptions are pieces my own father has lovingly and expertly crafted over the years – and my wedding ring of course, though there are no big diamonds on my fingers. I also have one particular amulet I can’t live without so no matter how dressed up I get, it stays around my neck. I don’t care much about fashion, to the amusement of my mom and stepdaughters. I’m more a creature of habit. So it’s particularly noteworthy when these luminescent, dazzling orbs begin to enter my consciousness so fully, so unexpectedly.

Pearls are found in nearly every religious tradition, with many various symbologies and parables. The “pearl of great price” was a metaphor used by Jesus to describe the Kingdom of Heaven. Bits of wisdom are inevitably referred to as “pearls.” We are reminded not to “cast pearls before swine.” There are the Pearly Gates. Also the Hymn of the Pearl. Pearls are often mentioned in the Koran. Hindus relate to the Nine Pearls. New Age and metaphysical references are many and varied. I was tickled to find out the largest pearl in the world is claimed to be the Pearl of Lao Tzu, which comes replete with its own legend and controversy.

The spiritual significance of this opportunity that fell out of the sky recently is not lost on me. The very reason I am swimming in pearls is because of necessity, a situation I know many share during these unusually challenging economic times. And of course such situations also often bring emotional turmoil; such is the way of the fallible human spirit, unless already greatly trained against outside tension. But I realize, through this perhaps ponderously obvious example which has been laid in my path, that I must allow the relatively tiny irritants to enter in, so that with love, I may also build up the layers and layers of lustrous nacre to protect against future challenges. As in the case of so many delicate sea pearls, with their giant Maxima shells the size of dinner plates, many baby pearls are lost. It may take several tries to get a good one, and it’s why they are so rare and highly valued. But eventually, after several years of persistence, the perfect, glistening sphere is born.

“Errors, like straws, upon the surface flow; he who would search for pearls must dive below. “ -John Dryden

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