Jesus said, The kingdom of the father is like a merchant who had a consignment of merchandise and who discovered a pearl. That merchant was shrewd. He sold the merchandise and bought the pearl alone for himself. You too, seek his unfailing and enduring treasure where no moth comes near to devour and no worm destroys. (76)
The first thing this tells us is that the kingdom of heaven, the realm of infinite consciousness, is completely non-dual in character. It is not many, but only one: Satchidananda Brahman, the Absolute Unity.
To gain that kingdom we must “sell” or “trade in” all that is not the One. Such an endeavor requires us “spending” all we have to obtain the treasure. The widow of verse 75 gave all she had, and in this one the merchant spent all he had. The great poet-saint of India, Mirabai wrote a song in which she said: “I have sold everything in the market of this world and bought my Khanaiyya (Krishna). Some laugh and say the price was too high, and others say it was too low. But this I know: It was all I had.”
To get the All we must give our all.
Read the next article in the Gospel of Thomas for Yogis: The All Speaks
Swami Nirmalananda Giri (Abbot George Burke)
Swami Nirmalananda Giri, founder of Light of the Spirit Monastery, has spent over six decades immersed in the study and practice of Yoga and and the spiritual traditions of East and West. He is the author of more than 30 books on meditation, practical spiritual life and Sanatana Dharma.
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