Ah, the enlightened life! A life where the superficial trappings of the material world have lost their luster. Where greasy, fried, and fatty foods are no longer tempting. Where meditation, sharing, and an appreciation of the beauty of nature provide all the fulfillment one needs for true happiness. And yet, considering how healthy, content, and self-fulfilled spiritual people claim to be, why are they plagued with so many health, wealth, and happiness issues? Is poverty a requirement of enlightenment? Is self-indulgence selfish? Is self-love a sign of an inflated ego? The irony is that most spiritual people are just as egotistical as materialistic people—perhaps even more so since they believe themselves to be so far above everyone else. Sacrifice and ascetic behavior do not make one spiritual. Denying the material for the sake of the spirit misses the big picture. To be truly fulfilled, one needs to embrace both of these worlds, creating more than a holy life, but a wholly life.
Most of the spiritual people I know all share certain characteristics in common—they’re broke, have relationship issues, and/or suffer with a host of health problems. Does God punish those He loves the most? Is this some kind of Jesus/Job suffering archetype? Does no good deed go unpunished? Are spiritual people given a tougher path because they are strong enough to handle it? Any of these could be true. But a few concepts have come my way recently that have got me thinking differently about the cause of spiritual suffering.
Back in the autumn of last year, I received a newsletter email from spiritual healer Dave Markowitz that I found intriguing. In it, Markowitz wrote that he questioned the concept of “maya” which is a Hindu term for the holographic/illusionary world concept. (Those of you who read my blogs know that it’s a concept I happen to subscribe to.) Seeing how so many spiritual people are ill, Markowitz wrote that he’s come to see how this illusionary-world view is, in fact, selective denial that has hindered our growth, health, and happiness.
He then goes on to quote from Indian mystic and guru Osho. The passage cited how the material world is condemned by the East—explaining why they are poor and sick—and how the other half of humanity denies the spirit in favor of the material, explaining their superficiality. His conclusion is that both populations are only half, and that to be a holy person you have to be a whole person—someone who is rich in the material and spiritual worlds.
These points make a lot of sense to me. If you believe the world is an illusion, then much like Marty McFly in Back To The Future you start to lose your grip on physical reality and fade away. The symptoms of this are lack of material world elements—money, health (matters of the body), emotions, and pleasures of the five senses. On the other hand, if you only seek the physical and material joys of the world, then you are focusing your energy on temporary, superficial pleasures that do not bring lasting fulfillment.
This leaves us with a conundrum. If the world is indeed illusionary, but we need to embrace it for our physical health and pleasure, how do we do that without giving up higher levels of enlightenment that come when we embrace our spiritual-selves? The answer is simple: we embrace both. If you believe that we are here for a reason and, real or not, the world has much to offer us in spiritual and materialistic experiences, then you are embracing the unseen faith-filled elements of life and everything in it that matters.
The funny thing is, like many of us, I’ve known all this already. It’s kabbalah 101—the idea that we must not ignore the physical world but elevate it. Raise the sparks so to speak. And yet, somewhere along the way, I began to focus more on the spirit than the matters of the physical. And so, I’ve found myself preaching to the converted and not connecting with those who’ve needed to hear these messages the most—those entrenched in the material world.
Shortly after receiving this gentle reminder from Mr. Markowitz, I began receiving messages about the very same topic from one of my favorite spiritual writers Rabbi Simon Jacobson, whose emails I subscribe to. Jacobson pointed out how Genesis begins with, “In the beginning, G-d created the heavens and the earth.” So God created both spirit and matter, which means that He is neither. Jacobson argues that the goal is not necessarily a spiritual life, but a holy life. Spirituality can be egocentric, but holiness demands humility. Spirituality can be completely meditative, but holiness requires action in this world in order to transform it.
Much like the takeaway from Markowitz’s email, Jacobson also makes the point that the goal is to fuse spirituality and materialism. Obviously, this was a message I needed to hear.
A third confirmation of this message came in a format that is the most typical for me—media stories. Last year, I had been watching the TV series Touch, which is about a motherless child with special powers who feels compelled to connect with various strangers to help solve their problems. The child, Jake (aka Jacob, one who wrestles with angels, i.e., uses physicality to manipulate the spiritual) is helped by his fugitive dad who is protecting him from an evil corporation that seeks to use the kid’s powers for their own selfish gains. Helping the father-child team is a hidden mastermind skilled in knowing what the child must do to save the world—Avram, a Chassidic Jew. The father and child are constantly on the run, avoiding authorities that, at any time, can capture them and bring their journey to an end, all in the name of upholding the law.
One of the messages I took from the show is that while we are on our path—where we look out for our own self-interests—we should also reach out to help others. In doing so, we’ll help raise the sparks of the material world, making them whole, or holy. The show was canceled last year after only two seasons. I’ve always wondered what the universe does when its message hasn’t been fully realized. Apparently, it finds another vehicle to channel its message to the masses. That new vehicle for the message came in the form of the appropriately named new TV series, Believe. I’ve seen similar messages come in different stories before, but Touch and Believe are almost the exact same show.
Much like Touch, Believe is about a motherless child with special powers who feels compelled to connect with various strangers to help solve their problems. The child, Bo (meaning, commanding or, sounding like “bow” which can neatly tie things together or amplify the velocity of an arrow, i.e., energy) is helped by her fugitive dad who is protecting her from an evil corporation that seeks to use the kid’s powers for their own selfish gains. Helping the father-child team is a hidden mastermind skilled in knowing what the child must do to save the world—Winter, a mind specialist. The father and child are constantly on the run, avoiding authorities that, at any time, can capture them and bring their journey to an end, all in the name of upholding the law.
Even more fascinating than the similarities of the two shows, is who their creators are. Touch is the brainchild of Tim Kring and Believe is from J. J. Abrams. It's become obvious to me that modern-day shamans JJ and Kring are both tapped into the same mythological frequency, explaining why they both keep coming up with shows that offer the same mythological messages. JJ's Lost focused on how flawed characters guided by special powers can tap into their hidden strengths to overcome their flaws and help one another uncover their destiny and save the world. Kring's Heroes focused on how flawed characters guided by special powers can tap into their hidden strengths to overcome their flaws and help one another uncover their destiny and save the world.
You would think that two shamans so clearly on the same wavelength would join forces to create an über-message that could truly change the world. And yet, both continually deny the similarities of their works. In fact, J.J. recently denied any similarity between his Believe and Kring’s Touch. Regardless, I believe that Believe will suffer a similar fate and not make it to its final episode. But not to worry, some other writer/shaman will surely pick up wherever the story leaves off, providing the necessary subliminal guidance we need to help us navigate our lives toward a harmonious destiny.
For those of us who don’t need mythology to disguise the soul of a story, the message is clear. We are now at a time when we are all ready to “spiritualize the material” as Jacobson says. The material is tangible but temporary. The spirit is intangible but eternal. So by connecting our material lives to the larger spiritual world, we eternalize it.
What are some ways we can do this?
To learn five simple ways to raise the sparks and spiritualize our material lives, click here: http://thelaymansanswerstoeverything.com/?p=2559
Marc Oromaner is a spiritual author and speaker who teaches how we can discover our destiny using clues found in the media and in our lives. His book, "The Myth of Lost" (www.themythoflost.com) deciphers the hidden wisdom of the hit TV show and explains how we can use this wisdom to overcome our own challenges.
Marc's twenty years of experience working in advertising and promotion has given him a unique insight into what makes products--and people--tick. He graduated from Ithaca College with a degree in Television & Radio and went on to complete a two-year advertising copywriter program at The Creative Circus in Atlanta. Working in on-air promotions at Lifetime Television and CBS News, and then in advertising with clients such as NASA, The New York Botanical Garden, and Affinia Hotels, Marc developed a talent for uncovering the soul of a brand. This skill was sharpened after he began studying at The Kabbalah Centre in New York and exploring many other spiritual philosophies including The Law of Attraction.
Today, Marc lives in New York City where he combines his background in advertising and spirituality to help people and brands find their path in an increasingly convoluted world. His blog, "The Layman's Answers To Everything" (http://thelaymansanswerstoeverything.com/) points out the patterns that run through all great stories including our own. These patterns are clues which are meant to guide us towards a life full of love, light, and fulfillment.