Humanity

The Meaning of Who We Are

by Rod Martin, Jr.

The Vitruvian Man by Leonardo da Vinci. Courtesy Wikipedia.org.

We are "human," but what does that mean? As a species, we are called, "Homo sapiens." Some anthropologists even refer to us as "Homo sapiens sapiens," because, as some argue, we might be closely-related to Homo neanderthalensis (Neanderthal man). There remains a great deal of controversy on that point and on subject of evolution, in general.

By and large, scientists have proven evolution. The fact that we now have drug-resistant bacteria is part of this broad body of proof. The evidence for the evolution of Homo sapiens from other species is interesting, if not compelling. There is still a great deal we do not know about humanity's past.

Many are convince that there is another aspect of Man which is non-physical. I happen to be one of those, because I've had experiences which could only be explained by a non-physical aspect of Man. And I'm not talking about the mind or the ego, both of which are rooted in physicality. I'm talking about the spiritual nature of man.

There have been many who have performed miracles. I count myself among them, because of my experiences. Those experiences give me a unique perspective on the mechanics of creation, their relation to science, and why science finds it so hard to investigate such things.

Only a spiritual being could bend or break the laws of physical reality.

This tells us that Man has a dual nature. He-she is both physical and spiritual.

A sculpted image of Aaron, the high priest. Courtesy Morguefiles.com.

What the Bible Says

Genesis 2:7 tells us that Man was created again, but this time from the dust of the ground. So, what is "dust?" We could say that "dust" is physical matter. It is chemicals. This then would be describing the creation of Homo sapiens. So, even Genesis tells us that Man has a dual nature — both spirit and flesh.

In the Judas Gospel (Dead Sea Scrolls), Jesus allays the fears of Judas. His wayward disciple wonders if he will ever amount to anything. Jesus tells him that he will exceed them all, for he will betray the man Jesus wears. And what odd wording. Jesus is referring to the body we know of as "Jesus" as if it were a set of clothes or a cloak.

Reincarnation and Karma

Are reincarnation and karma part of God's plan? Are they part of reality and truth?

Genesis 3 talks of the fall of Man after eating the Forbidden Fruit. God had said that Adam and Eve would surely die on the day they would eat that fruit. But what does that mean? Adam did not die physically. Genesis 5 tells us that Adam lived for 930 years, centuries after the Garden. And what was the "Forbidden Fruit?"

It seems clear that Adam and Eve suffered a spiritual death, not a physical one. Could it also be that the Forbidden Fruit was not physical "fruit?" Could it be instead that the Forbidden Fruit was something non-physical, like the dichotomy good-evil? Could it also include other dichotomies like, generous-selfish, right-wrong, compassion-indifference, wisdom-stupidity, victim-perpetrator, and others? If so, then the poison of the Forbidden Fruit might be none other than our own egos — the root of all selfishness and perhaps evil.

If, as Genesis 1:26 implies, we are immortal, then what would we have been doing all the time since the fall from grace? It would seem that God would want us to have every opportunity to awaken and to return to Him. Reincarnation is just the mechanism for this. Why?

Consider how difficult it is to get anything meaningful done while you sleep. Your dreams are skittish and disorganized at best. Try balancing your checkbook, or performing advanced calculus. The unconscious state is not the right time to take on intellectual problems. As sleeping spirit, poisoned by the Forbidden Fruit, we would have found it impossible to devise our escape from the poison. We needed a dependable source of consciousness in order to think clearly the problems we faced. That's where Homo sapiens comes in. Having a physical body allows us to create and organize.

But why can't we remember from lifetime to lifetime. Wouldn't it be so much better if we could remember all our lives and make progress from all that learning?

Perhaps such memory cannot work, because ego would only grow more arrogant, and ego is perhaps our chief barrier. Karma helps to soften the arrogant hearts so that we may become humble and hungry for the spiritual nourishment needed to dislodge the poison of the Forbidden Fruit. This is important so that we may become thirsty for the water of everlasting life which will wash away that poison.

For more on this fascinating aspect of our humanity, check out the following:

• Reincarnation — an overview
• Reincarnation stories — possible proof of past lives
• Reincarnation in the Bible — what scripture has to say about this concept
• Reincarnation purpose — God's reason for reincarnation and karma
• General Patton — a famous general who believed in reincarnation
• Karma — a biblical perspective on this seemingly "Eastern" idea