Spirtitual Psychotherapist, Reiki Master, Past-Life Regression...

by Sholina Jivraj
(Ontario, Canada)

In Gratitude To Michael Jackson
by Sholina Jivraj

The news of Michael Jackson’s death was very, very saddening to me and millions of others all around the world. I heard the news and remember being immobilized for a few moments. Shock, disbelief, denial for days, hoping this was some kind of sick joke. Even when watching the first few moments of the memorial, it all seemed so surreal, almost as though if I turned off the television, then this news would cease to exist. Perhaps this is the reason why I write this article days after the news…it’s difficult to say “good-bye” to someone who has meant so much to me.

A 3 hour farewell memorial to King of Pop does not do justice to a man who lived from nothing but his heart. One of the most misunderstood personalities in Hollywood, MJ grew up without a childhood and with much hidden pain. Having a difficult, abusive, and weathering relationship with his father, MJ was able to find peace in an un peaceful world. And he found forgiveness in his heart wherein lied difficult memories: “And now with time, rather than bitterness, I feel blessing. In the place of anger, I have found absolution. And in the place of revenge I have found reconciliation. And my initial fury has slowly given way to forgiveness.” (Oxford Speech).

In his speech at Oxford, his message clearly indicated that through the experience with his father, he feels inclined to spread the message of his difficult childhood to others around the world. He had lived a large part of his life in trying to give children joy in their childhood, including children who have been burned or riddled with cancer, and others who were terminally ill. He also educated others in acknowledging how imperative it is to allow children their right to a childhood, something that he lacked and always felt robbed of. In his speech at Oxford, he states:

It is not just Hollywood child stars that have suffered from a non-existent childhood. Today, it’s a universal calamity, a global catastrophe. Childhood has become the great casualty of modern-day living. All around us we are producing scores of kids who have not had the joy, who have not been accorded the right, who have not been allowed the freedom, or knowing what it’s like to be a kid…Ours is a generation that has witnessed the abrogation of the parent-child covenant. Psychologists are publishing libraries of books detailing the destructive effects of denying one’s children the unconditional love that is so necessary to the healthy development of their minds and character. (Oxford Speech – to read the speech click http://transformationalhealingarts.ca/Blog/Blogger/2009/08/02/c4a4e59c-e0dd-4103-bd45-91650474d36d.aspx

And through this message, MJ once again spreads the word of love. In the same speech, he asks for us to find love in our hearts for our children (all over the world):

Love, ladies and gentlemen, is the human family’s most precious legacy, its richest bequest, its golden inheritance. And it is a treasure that is handed down from one generation to another…Friends, the foundation of all human knowledge, the beginning of human consciousness, must be that each and every one of us is an object of love. If you enter this world knowing you are loved and you leave this world knowing the same, then everything that happens in-between can be dealt with... But if you don’t have that memory of being loved, you are condemned to search the world for something to fill you up. But no matter how much money you make or how famous you become, you will still fell empty. What you are really searching for is unconditional love, unqualified acceptance. And that was the one thing that was denied to you at birth.

Michael Jackson was an impeccable humanitarian. He has donated to over 39 charities (a Guinness World Record holder for “Most Charities Supported by a Pop Star). Some charitable donations included donating an entire burn unit wing to a hospital, establishing the Heal the World / Kids Foundation, AIDS foundation, McDonald House, Make-A-Wish Foundation and many more. Through his humanitarianism and music, MJ spread the words of peace, love, compassion, and non-violence.

I speak of Michael today because I’d like to say something about judgment. When the decision was made to have a memorial for him, it was unfathomable for me to hear people making comments like “it is ridiculous for a funeral of this magnitude could be offered to a ‘pedophile’. “ I heard him being referred to as a “freak”. I even heard a comment that “he brought this upon himself – being addicted to drugs and all.” Unfortunately, MJ has always been one of the most misunderstood individuals in the public eye. Although he carried a great deal of pain from his past, he had the amazing gift of spreading so much joy and touching the lives of so many people all around the world. He was one of the most influential people of our time. It disappoints me to know this and hear the cruel judgments being made of him even after his death. And so I was inclined to write this article.

Let us look at MJ from a spiritual perspective. Let’s start first with his physicalities. MJ had Lupus, a disease that attacks one’s own immune system. Lupus can cause painful affects such as fibromyalgia – which is why you have seen MJ in a wheelchair on occasion. One can experience muscle and joint pain, inflammation, anemia, rashes etc. Alopecia (hair loss) can also be triggered by Lupus. Lupus also causes an inflamed heart which can cause premature heart disease (perhaps a contributing factor to his death). Lupus causes insomnia (which caused MJ to reach out for sleeping pills). And, Lupus causes Vitiligo – a disease that kills the substance that gives colour to skin. It can be hereditary and / or unleashed by strong emotional shock, same as other skin diseases. Sometimes a victim can choose re-pigmentation of their skin, but in a situation in which most of the body is affected (as in MJ’s), it is easier to bleach the rest of the body or face. In this case, the patient can no longer be exposed to sun. Lupus sufferers are encouraged not to be in the sun. You may have seen MJ with a mask, an umbrella in sunshine, and of course, with his beautiful rhinestone glove. These things didn’t make him “eccentric” or a “freak”. They were in response to his medical issues. (For proof of the severity of his Vitiligo, please watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMGcJFCmnCg.) These are some serious issues, especially for someone who is a superstar, always in the limelight, and for whom there was very little respect for personal privacy. And yet, you never saw Michael give up. You never saw him complain – ever – of his medical conditions. He continued strongly and passionately in his everyday life and continued to transcend his pain into joy, passion, creativity, love...

Michael Jackson was a living example of how to live your dreams. To live a life of passion. To spread peace and love to others. To forgive. He showed us to love and appreciate the people in your life at every moment and not to take anyone for granted. He brought us in touch with our fears around sexuality, aging, religion, money, racism. He continues, even after his death to challenge our egos and attempt to transcend them through non-judgment. The truth is, there is not ONE person who was not somehow affected or influenced by his inspiration, simply because of the affect he had on the entire earth. Just the fact that you speak of him (good or bad) proves that he has touched you in some way.

Every once in a while, the Universe sends us extremely influential people who try to spread the words of truth whether by their actions or words. It is the transcendence of our own judgments of them that determines how we evolve spiritually. Michael Jackson was one of these powerful, influential, and spiritual people. If you choose spiritual evolution, learn from Michael. Evaluate your life to see where you fall victim to your pain and discover ways of how to transcend them into any one or more of the things that MJ successfully and joyfully did. How can you increase the joy and passion in your life? If you don’t know, take some time to quiet the mind. You will get the answers. Be patient and open to receive.

With love and gratitude, Michael. God bless you and thank you for all that you have accomplished for us in our journeys on this earth.

"Heal the world.

Make it a better place for you and for me, and the entire human race.

There are people dying.

If you care enough for the living, make a better place for you and for me."

Michael Jackson