Zombie Masters and Spiritual Masters

I recently saw the movie Resident Evil: Extinction. Afterward, discussing the movie, someone reminded me that I used to refer to those still with Angelo as "zombies." I laughed because I'm sure I did it for the sake of its comedic value but I was also struck again by the truth of the metaphor for how some people approach their spiritual practice.

Zombies are the Un-dead, beings that are neither alive nor dead but walk around in a strange parody of life. Zombies have sometimes been used as a metaphor for the un-thinking consumerism of our society. In other instances, they are simply creatures in horror movies. But the actual origin of the zombie legend lies in Voodoo. In Voodoo, a bokor (Voodoo sorcerer) could supposedly revive the dead to serve as his un-thinking slaves - with no will of their own. In popular fantasy today, these bokor have also been referred to as Zombie Lords or Zombie Masters.

Let's take a look at the difference between a Zombie Master and a Spiritual Master:

Zombie Master	Spiritual Master
A Zombie Master brings the dead back to life.	A Spiritual Master awakens the spiritually asleep (or "the dead")
The re-animated dead move around in a parody of life, obeying the will of the Zombie Master.	The very lucky disciple attains a state of being where they become dis-identified with their own life/personality and become fully identified with the identity cultivated by the master. This person loses all but a marginal ability to think independently, feel authentically, and initiate and maintain real relationships. In this walking trance-like state, the person identifies only with the pseudo-personality of the master's design.
The re-animated dead can have no true relationships because the only thing that they see is the Zombie Master. The only thing they know is his will.	A true disciple acknowledges only the relationship with the Spiritual Master as genuine, and only the Master's will as important.
The re-animated dead can initiate no action on their own.	Meditating for long periods, the true disciple can become very passive -- content to "just be" and watch/enjoy the world around them. They become spiritual witnesses, watching life unfold in the moment, blissfully following sonambulant routines... fully present as they move in "service" or chew and swallow "fuel for the body." There is no desire to take charge and make something happen without the express command of the Spiritual Master. If they become vaguely aware of hopes and dreams (as troubling feelings that mar their serenity), they seek the Master's help to abolish them.
The re-animated dead usually do not speak, but sometimes a garble that parodies their instruction from the Zombie Lord can be heard coming from their lips.	The disciple treasures silence but, when it speaks, it is usually a garbled version of whatever the Spiritual Master last shared.
If the re-animated dead break free of the Zombie Lord's control, they lose their animation, seeming to "return" to death immediately and painlessly. Blissfully unaware that their "gift of life" was not true life, but a mockery of it.	If a disciple breaks from the Spiritual Master's control, they can wander aimlessly for a while... lost, and alone -- looking for their heart that they misplaced along the way. The lucky ones are painfully aware that their "gift of life" was not true life, but a mockery of it. The unlucky ones, simply carry on, consciously imitating their former zombie ways in an attempt to return to the numbness that they mistakenly believe was life.

Note: This analysis is presented for comedic purposes only and is not intended to offend any Zombie Masters or Spiritual Masters among our readers.