Learning from the Guru - Deepak Chopra

I was in the book store the other day and picked up Deepak Chopra's "The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success". It is a fantastic book - easy to read and filled with great insights. For this post, I have decided to take out portions of the book that made me go, "W.O.W...". I hope I have not infringed on any copyrights  by doing this. My intention is pure - to spread the idea of self and awareness of self amongst more people and to share my feelings and thoughts about this book. 

Success in life can be defined as the continued expansion of happiness and the progressive realisation of worthy goals. There are many aspects to success, material wealth is only one of them. Moreover, success is a journey, it is not a destination. Success includes good health, energy and enthusiasm for life, fulfilling relationships, creative freedom and a sense of well being.

- Deepak Chopra

This definition of success just makes so much more sense to me. Just reflect on this: anything that is important to the self is a journey, isn't it? Learning is important to me and I always consider it to be ever flowing. Similarly, success, happiness, a quest for truth or even exploration - these all are journeys. Journeys to an unmanifest destination...


We define success based on our wants, interests and needs. Therefore, the constitution of success differs from person to person. Watching my daughter write the letter 'A', travelling overseas for the first time, watching a friend get over a personal loss and build her life... all these have been moments of success for me. This might sound funny to some, but when I filed my income tax returns for the first time in my life, I felt a sense of success. I had arrived - my salary was now high enough to merit paying tax!  


At the same time, not for one moment do I feel that I am a 100% success. There are still unchartered areas for me to go on... more things to do, to see and to experience.


THE LAW OF PURE POTENTIALITY

The first spiritual law of success says that our essential state is one of pure consciousness: the field of all possibilities and infinite creativity. Our physical body, the physical universe come from the same place: a field of silent, unmoving awareness from which anything is possible. This field is our own Self. Knowing who we really are gives us the ability to fulfill any dream we have. Anything is possible in the field of pure potentiality because this field is the source of all power, all intelligence and infinite organising ability.

- Deepak Chopra 

While reading this, an interesting anecdote came to mind: at the turn of the 19th century, a conversation was taking place amongst some people somewhere in the United States. Talk turned to the possibility of inventing a machine that could help people to fly. One of the guests took great umbrage and said this was not possible. "It is against the laws of God and nature", he boomed. A few decades later, man took wing and the Wright brothers invented the flying machine. The 20th century was redefined by this one single invention. Guess who the irate guest was! He was the man who fathered the Wright brothers. Irony or myopia, call it whatever you wish. The reality is that Orville and Wilbur Wright refused to be told what was possible and what was not. They set out to prove that anything is possible. 


Knowing ourself - what does that mean? We communicate with ourselves constantly - telling ourselves what we can and cannot do. What makes us look good, what is right, what is wrong... these conversations colour the way we perceive the outside world and actually, they also colour the way the outer world perceives us. Knowing myself therefore means knowing consciously what beliefs and values I hold dear. What are those beliefs that hold me back (self limiting beliefs) and that stop me from interacting directly with my self? What are those beliefs that act as fodder to my ego? A very powerful question I ask myself when I recognise such a belief is, "When did I choose to adopt this belief?" Believe me, the belief falls off like a snake's discarded skin when I pose this question to myself.


Deepak Chopra recommends the following actions in order to practice the 'Law of Pure Potentiality':

Take time each day to be silent, to connect with your spirit, to just Be.

 Practice non-judgement. Begin each day with the statement, "Today I shall judge nothing that occurs," and throughout the day remind yourself of that statement each time you catch yourself judging.

 Commune with nature. Silently observe the intelligence within everything. Watch a sunset, listen to the sound of the ocean or simply smell the scent of a flower.

I have already been practicing the 2nd suggestion and it has worked wonders for me. I now intend to start practicing the 1st and 3rd actions. How about you? Let me know how it goes...