>> Now that we are being asked to wake up again, the result could be revolutionary.

I can see where you're coming from, though to be honest I expect everyone to stay asleep.

Personally I'm fully aware of all of the issues, but to be honest after years of "having all the answers" I know longer care. I am nothing. I have no power whatsoever to change anything. I can walk down main street at lunch and walk past 20,000 people. In that crowd I am nothing. In the greater scheme of things those 20,000 people are equally nothing.

Now that does sound depressing but for me it's the total opposite. I used to stress and worry myself over stuff I had no control over, now I just let it go and focus on the things that brighten my day. Does me getting angry over global warming make the world a better place? No it doesn't, but having a laugh with my friends does.

Still, I am glad that there are people like yourself who do have some influence who are trying to move things in the right direction.

S.
(Happy opiated worker drone)

I was speaking with someone the other day with whom I have many spirited conversations since he sits on the "other side of the aisle" idealically.

He was aghast that some people are claiming that Obama is "the messiah". Very scary stuff, according to him. Fox news is all over it.

I very quickly responded by saying that there are MANY unbalanced people who are fervently interested in politics. In fact, it seems that the vast majority of psychotics are politically "disposed".

I think--to bring to bear his point--that we MUST work doubly hard to keep our feet on the ground, keep things real, as it were.

Several years ago, as a manager, I was subjected to a new sort of rating system called a 360 degree. In the past, I'd always gotten a one-dimensional rating from manager, and had done very well...including ratings pertaining to my supervision of others (in my manager's opinion).
But in this case, I was to not only receive a rating from him, but also from my peers and my subordinates (as well as a self-rating).

I was amazed at the disparities. I considered myself a fairly adept manager who always seemed to be saddled with a couple of poor employees among the bunch that reported to me. What I received was an real awakening. It struck me that perhaps I'd been doing little other than "managing up" the organizational ladder, and the sum of my subbordinates' opinions seemed to bear that out.

I know, Dr. Chopra, that you possess within you great love for Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, and for obvious reasons. And it's quite probably that the author of the article you cite never met him--I didn't bother to read it, because its title didn't excite me much--but I think it's important to stay open to all possibilities. My greatest teachers have had "the charlatan" built into their makeup...they're just messengers.

However we are no less blessed to hear their message any more than we are to hear from their detractors.

The Economist is the economist. Perfectly as it ought to be.

B

I was speaking with someone the other day with whom I have many spirited conversations since he sits on the "other side of the aisle" idealically.

He was aghast that some people are claiming that Obama is "the messiah". Very scary stuff, according to him. Fox news is all over it.

I very quickly responded by saying that there are MANY unbalanced people who are fervently interested in politics. In fact, it seems that the vast majority of psychotics are politically "disposed". Nonetheless, that doesn't say a thing about Obama himself.

I think--to bring to bear his point--that we MUST work doubly hard to keep our feet on the ground, keep things real, as it were. And remember who's who.

Several years ago, as a manager, I was subjected to a new sort of rating system called a 360 degree. In the past, I'd always gotten a one-dimensional rating from manager, and had done very well...including ratings pertaining to my supervision of others (in my manager's opinion).
But in this case, I was to not only receive a rating from him, but also from my peers and my subordinates (as well as a self-rating).

I was amazed at the disparities. I considered myself a fairly adept manager who always seemed to be saddled with a couple of poor employees among the bunch that reported to me. What I received was an real awakening. It struck me that perhaps I'd been doing little other than "managing up" the organizational ladder, and the sum of my subbordinates' opinions seemed to bear that out. It was like a New Year's Day swim in Lake Superior.

I know, Dr. Chopra, that you possess within you great love for Maharishi Mahesh Yogi, and for obvious reasons. And it's quite probably that the author of the article you cite never met him--I didn't bother to read it, because its title didn't excite me much--but I think it's important to stay open to all possibilities. My greatest teachers have had "the charlatan" built into their makeup...they're just messengers.

However we are no less blessed to hear their message any more than we are to hear from their detractors.

The Economist is the economist. Perfectly as it ought to be.

B

Conservatism = Wisdom

Liberalism = Freedom

Notice that they are not opposites as many would have you believe.

Rather it would be the fictional attributes assigned to the terms that are at opposites.

I support integrated Freedom and Wisdom producing a balanced product.

Neither creates the experience of war by committing offense, for it is not wise and it deprives many of freedom.

People lacking wisdom can not claim to be conservative, and people using force cannot claim to be liberal. It would seem the Ego or finite self has claimed the labels to justify it’s fictions.

It would appear that left and right wingers are really a manifestation of ego that has warped the meaning of the intelligence that such words represent.

Most are coming to know the endeavor to transfer power to the collective, globally. The effort to remove decision making power from the ego bastards and bring the hidden negotiations and deals into the open and utilize collective intelligence and apply collective wisdom.

We will need to put the technological mechanisms in place to transfer control to the collective and yet they seem to be forming all on their own.

To establish a jointed, connected, integrated self so that all was part of a unified body, and each cell nurtured and loved, and each cell providing service to the body.

Each cell being equal to all other cells, each cell being fed in proportion to the value of the cell's contribution to the body, the heart cells, spine and brain get more sustenance and protection because their contribution is most essential to the body as a whole; yet no other cells are left wanting because of this!

Conservatism = Wisdom

Liberalism = Freedom

Notice that they are not opposites as many would have you believe so there is no battle between the two.

Conservatism preserves life and liberalism evolves life.

While collectivism serves the whole body, individuality is the spark of invention and the driver of evolution. The collective depends on individual liberty and freedom for it's growth and expansion therefore in it’s wisdom it never suppresses the individual's freedoms.

Therefore they are not at odds with each other but serve life with an integrated approach.

Nice essay. If I never heard of BoraBora, and never trusted the people who told me about it, I would never have gotten on the plane and traveled there.

People, people,...the message is to "Wake Up". Do you want to wake up or do you want to just go back to the way things are, the status quo?

Stevesnz #1: "I can see where you're coming from, though to be honest I expect everyone to stay asleep."

Steve, if you expect everyone to stay asleep, then you must be asleep as well. Is that what you want?

Danashields #2: "The Economist is the economist. Perfectly as it ought to be."

Please don't go back to sleep. We need more people to wake up and make a shift in consciousness for a better world for all.

When we make a shift in consciousness, we wake up to the beauty, joy and wonder of our world around us. Then you can really enjoy your life, laugh and be carefree.

Thank you Deepak, for enlightening us. I appreciate your encouragement and dedication to the banishment of ignorance. I am forever grateful to you.

Jai Guru,
M:)

I would aspire to impose a ruling principle on my individual life, one thing to hold to, one idea greater than any other: to give everything within myself freely, and so embrace emptiness.

War (and Peace)

attached

pax vobiscum

Those that claim to be conservative are very liberal (freedom) concerning business interests and those claiming to be liberal are very conservative (wise) regarding the environment.

Therefore the classification of liberal and conservative means nothing.

The idea is to promote freedom and the application of wisdom.

So the conflict between liberal and conservative is an artificial means of dividing and polarizing to destroy the unity that would result in right action and effect change, to the distress of those that benefit from the current systems and policy, the status quo, which resists change.

Aloha

How America is going to resolve having the Bush Crime Family in office I don't know? It can only be done by divine intervention. There has to be a planetary shift of consciousness and it has happened. love patty

Patty, in Pakistan, Pres. Mush maybe impeached as the opposition seems to be well on its course to get a two-thirds majority in the general elections held a day ago. That's a small shift.

Are you caucusing in Hawaii?

Mahalo, vanessa

I think a first step in waking up is knowing that you are asleep.
Waking up means to think for yourself and to follow your own heart. However, our social system isn't designed that way. Baby's are born wide awake, full of love and curiosity. Once they go to school you can just watch them fall asleep!
Thank you Deepak for your wake-up call!
Karin

I think a first step in waking up is knowing that you are asleep!
Waking up means to think for yourself and to follow your own heart. However, our social system isn't designed that way. Baby's are born wide awake, full of love and curiosity. Once they go to school you can just watch them fall asleep!
Thank you Deepak for your wake-up call,
Karin

I am offended by The Economist's attitude. Regardless of someone's spiritual or secular disposition, that is a very rude thing to say about Maharishi Mahesh Yogi. When respect is lost, humanity regresses.

I'm ashamed that I remain as ignorant as I do. I'm trying to play years of catch up but am not liking what I see. Its truly time for the world to wake up! And this entry was very well said.

The conservative right is maybe not so unified as we think. I was watching the HBO documentary "Too Hot Not To Handle" on Google Video.

There was a segment with Willie Nelson, who has now become a big backer of plant ethanol (that is, not just corn but the many plants that can be harvested for ethanol).

The segment showed all these American trucker guys with their cowboy hats and boots talking about how much they believed in getting off an oil-based transportation industry and filling their rigs with alternative fuels.

Then the video showed this American father driving around in his Prius and his quote was this: "I'm a conservative, and the root of that word is CONSERVE. I don't believe in wasting money, and I don't believe in wasting energy."

One of the fallouts of the disastrous Bush/Cheney presidency is that they fractured their own conservative base by going so much over the top with their destructive greed-based policies.

Not all conservatives believe in destroying the American middle class, or believe in endless pre-emptive wars. And there are many conservatives, not the least of which are family farmers in the so-called "Red States" that are experiencing firsthand the backfiring of the Bush failures in environmental policy (read: failed crops) that are itching to make some changes.

There's a lot of anti-Washington DC talk out there in places like rural Montana and Utah these days. They do not appreciate having their livelihoods destroyed and their water supplies and crops drying up.

I see John McCain recently got the Bush endorsement on his campaign. It's not a boon, in my estimation.

"Here's the guy Bush thinks ought to be President" is not exactly going to win the country over for him.

Thank you Deepak. I enjoyed your post.

Love, Char

First excuse me for my bad english i am from Sweden, second i dont think you will publish this comment but hopefully you ill read it, if you do you can send me and e-mail. Its very clear that you mr Chopra, like most other "non white" people vote for the person that is "least white" and that you favor race before ideology. If it was a white guy running for President in Saudiarabia, Uganda or in Israel people would speak about white imperialism but when a black guy runs for power in a country where there (atleast for now) lives more white people ofcourse its a good thing. But if a white person does something good its really humanity that did something good, if a black man do something good its the "black race" that did something good. The only time white people exist is when we speak about their sins otherwise "the white race" doesnt exist at all. All the candidates no matter if they are republican or democrats have to answer why hispanics and blacks should vote for them, no one asks why white people should vote for them. Also i dont think i ever heard mr Chopra speak about native germanic religions like asatru that has great similarities with Hinduism, and i never see Chopra endorsing white spiritual authors or thinkers. I admire Chopras spiritual writings and i think he is one of our greatest thinkers of our time when it comes to spirituality and science but i also think that Chopra like most celebrities and "newage writers" in America have the opinion that only white people can be "evil" and that all other peoples of the planet are without sins or faults. For instance i could never imagine Chopra writing about the Israelis racist politics against Palestinians or about masskillings and rapes of the white farmers in Zimbabwe. Racism is destructive both ways and those who think black pride is really good they should also be consistent and endorse white nationalism like Malcolm X did for instance. Ofcourse me too i have prejudice against some other peoples and religions but i work really hard not to and in doing this i expect other peoples claiming to be against racism to do the same. Chopra speak against the "white elite" running America, that the same elite are working for more immigration of non white people is not something he is considering and that there also are many jewish people with great influence in media and politics (confirmed by many jewish writers like Norman Finkenstein and Philip Weiss) in America is also something he wouldnt dare to speak about. I always hoped you mr Chopra stood above racial views but i guess i was wrong. Here are a couple of links if yu want to know more about another elite in America that you like much better.

http://www.philipweiss.org/mondoweiss/2008/02/do-jews-dominat.html

Here is one of your countrymen speaking about jewish influence in America:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vgt2J54iZOQ&eurl=http://www.davidduke.com/

Dear Deepak,

Your blog entry inspired me to write to you today. In 2004 I was woken up one night by a voice who said: “This was an intercultural, interracial hate crime”. As a clinician in private practice I had more experience with intellectual pursuits than “voices from the other world”. This voice was so compelling, however, I followed up with a client who had told me her brother had died recently in a car accident in Trinidad. I then learnt the voice came from this client’s brother, named Navin. In fact an investigation was ongoing, since a culturally motivated hate crime was suspected.

Now, as you can imagine, this was a big shift in my consciousness and since then I’ve deeply grasped how desirable enlightenment really is, considering the soul’s energy does continue. This led to my writing a book “Making the Connections, Live the Life you Really want”, which was recently published. There is nothing more worthwhile to me than helping people find out for themselves how incredible life can be when we tune into the “enlightenment” spectrum. Just because Maharishi knew how to make money does not make him a suspect to be faking his authenticity. Poverty in itself is not virtuous, healing others and inspiring them to live an authentic life is. Maharishi obviously did well in that area, however the Economist is trying to twist it. Maharishi’s spirit will live on as does Navin’s and in that light I’d like to quote Navin here from a section in my book on page 15:

A wish and good news from Navin.
Everybody loves spirit. You praise it, you want it, but many don’t honor it. That’s the truth. I’m not judging you, just observing you in action.
Looking in on humans from the outside makes it easy to be non-judgmental. You need to know this. You are where you are at every moment to understand that you are creating who you are.
Religions need to interface to combine their commonalities, their faith, rather than fight each other. Faith is a continuous process of creation in the image of the lightness of being. Every moment is an opportunity to be guided by spirit instead of the conditioned mind.
Find out what you are searching to gain for your spirit. To be successful, look at where you are now and look at long-term gains for your eternal soul, instead of short-term losses. This is a concept your mind will understand and your soul will prosper from. Most people believe in the dominance/submission game—looking for gains in their temporary material existence. That game is simply a blip in the lifetime of an ever-evolving universe.
This dominance/submission game led to what you call my death. The game is over for me, and I am glad. I chose not to participate at the moment I passed on. I chose to put myself above it. Now is my chance to touch you with my level of truth.
Thank you for the reception.
Yours truly,
Navin

As soon as I’ve posted this, I’m going to watch “Accross the Universe” a movie that came highly recommended. Quite apropos tonight, with the Maharishi and Beatles connection! If you feel so moved check out http://www.elkebabicki.com and find out more how we are all connected.
Bye for now,
Elke Babicki

Dear Mr. Chopra:

Your anger and indignation on several issues, from the white-male elite, the ignorance of Indian spiritual practice to the derision of your beloved guru are quite obvious here.

What one witnesess in the world of human events is neither right nor wrong but the acting out of the energy fields of consciousness as they impinge and express through particular individuals under specified conditions of time and place. If we avoid the hypothetical positionality that people *could* be different than they are, we see that, in actuality, people can't really help being other than they are. If they could be different, they would be. It seems a bit irrational to condemn human behaviour by comparing it with the hypothetical ideal.

Since you have written "The Third Jesus", which I have not read, you must know that anger and indignation gives way to compassion through understanding. It was, after all, Jesus who said
"Forgive them, for they know not what they do."

Yes, mankind now stands at the great threshold of *real awakening*, which may be the actual nature of the Second Coming of Christ as foretold in scripture.

All,

Just to say in Deepak's defense, not that he needs or wants any - Deepak is not prejudice and clearly supports the best candidate - who I believe will be our next president.

Love, Char

Dear Elke,

Thanks for sharing, as I really enjoyed hearing what spirit says and it was uplifting as well.

It's true that everybody loves Spirit and Spirit loves everybody. I heard a few days ago from my Spirit/Higher Self/God, which has stuck in my mind, "My kingdom is my honor. My honor is love." That's a pretty powerful statement, I think, as it seems to explain everything and why all is as it is .... for me at least

Love, Char

Spiritual gurus threaten the dominance of rationalists over people.
They teach people to think for themselves. "Opinion formers"
of course don´t like that. It´s a common fact that worldwide media
bashes spiritual gurus. They don´t like competition in their priesthood.
Journalists usually want everyone to follow what they consider to be the Truth(ie their work),
and nothing else. Much like the priesthood in ancient Egypt.

Dr. Chopra:

The modern world has lived through 200 years of industrialization and "scientific enlightenment" - and already we are looking at destruction of the world.

There are only so many ways to live successfully over a longer period of time for any species. Either someone consumes you or you consume everyone else.. so you extinguish yourself. OR you live in harmony with everyone despite the power to lord over all that you see.

Humility comes with the understanding that your good is dependent on everyone else'!

And Eastern Mystics had learnt this very early. We are in this creation with everyone else.. either we all respect each other.. or we all perish.

So, let us ask this question another way -

- Is Enlightenment a result of an URGE or a NECESSITY .. in other words.. is it pro-bono action on our part.. or does some circumstance push it on us?

It could be both.

Human of today is happy to take the second route.

Bon voyage.

Cheers,
-desh

it should have been suo moto.. and not pro bono.. i am almost brain dead here.. at this hour..

-desh