Dr Martin Luther King, Jr: I have a dream...
posted by DK Matai on January 19, 2009 at 02:44 PM
Dear Friends, we are happy to remember Dr Martin Luther King's 80th birthday today and look forward to the realisation of his dream in President Obama's inauguration tomorrow! Here is a copy of the article we presented two year's ago on his birthday:
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Inner Calmness
posted by DK Matai on January 18, 2009 at 01:43 PM
Dear Friends, we were inspired by this magnificient art produced by our friend Arlene Taveroff from Wisdom a la Carte... How does it resonate with you? What quotes of wisdom come to you?
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Gayatri Mantra -- Being Grateful to The Supra Universal Consciousness!
posted by DK Matai on January 15, 2009 at 11:43 AM
Dear Friends, this morning, I woke up and wrote on my online status that I felt immensely grateful to the Supra Universal Consciousness for everything whilst counting blessings one-by-one & praying for world peace: Golden Age of non-violence!
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Deeply Troubled Over Gaza: How Asymmetric?
posted by DK Matai on January 13, 2009 at 01:50 PM
Dear Friends, we are deeply troubled to note that 971 are dead in Gaza: 311 children & 76 women; 4,418 are injured: 1,549 children & 652 women... What? How asymmetric is that? Source: UN OCHA.
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What is the fault of the children of Gaza who constitute one third of all killed and injured?
posted by DK Matai on January 09, 2009 at 07:06 AM
Dear Friends, Two weeks of fighting have left 14 Israelis and 765 Palestinians dead. The UN states: One third are children of all Gaza dead & injured; half are civilians; meanwhile the Israel-Hamas confrontation continues despite the UN resolution. In a rare statement, the International Red Cross has condemned Israel for violating international law because it was unable to access Gaza.
OVER 100 UK PARLIAMENTARIANS CALL FOR END TO SLAUGHTER IN GAZA
posted by DK Matai on January 06, 2009 at 05:14 PM
Dear Friends, we are grateful to Richard Burden, Member of Parliament, United Kingdom; Chair of the Britain-Palestine All Party Parliamentary Group; and distinguished ATCA Contributor for his submission:
Continue reading "OVER 100 UK PARLIAMENTARIANS CALL FOR END TO SLAUGHTER IN GAZA"
Tools of Personal Transformation – Forgiveness
posted by Deepak Chopra on December 30, 2008 at 07:21 PM
From an early age we are told forgiveness is an important virtue we should practice, but we are only told to forgive, we are not shown how to forgive and mean it. In the Lord’s Prayer we ask God to “forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us,” But I don’t think forgiveness should be regarded as prescriptive morality. Prescriptive morality never works and is frequently a form a self- righteousness in disguise--a mask for the ego.
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Universal Greetings!
posted by DK Matai on December 25, 2008 at 02:43 PM
Dear Friends, given that the IntentBlog, Intent, ATCA Open, The Philanthropia and HQR wonderful family extends to 120+ countries please accept universal greetings!
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Enlightenment
posted by Deepak Chopra on December 22, 2008 at 11:50 AM
Enlightenment is the transformation of personal consciousness to universal consciousness. According to the wisdom traditions of the world, this transformation is not an anomaly or departure from human nature, but rather the actualization of human potential. The evolution of consciousness is a progressive journey back to the source of existence, to our source. This metamorphosis represents a shift in identify from the personal to the transpersonal, to the universal. It is the realization that as persons we are a transient impermanent pattern of a deeper consciousness that differentiates simultaneously into the observer and the observed. The maturation of awareness reveals that in reality we are ultimately not defined as either the observer or observed, but rather that consciousness which simultaneously differentiates into both.
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Delusion of Permanence: Most Astonishing in World
posted by DK Matai on December 19, 2008 at 12:14 PM
Mahabharata War: Impermanence of Life & Wealth
Dear Friends, we were asked the other day about why the delusion of wealth persists?
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Are you your environment?
posted by Sarah Maria on December 15, 2008 at 08:10 PM
One thing I have realized is how much the environment can influence us. The weather is an obvious way, but there are many smaller aspects of environment that impact us as well.
I am in the process of moving to Seattle from Northern California. I have been wanting to leave the Bay Area for a number of years, and really love Seattle. It is interesting, though, that I almost feel like a different person depending on where I am located.
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Seeking an Explanation for The Mystery of The Metamorphosis of Narcissus by Salvador Dali
posted by DK Matai on December 15, 2008 at 01:53 PM
The Metamorphosis of Narcissus by Salvador Dali, 1937
Dear Friends, we were asked a question after reading, "Metamorphosis of Narcissus & The Omega Point" about the painting's directional flow and meaning.
Time to move on?
posted by Gayatri Jayaraman on December 09, 2008 at 01:25 AM
Right now Mumbai is a seething mess of changemakers each with their own well-intentioned agendas. And as we well know, the path to hell is paved with good intentions..... No one can hear anyone else over the din, never mind that everyone is saying more or less the same thing. It's deeply disappointing to see me-ness in all of this change-mongering. The needing to take credit for the plan that changes the way we deal with safety, celebs posing for photo-ops, ‘iconic’ interviews slamming terror that pop up as a film release approaches, and the sinking feeling that even as we keep it up, fatigue is setting in, nothing is really going to change, and people are resigning themselves to resilience and moving on. I’m just back from a Press Con with a superstar who didn’t even mention the T word. Is it over? Safe to come out now? And are those of us who are clinging on to the memory of it actually just people who can't let go?
Continue reading "Time to move on?"
My Grandfather’s Sikhism, My Simple Life Philosophy
posted by Rayman Mathoda on December 06, 2008 at 04:19 PM
I consider myself spiritual but not very religious and don’t have much patience for the bureaucracy of most religions including my own. I just don’t see the need to have middlemen translate the teachings of my religion to me; my grandfather did a fine job of this during the times we spent together on vacation in Punjab, India while he was alive.
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Redefining the War on Terror
posted by Rayman Mathoda on November 28, 2008 at 01:38 PM
The Mumbai "terrorist" attacks are a clear message to President Elect Obama, us, and the rest of the world. The problems of the world aren't just economic....they are equally urgent, social and extend deeply into our homes and places of worship.
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How About the Church of Hope?
posted by Deepak Chopra on November 26, 2008 at 09:46 AM
An article in the Washington Post On Faith section in response to their question: President-elect Obama hasn't been to church in three weeks, saying he doesn't want to disrupt the service for others. Reagan and Bush said the same thing, but Carter and Clinton attended church regularly. What's your advice? Where should presidents worship?
Since Barack Obama ran to bring hope in a time of change, I'd like to see him extend that to how he worships. Presidents are forced to attend church as an empty ritual. A cynic would say that if they wanted to worship the way that 70% of American males do, they should attend the church of televised football and golf. Other honest alternatives would be the worship of ambition, money, and political revenge, wherever those dogmas happen to be preached. To overcome such cynicism, and to end the masquerade of public piety, soon-to-be President Obama might consider the following innovations:
Continue reading "How About the Church of Hope?"
The Mystery of the Compassionate Brain
posted by Deepak Chopra on November 14, 2008 at 02:07 PM
An article in the Washington Post On Faith section in response to their question: Religion scholar Karen Armstrong is asking the world to write a Charter for Compassion, based on her premise that compassion is central to all religions. Do you agree? If so, what has gone wrong?
Continue reading "The Mystery of the Compassionate Brain"
I take a vow
posted by Gayatri Jayaraman on November 10, 2008 at 01:17 AM
This is my personal vow of non-violence to support Deepak's Vow:
To not place heat in words, where I may place light
To not stumble into loudness, where there may be stillness
To not seek to be heard first, where I may be heard clearest
To not draw upon anger, where I may draw upon compassion
To not fashion into sharpness, what I may fashion into gentleness
To not measure what I get, where I may measure what I become
To not look for revenge, where I may seek justice
To not fall into argument, where I may clarify by debate
To not think in terms of punishment, where I may think in terms of correction
To not attack, where I may defend
Continue reading "I take a vow"
The (oft unknowing) tyranny of the majority
posted by Rayman Mathoda on November 09, 2008 at 11:17 AM
On May 15th, 2008 the California Supreme Court made a historic decision. They ruled that it was a violation of the equal protection clause of the California Constitution to not afford gay couples the right to marry – almost exactly the same ruling they had made in 1948 on inter-racial marriage (which was at the time not allowed in California). Between June 16th (the day gay wedding licenses started being issued) and November 4th, approximately 18,000 couples got married in California.
Continue reading "The (oft unknowing) tyranny of the majority"
The Vow
posted by Deepak Chopra on November 07, 2008 at 07:27 PM
Dear Friends,
On November 7, 2008, at 9:45am , I, Deepak Chopra, took a vow of non-violence in my thoughts, in my speech and in my actions. I, then, also had an opportunity to ask the almost 500 people attending the plenary session for the Alliance for a New Humanityin Barcelona if they would join me in this commitment.
Marilyn Ferguson: An Appreciation
posted by Deepak Chopra on November 07, 2008 at 11:25 AM
Reagan was on the rise, the anti-war movement had sunk to a low ebb, and the New Age was barely christened when The Aquarian Conspiracy appeared in 1980. Overnight Marilyn Ferguson's book became famous and sold in the millions. I was a young doctor who had just learned to meditate when I picked up a dog-eared paperback copy at a Catskill spiritual retreat. Ferguson's message shot through me like electricity: a "benign conspiracy" was bringing about the greatest shift in consciousness in the twentieth century. In one stroke Ferguson unified a movement that seemed like small, isolated outposts on the fringes of respectable society.
Continue reading "Marilyn Ferguson: An Appreciation"
Economic Crisis as a Catalyst for Spiritual and Community Renewal
posted by Richard Flyer on November 03, 2008 at 09:01 AM
People take notice when “officialdom” makes pronouncements like this one from Bank of England Deputy Governor Charles Bean regarding the economic situation--- “This is a once in a lifetime crisis, and possibly the largest financial crisis of its kind in human history."
What an amazing time to be living---a time of great extremes—we are living on the edge. While the economic crisis may be the worst in human history, it could be paradoxically the greatest impetus to spiritual renewal and awakening of humanity to finally build a society that works for all—starting in each of our communities.
Continue reading "Economic Crisis as a Catalyst for Spiritual and Community Renewal"
Same Sex Marriage: Equality for All
posted by Mallika Chopra on October 14, 2008 at 08:57 PM
A few months ago, my two daughters were ring bearers in two of our closest friends wedding ceremony. My girls dressed up in their Indian clothes, thrilled to have the honor of being such VIPs.
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The Nature of Maya
posted by DK Matai on October 12, 2008 at 12:58 AM
Dear Friends, in Sanskrit, the Indian Veda treatise from 1500 BC describes Maya as money. Maya as material. Maya as Illusion. Perception makes Maya a reality...
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Creating Conscious Community---Interview
posted by Richard Flyer on October 02, 2008 at 10:47 AM
Interview on Creating Conscious Community
Meeting Troy Davis: A Lesson in Faith and Forgiveness
posted by Kavita Chhibber on September 30, 2008 at 05:46 AM
Last Friday the 26th, I was under the surgeon’s scalpel undergoing surgery.
Continue reading "Meeting Troy Davis: A Lesson in Faith and Forgiveness"
Becoming a Unit of Peace Consciousness (Part 7)
posted by Deepak Chopra on September 27, 2008 at 01:51 PM
Continuing the daily themes for peacemakers, today’s peace practice is:
Sharing for Peace
Today, share your practice of peacemaking with two people. Give them this information and invite them to begin the daily practice. As more of us participate in this sharing, our practice will expand into a critical mass.
Continue reading "Becoming a Unit of Peace Consciousness (Part 7)"
Becoming a Unit of Peace Consciousness (Part 6)
posted by Deepak Chopra on September 26, 2008 at 10:09 AM
Continuing the daily themes for peacemakers, today’s peace practice is:
Creating for Peace
Today, come up with at least one creative idea to resolve a conflict, either in your personal life or your family circle or among friends. If you can, try and create an idea that applies to your community, the nation, or the whole world.
Continue reading "Becoming a Unit of Peace Consciousness (Part 6)"
Becoming a Unit of Peace Consciousness (Part 5)
posted by Deepak Chopra on September 25, 2008 at 02:09 PM
Continuing the daily themes for peacemakers, today’s peace practice is:
Acting for Peace
Today is the day to help someone in need: A child, a sick person, an older or frail person. Help can take many forms. Tell yourself, " Today I will bring a smile to a stranger's face. If someone acts in a hurtful way to me or someone else, I will respond with a gesture of loving kindness. I will send an anonymous gift to someone, however small. I will offer help without asking for gratitude or recognition."
Please support my intention for peace by going to Intent.com. Then create your own intention to add the power of your intention toward peace in the world. Share this message with all your friends to create a tidal wave of peace for the planet right now.
Continue reading "Becoming a Unit of Peace Consciousness (Part 5)"
Becoming a Unit of Peace Consciousness (Part 4)
posted by Deepak Chopra on September 24, 2008 at 03:18 PM
Continuing the daily themes for peacemakers, today’s peace practice is:
Speaking for Peace
Today, the purpose of speaking is to create happiness in the listener. Have this intention: Today every word I utter will be chosen consciously. I will refrain from complaints, condemnation, and criticism.
Your practice is to do at least one of the following:
Tell someone how much you appreciate them.
Express genuine gratitude to those who have helped and loved you.
Offer healing or nurturing words to someone who needs them.
Show respect to someone whose respect you value.
If you find that you are reacting negatively to anyone, in a way that isn't peaceful, refrain from speaking and keep silent. Wait to speak until you feel centered and calm, and then speak with respect.
Please support my intention for peace by going to Intent.com. Then create your own intention to add the power of your intention toward peace in the world. Share this message with all your friends to create a tidal wave of peace for the planet right now.
Continue reading "Becoming a Unit of Peace Consciousness (Part 4)"
Becoming a Unit of Peace Consciousness (Part 3)
posted by Deepak Chopra on September 23, 2008 at 11:27 AM
Continuing the week-long practices for peace, today’s theme for peacemakers is:
Feeling for Peace
This is the day to experience the emotions of peace. The emotions of peace are compassion, understanding, and love.
Continue reading "Becoming a Unit of Peace Consciousness (Part 3)"
Becoming a Unit of Peace Consciousness (Part 2)
posted by Deepak Chopra on September 22, 2008 at 03:09 PM
Continuing the weeklong practices for peace, today’s theme for peacemakers is:
Thinking for Peace
Thinking has power when it is backed by intention. Today, introduce the intention of peace in your thoughts. Take a few moments of silence, then repeat this ancient prayer:
Continue reading "Becoming a Unit of Peace Consciousness (Part 2)"
To Trust or Not to Trust
posted by Diane Williams on September 22, 2008 at 10:07 AM
To Trust or Not to Trust?
How can each of us find more peace – personally, socially, globally and/or spiritually?
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Beyond Hate in '08--Community Weaver's Story
posted by Richard Flyer on September 22, 2008 at 09:18 AM
Hate. An awful word. According to the dictionary it is "to dislike intensely or passionately; feel extreme aversion for or extreme hostility toward."
It is easy to see in others, but can we overcome it in ourselves? I must have received 5 emails this last week demonizing the Republican Vice Presidential nominee Sarah Palin.
Continue reading "Beyond Hate in '08--Community Weaver's Story"
Our Intent for Peace
posted by Mallika Chopra on September 21, 2008 at 09:13 PM
My intent is ...
Continue reading "Our Intent for Peace"
Becoming a Unit of Peace Consciousness (Part 1)
posted by Deepak Chopra on September 21, 2008 at 12:05 PM
War is the plague that human beings bring upon themselves. It is also a plague we might be able to end. On any given day since you and I were born, some part of the world has been at war–in 2003 the total number of open conflicts was thirty. In the twentieth century at least 108 million people died in wars. Of the 20 largest military budgets on earth, 14 belong to developing countries. The United States spends more on its military than the next 16 countries combined.
Continue reading "Becoming a Unit of Peace Consciousness (Part 1)"
Fathering outside the Norm
posted by Joe Kelly on September 15, 2008 at 08:30 AM
What are you doing today to and for all the good dads who challenge the norms at work, at home, and in society-at-large about what it means to be a good father and what it means to create (sometimes out of whole cloth) time to fully and truly nurture children? There are a lot of men out here acting every day in ways that are simultaneously ordinary and extraordinary—ordinary because they are actions every good parent takes; extraordinary because the picture of a father fully involved and engaged in daily child-rearing is still so far outside our conception of “normal.”
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Jezebel, Sheba, and Hillary?
posted by Deepak Chopra on September 03, 2008 at 02:44 PM
An article in the Washington Post On Faith section in response to their question: Women are not allowed to become clergy in many conservative religious groups. Is it hypocritical to think that a woman can lead a nation and not a congregation?
Continue reading "Jezebel, Sheba, and Hillary?"
Im filled with light. Cut me...I don't bleed, I shine
posted by Gayatri Jayaraman on August 16, 2008 at 06:35 AM
I-day came and went, but the euphoria lingers. Abhinav Bindra, all of 25 took the gold, and though as Indians we all feel proud and take credit for him, fact is we never took responsibility for his talent when it was being nurtured, we played no part as a nation in contributing to his success. Funded solely by his parents' substantial means, overcoming medical injury, seeking out confidence building classes in Germany, Abhinav is symbolic of a generation of young Indians who won't stop chasing their dreams just because of the odds. India's gen-next is a kick-ass bunch!
Continue reading "Im filled with light. Cut me...I don't bleed, I shine"
The Power of Love and The Omega Point
posted by DK Matai on August 12, 2008 at 12:59 AM
The Omega Point
Dear Friends, the evolving black swan global crises pose some downside risks and what are the upside possibilities...
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Breathed By Brahman
posted by Deepak Chopra on August 01, 2008 at 11:08 AM
Imagining God in Color
posted by Deepak Chopra on July 31, 2008 at 05:57 PM
An article in the Washington Post On Faith section in response to their question:
Three in 10 Americans acknowledge feelings of racial prejudice, and yet 9 in 10 say they believe in God. How does racial prejudice reflect on one's religious beliefs?
Continue reading "Imagining God in Color"
There Is Nothing Other Than God
posted by Deepak Chopra on July 31, 2008 at 02:50 PM
Dawn of A Golden Age: How do you feel about it?
posted by DK Matai on July 31, 2008 at 12:08 AM
Dear Friends, with God's grace, your blessings and well wishes we are recovering from the accident step by step. What do you think of "Towards a Golden Age -- A Wisdom based Global Economy?".
Continue reading "Dawn of A Golden Age: How do you feel about it?"
The Pregnant Man
posted by Mallika Chopra on July 23, 2008 at 10:17 PM
I have to admit, I do not know how to react to the pregnant man - who has now given birth to his daughter. For anyone who knows me,
Continue reading "The Pregnant Man"
Why the Paranormal is Normal
posted by Deepak Chopra on July 17, 2008 at 03:39 PM
An article in the Washington Post On Faith section in response to their question:
Polls routinely show that 75 percent of Americans hold some form of belief in the paranormal such as astrology, telepathy and ghosts. All religions contain beliefs in the supernatural. Is there a link? What’s the difference?
Continue reading "Why the Paranormal is Normal"
Awakened World Through Awakened Communities
posted by Richard Flyer on July 15, 2008 at 08:59 AM
What Gets in the Way of Us Connecting with Others?
posted by Velcrow Ripper on July 15, 2008 at 08:20 AM
Expectation. When we are expecting, we are not connecting - we are just waiting for affirmation. To really connect, to really relate, we need to be open and not just be looking to get our buttons massaged. Expectation is a kind of contraction.
Continue reading "What Gets in the Way of Us Connecting with Others?"
Car Crash
posted by DK Matai on July 12, 2008 at 02:13 PM
Dear Friends, It is humbling to come close to death or permanent disability and one is thankful to Providence for saving all lives. My family and I have been involved in an 8 car pile up on a motorway (freeway) today near London, England, and it turns out that at 70+mph an argument began in the car way in front between a couple... and a few minutes later we were all involved in it... is nothing private in an interconnected world...
HQR: Synchronicity Showers -- Singularity Signs?
posted by DK Matai on July 10, 2008 at 01:34 AM
Dear Friends, increasingly one is showered with synchronicity reinforcing patterns of the unifying energy field -- the Singularity -- in everyone & everything: All manifest in real time as One!
Continue reading "HQR: Synchronicity Showers -- Singularity Signs?"
Rituals and Membership Cards
posted by Deepak Chopra on July 09, 2008 at 03:20 PM
A Washington Post On Faith article in response to their question:
What do you think about Sally Quinn, a non-Catholic, going to Communion at Tim Russert's Catholic funeral? What are some do's and don'ts for observing the religious rituals of others?
Continue reading "Rituals and Membership Cards"
Global Peace Meditation July 9th
posted by Intent on July 08, 2008 at 08:55 PM
Join us for the Global Peace Meditation
on Wednesday, July 9th!
Tomorrow, July 9th at 4pm (GMT) (8am PST) in Dublin, Ireland, Deepak Chopra and David Simon will lead a one-hour worldwide meditation for peace, harmony, and love on the planet.
Continue reading "Global Peace Meditation July 9th"
One dance around the world
posted by Mallika Chopra on July 08, 2008 at 07:26 AM
I LOVE this video!!
The Gem
posted by Richard Flyer on July 07, 2008 at 09:35 AM
MARCH 9, 1985
A gem of finest quality was waiting, one day, waiting to be seen. Cleansing water and natural forces helped it along its way to the surface. Sitting beneath dirt and rock it almost made it to the light. It almost touched the point where the human eye, a window of the Spirit could cast its gaze at its beautiful order and harmony, and wonder, why?
Know Thyself! Gnothi Seauton! Nosce Te Ipsum!
posted by DK Matai on July 04, 2008 at 09:58 AM
Dear Friends, my humble intent is to bow prostrate before all to acknowledge the Supra Universal Consciousness via: "Gnothi Seauton! Nosce Te Ipsum! Sat Sri Akal! Sat Naam! Jai Guru Deva! Dominus Illuminatio Mea! Domine Dirige Nos!"...
Continue reading "Know Thyself! Gnothi Seauton! Nosce Te Ipsum!"
Atheists and the Will to Believe
posted by Deepak Chopra on July 01, 2008 at 02:20 PM
An article in the Washington Post On Faith section in response to their question: "According to a new Pew survey, 21% of American atheists believe in God or a universal spirit, 12% believe in heaven and 10% pray at least once a week. What do you make of this?"
Continue reading "Atheists and the Will to Believe"
Amor Fati
posted by Gayatri Jayaraman on June 28, 2008 at 10:17 AM
If you were freefalling through life, when would be a good time to stop and jerk the parachute cord? I'm guessing you'd end up with a sprained neck, a spoilt view, an aborted thrill and no real understanding of what that adventure was really all about. So let them all tut tut and tell you that's not the way to do it. It's like an adventure sport. Yes it may kill you in the, end, so please sign the release form here....
To See the World in a Grain of Sand and Heaven...
posted by DK Matai on June 28, 2008 at 12:17 AM
The Ancient of Days: God as Architect
William Blake
Continue reading "To See the World in a Grain of Sand and Heaven..."
A New World or No World? (Part 3)
posted by Deepak Chopra on June 27, 2008 at 10:06 AM
Continuing the list of what we need in terms of awareness to prevail in difficult times:
3 A vision of the future.
When people are asleep, the future is a repetition of the past, because inertia can do little else. Conservation, the party of inertia, represents the impulse in each of us not to wake up --it says "Leave me alone. I like the way I am."
Continue reading "A New World or No World? (Part 3)"
A Book That Peers into Eternity
posted by Deepak Chopra on June 26, 2008 at 09:14 AM
There's a single book that I reread every year: "I Am That" by Nisargadatta Maharaj (1897-1981). The title is a quotation. In India the goal of enlightenment is to see reality as a whole. When all illusion has fallen away, one looks around and can say, with complete confidence, "I am That, you are That, and all this is That."
Continue reading "A Book That Peers into Eternity"