Deepak Chopra

Is the Prophet a founding father?

Muhammad cannot be kept out of Arab politics.

By Deepak Chopra | February 1, 2011; 09:05 PM ET | Comments (5)

The real policy is "Don't Talk About It"

Does religion help or hinder their bid for equality? Faiths like Islam and Catholicism, insofar as they believe that God has named what is sinful and what is not, will remain out of step with the modern world, and with enlightened humanity in general.

By Deepak Chopra | November 15, 2010; 05:44 PM ET | Comments (2)

Obama's even-handedness works against him

As much as I admire Obama's even-handedness, it would be understandable if he stood up to the bullies on the right.

By Deepak Chopra | November 8, 2010; 04:33 PM ET | Comments (5)

Glenn Beck and the faithful are attacking faith

Glenn Beck and other right-wing demagogues are so obviously irrational and self-serving that it's not their message that is troubling; the message will never prevail in an advanced industrial society that depends on maximum coherence to keep functioning.

By Deepak Chopra | October 29, 2010; 12:33 PM ET | Comments (7)

Right thinking and wrong thinking about Muslims

It's no surprise that ignorance leads the way for prejudice.

By Deepak Chopra | September 5, 2010; 08:21 AM ET | Comments (83)

Do words cause wars?

If the West wants to end the war of words, we should seriously enjoin every Arab country to reform its educational system and move toward democracy. I'm not saying anything new. But by continuing the endless cycle of provocation that has marked Mideast history in the postwar era, both sides act as if consciousness-raising isn't an issue

By Deepak Chopra | August 26, 2010; 02:20 PM ET | Comments (4)

Who's inside the Muslim box?

People are in a shadow zone right now, worried about terrorists, suspicious of Islam despite their best intentions, and jumpy about the Muslims among us who are doing nothing more dangerous than seeking a place to worship in their own way.

By Deepak Chopra | August 18, 2010; 12:37 PM ET | Comments (3)

Walking the pathless path

The true seeker of truth discovers, sooner or later, that truth has been seeking us all along.

By Deepak Chopra | August 10, 2010; 02:19 PM ET | Comments (3)

Real belief is personal search for truth

To accept the truth blindly is the same as having no personal convictions of your own. By the same token, to say that you have adopted Christ without Christianity seems equally facile. The teachings of Jesus are staggeringly difficult to carry out in practice, as anyone knows who has tried to turn the other cheek or loved his enemies.

By Deepak Chopra | August 3, 2010; 03:12 PM ET | Comments (2)

Find sacred ground in marriage

The more productive topic is how to avoid such divorces. To do that, a young couple must find common ground in spiritual matters. This is happening already to some extent. The ties of dogma and orthodoxy have been weakening for decades

By Deepak Chopra | July 27, 2010; 04:09 PM ET | Comments (2)

Eight lessons from a monastery

By and by, I started to feel that I was losing my sense of my previous identity. Physically, I was without hair on my scalp or my eyebrows. I walked barefoot. I wore the robe of monks. I practiced mindful awareness day and night, in addition to meditating on impermanence and on my own physical death.

By Deepak Chopra | July 20, 2010; 01:02 PM ET | Comments (5)

Everyone can heal and be healthier

Dean Ornish and Deepak provide independent viewpoints on ways that everyone can heal and be healthier at TEDMED 2009....

By Deepak Chopra | May 14, 2010; 08:40 PM ET | Comments (0)

Mother-infant bond: The biology of love

Of all the attributes that define human beings, our need to form strong emotional attachments to each other may be the most profound. And of these attachments, the bond between a mother and her infant is the most fundamental.

By Deepak Chopra | May 7, 2010; 09:29 PM ET | Comments (0)

Yoga belongs to all of us

Shukla didn't refute my basic argument, which is that yoga is a practice rooted in consciousness, not proprietary religion.

By Deepak Chopra | April 28, 2010; 05:07 PM ET | Comments (23)

Sorry, your patent on yoga has run out

Most Indians, when they contemplate the immense popularity of yoga in the U.S. may smile at the pop aspects of the phenomenon but feel on the whole that something good is happening.

By Deepak Chopra | April 23, 2010; 08:40 PM ET | Comments (115)

Is consciousness connected to the fine structure of the universe?

My interview with Dr. Stuart Hameroff of the Center for Consciousness Studies of the University of Arizona.

By Deepak Chopra | April 6, 2010; 03:06 PM ET | Comments (4)

The fine line between hypocrisy and reform

The dividing line between hypocrisy and reform is drawn by silence. If you silently go along with what is wrong -- however you define wrong -- then you are verging on hypocrisy. If you speak out, you are inciting reform. And attracting hostility at the same time

By Deepak Chopra | March 16, 2010; 09:58 PM ET | Comments (4)

Ending us-versus-them mentality

The fact that Obama has ended the Bush-era rhetoric about a global war on terror is a promising sign, but there are many others. In speech and deed this President seems to be part of a new peace movement that minimizes us-versus-them thinking, soft pedals patriotism and nationalism, and has no interest into turning America into a country that dominates the world militarily.

By Deepak Chopra | December 21, 2009; 08:27 PM ET | Comments (2)

Teetotalers for God take the pledge

Humanism isn't the same as atheism. To that extent, the American Humanist Association has co-opted a word and distorted it for their own purposes. Even so-called secular humanism, a distortion by the religious right, doesn't preclude a deep desire to be a spiritual seeker.

By Deepak Chopra | November 23, 2009; 08:31 PM ET | Comments (4)

Can dying be a peak experience?

In the Judeo-Christian tradition death has become a kind of risky lottery where the soul discovers, to its delight or horror, that it's headed for heaven or hell. But many wisdom traditions around the world make a different argument, that the afterlife is an extension, in non-physical terms, of present life.

By Deepak Chopra | November 3, 2009; 02:03 PM ET | Comments (13)

Reinventing the Body,
Resurrecting the Soul

In our quest to grow and evolve, we all run into obstacles. We meet resistance. Change proves stubborn and at times impossible. Anything that I can do to overcome these obstacles is a contribution I never wish to pass up. In my new book, I address the most difficult obstacle of all: the body.

By Deepak Chopra | October 13, 2009; 03:00 PM ET | Comments (3)

Proof of God Never Stands Still

The reason that the Kingdom of Heaven is within is that God is a state of consciousness; there is nowhere to look but within. The deity may be infinite, all-pervasive, and ever-present, but proof of God is on the move, shifting as fast as our own perceptions.

By Deepak Chopra | October 8, 2009; 09:01 PM ET | Comments (9)

When God Tells You to Hate

The rise of incivility in this country is a symptom of mass psychopathology. Groups of people see other groups of people behaving badly, and this gives them permission to behave badly themselves. The same thing happens in families.

By Deepak Chopra | September 15, 2009; 06:32 PM ET | Comments (4)

What Is Justice for Lockerbie?

All the moral choices are cloudy and tangled in this case. When you go inward you see in yourself all the elements that clash here: mercy, anger, compassion, revenge, high-mindedness, impartiality, bias, and fairness exist side by side.

By Deepak Chopra | August 27, 2009; 08:03 PM ET | Comments (6)

Can Women Get God on Their Side?

There are no magic formulas here. Education, consciousness raising, and individual claims to power are tried and true steps if women want to attain equality.

By Deepak Chopra | July 21, 2009; 11:24 AM ET | Comments (1)

Can the Supreme Court Be Pure Again? (Was it Ever?)

If Sotomayor were the partisan zealot so ridiculously portrayed by her opponents, she'd fit right in.

By Deepak Chopra | July 15, 2009; 12:39 PM ET | Comments (0)

Michael Jackson and the God Feeling

Michael Jackson's call to "Heal the World" in a pop song spreads to every corner of the planet and probably touches more people than the Pope's annual Christmas message. This is an unsettling phenomenon.

By Deepak Chopra | June 29, 2009; 07:48 PM ET | Comments (82)

Mini Skirts, Yes. Burqas, No?

If God is neutral toward the mini skirt, he is neutral toward the burqa and chador, or the wig and head covering of orthodox Jewish women.

By Deepak Chopra | June 25, 2009; 02:05 PM ET | Comments (25)

Iran and the Paradox of Paradise

Even though over 70% of Iranians are in favor of electing their supreme leader, a democratically chosen dictator remains a dictator, and the vexing problems of modern life will still be filtered through medieval dictates.

By Deepak Chopra | June 17, 2009; 12:26 PM ET | Comments (2)

Obama's Call to the Faithful

In stark contrast to George Bush's catch phrase, "clash of civilizations," Obama made every effort to weave common threads between the West and the Islamic world.

By Deepak Chopra | June 4, 2009; 04:48 PM ET | Comments (6)

Murder by Faith? A Tale of Two Worldviews

I doubt that any sensible person would sanction withholding medical treatment for a sick child because of his parents' religious beliefs, especially when it's a case of life and death.

By Deepak Chopra | May 22, 2009; 09:46 PM ET | Comments (5)

What is Prayer Meant to Be?

Whether or not a national day of prayer is worthy of the name depends on what prayer is meant to be. In the Bush era, public or group prayer followed the pattern set down by Nixon in the Sixties: it was a validation of conservative values.

By Deepak Chopra | May 7, 2009; 02:10 AM ET | Comments (23)

Winning Freedom from Religion

The question of Islamic law in Pakistan is entangled --or should we say strangled?--by a host of social factors.

By Deepak Chopra | April 20, 2009; 02:58 PM ET | Comments (32)

Arrests Test North Korean and U.S. Officials

Arrest of two American journalists gives North Korea an opportunity to show the world it belongs.

By Deepak Chopra | April 16, 2009; 05:41 PM ET | Comments (0)

Why Islam Needs an Apology

His critics believe that Obama is giving aid and comfort to the enemy no doubt, by apologizing to the Islamic world, but from his perspective he's beginning to treat Muslims like normal human beings.

By Deepak Chopra | April 14, 2009; 07:08 PM ET | Comments (58)

Why the God Delusion Won't Go Away

The fact that God is subjective doesn't make the deity unreal, but it radically shifts the burden of proof.

By Deepak Chopra | March 31, 2009; 01:13 PM ET | Comments (11)

Satan's Last Gasp

Satan is a projection of human fear, anger, and guilt. Satan stopped being strong because we stopped needing him so much.

By Deepak Chopra | March 24, 2009; 01:06 PM ET | Comments (46)

People Don't Lose Faith, They Shift It

We are in a time of spiritual flux, and if the churches are the losers in that shift, they might want to pay more attention to the winners, the millions of people who want the fruits of spiritual seeking with an open mind instead of closed dogma.

By Deepak Chopra | March 18, 2009; 04:03 PM ET | Comments (21)

What to Do About "Mad as Hell"

Populist anger is moral and right. The main problem isn't economic collapse, it's a warping of values.

By Deepak Chopra | March 17, 2009; 12:57 PM ET | Comments (55)

If You Escaped the Meltdown, What Should You Do?

If you have escaped a collective economic disaster, it's your obligation to help the less fortunate. This is simple morality, and most people abide by it. The heroes of every calamity are those who expand beyond fear.

By Deepak Chopra | March 5, 2009; 07:20 AM ET | Comments (6)

Rumi on Love: Making Sense of Ecstasy

For Rumi, to be alive is to be a lover, and I think the greatest spiritual teachers say the same thing.

By Deepak Chopra | February 14, 2009; 02:32 AM ET | Comments (6)

Obama Used the Word Muslims Want to Hear - Respect

Obama spoke the right words, in the right spirit. Muslims may seem too eager to seize on his middle name, but Hussein is more than a symbol. It's a crack in the wall that has kept Islam apart for so long.

By Deepak Chopra | January 30, 2009; 08:50 AM ET | Comments (20)

Take the Vow of Non-Violence

We, at the Alliance for a New Humanity believe that if a critical mass of people commit to this vow, the world would be transformed.

By Deepak Chopra | January 21, 2009; 01:03 PM ET | Comments (10)

Inauguration of a New Spirituality

It's not good enough that he becomes the first African-American President, the first green President, or the first digital President. Nothing less than spiritual renewal is needed across the board, and there is no one of equal stature to lead it.

By Deepak Chopra | January 21, 2009; 05:55 AM ET | Comments (33)

How to Defeat Hamas -- Face Up to the Truth

The oil-producing countries could have alleviated the grinding poverty in Gaza and the West Bank using a fraction of their oil profits annually. Instead, the Palestinian conflict has been cynically used as a tool of anti-Semitism and a sop to the Arab street, which likes nothing better than an enemy to be inflamed against.

By Deepak Chopra | January 6, 2009; 10:49 AM ET | Comments (38)

In 2009 Religion Will Cause More Trouble and Be In More Trouble

The best that religion can hope for is to live comfortably side by side with secular society in 2009.

By Deepak Chopra | December 31, 2008; 06:44 AM ET | Comments (24)

We Don't Need Rick Warren's Blessing, Or Anyone Else's

Since God didn't vote for President, why should he get a seat on the inauguration platform? In the midst of controversy over picking Rick Warren to offer an invocation, it's been overlooked that reality is shifting in America. We are a largely secular society where the vast majority of people do not attend church.

By Deepak Chopra | December 22, 2008; 09:44 AM ET | Comments (10)

Ending War One Person at a Time

Through the power of music we can use this song as an anchor and a reminder to become the peaceful change we want to see in the world.

By Deepak Chopra | December 17, 2008; 08:20 PM ET | Comments (1)

Islam Not the Enemy; God Not the Issue

Barack Obama would do well not to attack terrorism as a religious problem or an extremist one. Fortunately, he already seems to have adopted the argument that "soft power" (meaning the use of influence, persuasion, and negotiation) will do far more good than the Bush administration's rigid adherence to hard power, meaning bombs. Whatever happens, this is yet another area where God should be left out of the equation.

By Deepak Chopra | December 3, 2008; 09:03 AM ET | Comments (339)

How About the Church of Hope?

In short, if Obama went to a different church every week, with the intention of healing the wounds of divisiveness, he'd be extending the message he was elected on. It's already a sign of hope that we are going to be led by a uniter and not a divider. Even better would be a uniter of souls.

By Deepak Chopra | November 29, 2008; 12:50 PM ET | Comments (3)

The Mystery of the Compassionate Brain

Compassion is universally revered and universally ignored.

By Deepak Chopra | November 12, 2008; 06:43 AM ET | Comments (1)

"Convulsions, Sobs, and Laughter"

Obama''s election will bring immediate change globally. The rest of the world breathed a sigh of relief at the end of the neocons' attempt to create an American military empire.

By Deepak Chopra | November 6, 2008; 07:02 AM ET | Comments (1)

Never a Religious Reason to Choose a Candidate

There never will be, and never should be, a religious reason to pick one candidate over another. God hasn't personally voted in an American election, but he keeps voting by proxy. In an ideal world that would never happen. Supernatural beings aren't citizens.

By Deepak Chopra | November 4, 2008; 02:02 PM ET | Comments (35)

If Religion Is Power, Women Deserve Their Share

Given how subordinate women have been for centuries, and how unabashedly organized churches stood on the side of social repression, I think any road to empowerment for women is a positive development.

By Deepak Chopra | October 23, 2008; 06:44 AM ET | Comments (0)

Crisis as a Test of Faith

Ultimately, the restoration of calm will send fear and anger back into their hiding places. Assuming that we have legitimate elections and market stability in the near future, most people will stop being triggered by stress.

By Deepak Chopra | October 15, 2008; 12:35 PM ET | Comments (1)

A "Birds of a Feather" Campaign Strategy

As much as we instill virtue in our own candidate and vice in his opponent, guilt by association rarely works. First of all, every national candidate either comes from the financial elite or rubs shoulders with them. Second, politics is about money, in both savory and unsavory ways. There's no pure position in this regard.

By Deepak Chopra | October 7, 2008; 04:09 PM ET | Comments (1)

Witchcraft and the White House

I'd like to see the moderator for the next debate ask Sarah Palin if she gained the governorship of Alaska by exorcising witches at the behest of an African minister who prayed over her.

By Deepak Chopra | October 1, 2008; 06:16 AM ET | Comments (11)

When Gray Is the Only Color

At this point Roe v. Wade is rather like the plight of the Palestinians. Keeping the argument inflamed has more political value than solving it. Reversing Roe v. Wade would probably be neither a victory nor a defeat for either side.

By Deepak Chopra | September 24, 2008; 05:28 AM ET | Comments (9)

The Economics of Sin and Virtue

In this climate, it's not how much you sinned but how much you took away before the bubble burst. None of this behavior reflects on God, however, or sin for that matter. As in Abu Ghraib, a climate of wrongdoing was created, morality became numb, and peer pressure did the rest.

By Deepak Chopra | September 19, 2008; 12:55 PM ET | Comments (42)

What's Good for GM Is Good for God

Religion-as-politics has infused the American system, for better or worse, as a familiar way to polarize people.

By Deepak Chopra | September 10, 2008; 12:17 PM ET | Comments (11)

Jezebel, Sheba, and Hillary?

On matters of women in the church, it's time to take the lead from women themselves. To date, the lore and history of organized religion, not to mention the career of priest and preacher, has belonged to men.

By Deepak Chopra | September 3, 2008; 09:38 AM ET | Comments (8)

Silence of the Lamb

I'd advise both candidates the same way. Don't mention religion a single time in the upcoming campaign.

By Deepak Chopra | August 27, 2008; 09:35 AM ET | Comments (13)

Faith Quizzes Get an F

For me, the God quiz that Barack Obama endured with barely concealed sweaty palms and that John McCain breezed through with seasoned casualness has no place in American politics.

By Deepak Chopra | August 20, 2008; 09:58 AM ET | Comments (27)

Unclogging the System

It is no secret that Christian fundamentalists have held the Republican Party hostage and caused a sharp decline in Democratic popularity. Do they deserve to have such lopsided power, and if not, what would you do about it?

By Deepak Chopra | August 15, 2008; 07:30 AM ET | Comments (4)

"Forgive Me, I'm Sorry I Got Caught"

A cynic might say, in the wake of so many adulterous politicians, that in future they should issue a preemptive confession before running for President to save The National Enquirer excess ink. Why wait until you are caught?

By Deepak Chopra | August 13, 2008; 08:33 AM ET | Comments (7)

Excuse Me, How Does It Feel to Be Poor?

Having abandoned the welfare state in its most liberal and generous aspects, America ignores the poor as never before. Is there a new idea that can bridge the immense gap between rich and poor in income, education, health, and opportunities? Religion certainly isn't that new idea.

By Deepak Chopra | August 11, 2008; 10:52 AM ET | Comments (92)

Imagining God in Color

Racism won't disappear from religion until religion stops being exclusionary, a profound flaw that modern believers (some of them, at least) struggle to overcome.

By Deepak Chopra | August 1, 2008; 10:27 AM ET | Comments (29)

The Army Fights "With God on Our Side"

Soldiers know that they may die in battle, and the armed forces must create an ethos that protects their psyches from the impending danger of the conflict. One aspect of feeling safe is the idea that God approves of your cause and implicitly will take you to Heaven if the worst befalls.

By Deepak Chopra | July 29, 2008; 10:51 AM ET | Comments (38)

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