The Book of Secrets: Unlocking the Hidden Dimensions of Your Life

In "The Book of Secrets," Deepak Chopra gives us his vision of spirituality and of the reality we find ourselves wedded to. Chopra (page 15) writes: "Every secret in this book goes back to the existence of an invisible intelligence that operates beneath the visible surface of life. The mystery of life is an expression not of random accidents but of one intelligence that exists everywhere."Chopra (page 21) tells us: "You are not in the world; the world is in you. The only reason that rocks are solid is that the brain registers a flurry of electrical signals as touch; the only reason the sun shines is that the brain registers another flurry of electrical signals as sight. There is no sunlight in my brain, whose interior remains as dark as a limestone cavern no matter how bright it is outside."I found the best way to read Chopra is in small 30 minute mini-reads, ideally sitting outside in the park with birds chirping in the background, a mere rest spot within my hour long walks that may occur daily. Chopra has a poetic style to his spiritual advice that can be enhanced significantly by background conditions that are beyond the book. A good example is provided by Chopra's (page 43) remarks: "Thinking points the way whenever your mind stops being restless and speculative. On this path, you silence your internal dialogue in order to find clarity and stillness. It takes clarity for your mind to see that it doesn't have to be so driven. Thinking can turn into knowing, which is to say wisdom. With greater clarity your intellect looks into any problem and sees the solution. As your knowingness expands, personal questions fade. What your mind really wants to know is the mystery of existence. Questions knock on the door of eternity, at which point only the Creator can answer them for you. The fulfillment of this path comes when your mind merges with the mind of God."Chopra (page 31) writes: "An infinite, silent energy field flickered for an instant, experiencing an object (the rose) and the subject (you the observer) without going anywhere. Awareness simply took look at one aspect of its eternal beauty. Its only motive was to create a moment of joy. You and the rose stood at opposite poles of that moment, yet there was no separation. A single creative stroke took place, fusing you both."Chopra (page 25) reminds us that ego is not the enemy: "Throwing the ego into the dark, making it the enemy, only creates more division and fragmentation. If there is one reality, it must be all-inclusive. The ego can't be thrown out any more than desire can be thrown out." Yet even Chopra's forgiving outlook can confuse the ego when it is genuinely needed; e.g., when "you are stopped at a red light on the way home, but the car behind you doesn't stop and rear-ends you," (page 116). Chopra recommends these personal identifications of self: "This accident was no accident; it's a reflection of myself. This stranger is a messenger. When I find out why this event happened, I will uncover some aspect of myself." When the other driver is discovered to be intoxicated, for example, Chopra's critics will point to his gullibility with the issue of ego surrender. Even if some events are found to be random occurrences among many meaningful events, Chopra is not so gullible to accept the advice of a guru without the ever critical ego (at least I hope not). He (page 84) does admit that "manipulators use charm, persuasion, coaxing, trickery, and misdirection." Chopra (page 79) recommends taking the attitude that: "I will put a distance between myself and those who want to hurt me. I do not have to confront them, guilt-trip them, or make them the cause of my self-pity. But I cannot afford to absorb their toxic effect on me, and if that means keeping my distance, I will."Chopra (pages 111) plays up the term "wholeness", writing that: "Wholeness means including everything, leaving nothing out. At the present we each experience life sliced up into bits of time, bits of experience, bits of activity. We clings to our limited sense of self to protect the slices from falling apart. But it's impossible to find continuity in this way, hard as the ego tries in its struggle to make life hang together. Wholeness is a state beyond personality." But "wholeness" carries the connotation of web of life, the dynamic flux unto itself, and of system theory, and these views can only be a misplaced caricature if taken literally. For example, Ken Wilber called these views a "flat land" perspective, while having been critical of Chopra in particular. I think Chopra can find a way beyond this criticism, by sticking to his poetic spirituality in its simpleness, and while leaving system thinking in its proper place.One of the high points in Chopra's book is his treatment of evil. He (page 126) tells us that "evil depends completely on one's level of consciousness." And Chopra (page 138) writes of the repressed shadow: "the shadow has grown used to being repressed, to access this region of the mind doesn't happen easily. Nor is direct assault effective. The shadow knows how to resist; it can slam the door and hide its dark energy even deeper." He (page 141) writes: "The fleeting gap between sensation and interpretation is the birthplace of the shadow. When you go into the gap and see how intangible everything is, the ghosts begin to disperse... Evil is born in the gap. The gap isn't anyone's private possession. The gap contains collective responses and collective themes. When an entire society accepts the theme of `the outsiders' who cause all the trouble [us versus them], then evil has everyone for a father and mother." Chopra (page 142) writes, "I don't accept that evil people exist, only people who have not faced their shadows."The shadow, in fact, is found to be our lover and helper. Chopra (page 146) tells us: "That's why the words don't matter. Once you access the feeling, the real work of release can begin. You need to go on and feel it completely, ask for release, and keep going until you get a new bit of self-understanding. It may take practice before any real deep release comes to you, but step by step the walls of resistance will come down. The shadow is subtly involved in everyday life. It is never so hidden that you cannot bring it to light."Chopra (page 183) writes: "In clarity you know that you are not a puppet - you have released yourself from the unconscious drives that once fooled you into thinking that you were acting spontaneously."Chopra (page 198) writes on being mindful: "You catch the present moment without words or thought. Few things are easier to describe and harder to do. The crux of the matter is time. Time is as slippery as that blessed moment before you say `I'm happy right now.' Was that moment really fleeting or is it eternal? "Disclosure: My agenda is declared in my profile.

It's an insightful read. Reads with a macro vibe in mind. Big think. Loved it.

arrived on time

Let me start off by saying: Both Deepak Chopra and I live in NYC. He lives in a sheltered condo; I live in a craphole by comparison, and unsheltered. I think how sheltered you are is reflected in your advice and opinions, and although Deepak may have had points in his life where he wasn't just skimming off of his 5 figure talk fees, condo, and celebrity contacts, he certainly is sheltered NOW.He makes many good, profound points, especially if you exist in a sheltered vacuum. I LIKE a lot of what he says here, hence the 4 stars, but I recognize that some of it may be dangerous in our current NYC, filled with narcissists as it is, and also filled with dangerously insane people who are just roaming the streets (evidently, obvious insanity is allowed to be released upon our streets, but not corona).Since it is one of my pet peeves that people review books without giving quotes FROM the book, I will delineate some of my favorite Deepak Chopra quotes from this book, but keeping that caveat in mind. Page numbers are from my paperback copy:--"Your being is cradled in the rhythms of the universe. You feel safe and nurtured...Let the flow of life bring you what you need". p. 8--"To solve the mystery of life requires only one commandment: LIVE LIKE A CELL...Our cells are fueled by the same oxygen and glucose that fueled amoebas two billion years ago." p. 19--"You are NOT in the world; the world is IN YOU". p. 21--"Random events are not random but form subtle patterns." p. 38--"This new dimension feels freer and lighter". p. 41--"The road to freedom is NOT through feeling good; it is through feeling TRUE TO YOURSELF. We all owe emotional debts to the past, in the form of FEELINGS WE COULDN'T ALLOW OURSELVES TO EXPRESS". p. 58--"At crucial moments, the truth speaks to us". p. 59"[Pain] hurts because the cause of suffering hasn't been examined...the only lasting way out is to take steps that will confront the SOURCE OF SUFFERING, the first step being a willingness to look at WHAT IS ACTUALLY HAPPENING". p. 67"Given a choice, most people would rather preserve their relationships than stop suffering". p. 71"Do you know the difference between griping and genuinely airing your feelings with the intention of healing them?" p. 78"There are only 3 kinds of people in your life: those who leave you alone, those who help you, and those who hurt you. People who leave you alone are dealing with your suffering as a nuisance or inconvenience---they prefer to keep their distance in order to feel better about themselves". p. 78"I will no longer bring my problems to anyone who wants to leave me alone...they don't want to help, so I will not ask them to". p. 78"I will put distance between myself and those who want to hurt me...I cannot afford to absorb their toxic effect on me, and if that means keeping my distance, I will". p. 79"The past has not been worked through sufficiently". p. 84"The presences of a manipulator brings TENSION, strain, complaints, and conflict to a situation". p. 85"When there is no manipulation, people feel like what they want COUNTS". p. 85"So the controller is constantly making demands that keep others OFF BALANCE". p. 85"Old IMPRINTS impel us to face the same problem time and again". p. 88"Flexible responses are much more important to survival than hoarding". p. 89"Make NO DECISION WHEN IN DOUBT". p. 90"Instead of looking for sensory overload that lasts forever, you'll find that the experiences need to be engaged at the level of MEANING and EMOTION". p. 90"We are all in the habit of looking like consumers at people...wanting best value for the money". p. 91"REFER AGAIN TO YOUR BODY". p. 92"Social acceptance is the lowest common denominator of the self". p. 96"Either it is good for you or it is bringing up what you need to look at IN ORDER TO CREATE GOOD FOR YOU". p. 97"The events in your life reflect who you are". p. 102"Whatever you pay attention to will grow". p. 103"YOUR LIFE IS FULL OF SIGNS AND SYMBOLS". p. 103"Air entering your lungs combines in thousands of ways to produce cells that have never existed before in just the way they exist in you, and when you use oxygen to move, your muscles are performing actions that, however they may be similar to other people, are unique expressions of you". p. 110"Knowingness feels wise, confident, UNSHAKABLE". p. 111"My goal is to live from [my] core". p. 120"The context of abuse, acting on their minds since early childhood, is too powerful and overshadows freedom of choice". p. 126"The very most primitive area, known as the reptilian brain, interprets all stress as a life or death struggle for survival". p. 138"Wherever the focus goes, a new reality opens up". p. 148"Science is God explaining God through a HUMAN NERVOUS SYSTEM". p. 151"Right now, every situation you are in is a mixture of past, present, and future". p. 204"The heart of experience is the universe's breathing rhythm as it pours forth new situations, a rise and fall of energy". p. 208"You can't fight your ego's reactions because that will only deepen your involvement with it. But you CAN QUESTION IT, which means questioning yourself FROM A CALM DISTANCE": 'Why am I doing this? Isn't this a knee-jerk reflex? How far have I gotten in the past acting like this? Haven't I proved to myself that this doesn't work'. [The intent is] loosening the REFLEXIVE HOLD over your behavior". p. 208"The universe corresponds to the nervous system that is looking at it". p. 234"A mind closed off to love, for example, will look out on a loveless world and be immune to any evidence of love, while an open mind will look out on that same world and find infinite expressions of love". p. 234"EVERYTHING YOU'VE DECIDED ABOUT YOURSELF IS IN PLAY AT THIS MOMENT". p. 239"The journey itself makes you strong". p. 256"Creation is set up to bring you constant HINTS and clues about your role as co-creator. Be aware of them; absorb them. Your soul is metabolizing experience as surely as your body is metabolizing food."BE CONTENT WITH...BEING HERE IN THE FLOW OF LIFE. THE GLORIES OF CREATION ARE IN YOUR VERY CELLS; YOU ARE MADE OF THE SAME MINDSTUFF AS THE ANGELS, THE STARS, AND GOD HIMSELF". p. 259