Praise for
DEEPAK CHOPRA
I absolutely agree with Dr. Chopras view that if we want to change the world, we have to begin by changing ourselves. This is the same message that I have always been conveying. The Dalai Lama
Deepak continues to lead us even deeper into the mysteries and joys of true spirituality. James Redfield, author of The Celestine Prophecy and The Secret of Shambhala
Deepak Chopra has introduced literally millions of people to the spiritual path, and for this we should all be profoundly grateful. Ken Wilber, author of Integral Psychology
With astonishing insight and breathtaking clarity, Deepak Chopra has here answered the only question that has ever really mattered. Neale Donald Walsch, author of Conversations with God
Deepak Chopra takes a scientific as well as spiritual approach to the ultimate mystery of life. Joan Borysenko, author of Seven Paths to God
We have in our midst a spiritual genius. Marianne Williamson, author of Return to Love and Enchanted Love
Dr. Deepak Chopra is the pioneer of alternative medicine. Bill Clinton
In a coup of conventional wisdom, alternative insight and mind/body medicine, Chopra has created yet another bible for his eager disciples. - Metro
One of the foremost scientists and spiritual thinkers of our time. Heres Health
A world leader in mind/body medicine. Eve
Also by
DEEPAK CHOPRA
Creating Health
Return of the Rishi
Quantum Healing
Perfect Health
Unconditional Life
Ageless Body, Timeless Mind
Journey into Healing
Creating Affluence
Perfect Weight
Restful Sleep
The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success
The Return of Merlin
Boundless Energy
Perfect Digestion
The Way of the Wizard
Overcoming Addictions
Raid on the Inarticulate
The Path to Love
The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success for Parents
The Love Poems of Rumi
(edited by Deepak Chopra; translated by Deepak and Fereydoun Kia)
Healing the Heart
Everyday Immortality
The Lords of the Light
On the Shores of Eternity
How to Know God
The Soul in Love
The Chopra Center Herbal Handbook
(with coauthor David Simon)
Grow Younger, Live Longer
(with coauthor David Simon)
The Deeper Wound
The Chopra Center Cookbook
(coauthored by David Simon and Leanne Backer)
The Angel Is Near
The Daughters of Joy
Golf for Enlightenment
Soulmate
SynchroDestiny
THE BOOKOF SECRETSDeepak Chopra
This ebook is sold subject to the condition that it shall not, by way of trade or otherwise, be lent, resold, hired out or otherwise circulated without the publishers prior consent in any form (including any digital form) other than this in which it is published and without a similar condition including this condition being imposed on the subsequent purchaser.
Epub ISBN: 9781407025711
Version 1.0
www.randomhouse.co.uk
9 10 8
Copyright 2004 by Deepak Chopra
Deepak Chopra has asserted his right to be identified as the author of this work in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act, 1988.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner.
First published in 2004 by Harmony Books,
an imprint of Crown Publishing Group, Random House Inc., USA.
This edition published in 2004 by Rider,
an imprint of Ebury Press, Random House,
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A CIP catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library
ISBN 9781844135554
To my father,
K RISHAN L AL C HOPRA :
your graceful life and your graceful death
inspired and finally unlocked
the hidden dimensions of my life.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Peter Guzzardi, my very skillful editor: you are both my critic and one of my best friends;
Shaye, Tina, Tara, Brian, Jenny, and the rest of my family at Harmony: you have been loving, gracious, and tolerant since the beginning of my career;
Rita, Mallika, Gotham, Sumant, Candice, and darling Tara: you make everything worthwhile and sacred;
Carolyn Rangel, Felicia Rangel, and Jan Crawford in my office: your dedication and hard work make everything possible;
And finally, thanks to my family at the Chopra Center, who translate my words into a practice that makes a difference in peoples lives.
Introduction
OPENING THE BOOK OF SECRETS
T HE GREATEST HUNGER in life is not for food, money, success, status, security, sex, or even love from the opposite sex. Time and again people have achieved all of these things and wound up still feeling dissatisfiedindeed, often more dissatisfied than when they began. The deepest hunger in life is a secret that is revealed only when a person is willing to unlock a hidden part of the self. In the ancient traditions of wisdom, this quest has been likened to diving for the most precious pearl in existence, a poetic way of saying that you have to swim far out beyond shallow waters, plunge deep into yourself, and search patiently until the pearl beyond price is found.
The pearl is also called essence, the breath of God, the water of life, holy nectarlabels for what we, in our more prosaic scientific age, would simply call transformation. Transformation means radical change of form, the way a caterpillar transforms into a butterfly. In human terms, it means turning fear, aggression, doubt, insecurity, hatred, and emptiness into their opposites. Can this really be achieved? One thing we know for certain: The secret hunger that gnaws at peoples souls has nothing to do with externals like money, status, and security. Its the inner person who craves meaning in life, the end of suffering, and answers to the riddles of love, death, God, the soul, good and evil. A life spent on the surface will never answer these questions or satisfy the needs that drive us to ask them.
Finding the hidden dimensions in yourself is the only way to fulfill your deepest hunger.
After the rise of science, this craving for knowledge should have faded, but it has only grown stronger. There are no new facts to discover about lifes hidden dimensions. Nobody needs to peer at more CAT scans of patients undergoing a near-death experience or take more MRIs of yogis sitting deep in meditation. That phase of experimentation has done its work: We can be assured that wherever consciousness wants to go, the human brain will follow. Our neurons are capable of registering the highest spiritual experiences. In some ways, however, you and I know less about the mystery of life than our ancestors.
