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The Future of God - a practical approach to spirituality for our times
Tanrı 2.0 için hazır mısınız?
İnanç zor durumda...
Din binlerce yıldır bizden her şeyi bilen ve gücü her şeye yeten, sevgi dolu bir Tanrı inancını kabul etmemizi istedi. Tarih, uzun ve bazen çalkantılı bir yol aldı. Din adına tarifsiz zalimliklerin de yaşandığı galeyan zamanları oldu. Ve inanç çağı hızla sonuna yaklaşıyor. Diğer yandan inançsızlık yükseliyor. Nasıl yükselmesin? İyicil, sevecen bir Tanrı’ya güvenmek için çok fazla felaket gördük…
Oysa Tanrı’ya meydan okuduğunuzda gerçekliğe de meydan okumuş olursunuz. Sizi, Tanrı’yla ilgili şimdiye kadar duyduğunuz her şeye olan inancınızdan vazgeçmeye ve aynı zamanda inancınızı korumaya davet ediyorum. Gerçeklik kırılgan değildir. Bir gülden şüphe duydunuz diye o gül solup ölmez. Tek koşul Tanrı 2.0’ın gerçek olabileceğini kabul etmek...
Deepak Chopra'dan inanca dair tüm bildiklerinizi altüst edecek, yepyeni bir maneviyat anlayışının tohumlarını eken bir kitap. Deepak Chopra, dünyanın en önemli bütünsel tıp ve kişisel dönüşüm rehberlerinden biridir. 86 kitabı olan Chopra’nın eserleri 40'tan fazla dile çevrilmiştir. Kitapları sık sık New York Times bestseller listelerinde yer alan Chopra TIME dergisine göre yüzyılın en önemli 100 kişisinden biridir.
İnanç zor durumda...
Din binlerce yıldır bizden her şeyi bilen ve gücü her şeye yeten, sevgi dolu bir Tanrı inancını kabul etmemizi istedi. Tarih, uzun ve bazen çalkantılı bir yol aldı. Din adına tarifsiz zalimliklerin de yaşandığı galeyan zamanları oldu. Ve inanç çağı hızla sonuna yaklaşıyor. Diğer yandan inançsızlık yükseliyor. Nasıl yükselmesin? İyicil, sevecen bir Tanrı’ya güvenmek için çok fazla felaket gördük…
Oysa Tanrı’ya meydan okuduğunuzda gerçekliğe de meydan okumuş olursunuz. Sizi, Tanrı’yla ilgili şimdiye kadar duyduğunuz her şeye olan inancınızdan vazgeçmeye ve aynı zamanda inancınızı korumaya davet ediyorum. Gerçeklik kırılgan değildir. Bir gülden şüphe duydunuz diye o gül solup ölmez. Tek koşul Tanrı 2.0’ın gerçek olabileceğini kabul etmek...
Deepak Chopra'dan inanca dair tüm bildiklerinizi altüst edecek, yepyeni bir maneviyat anlayışının tohumlarını eken bir kitap. Deepak Chopra, dünyanın en önemli bütünsel tıp ve kişisel dönüşüm rehberlerinden biridir. 86 kitabı olan Chopra’nın eserleri 40'tan fazla dile çevrilmiştir. Kitapları sık sık New York Times bestseller listelerinde yer alan Chopra TIME dergisine göre yüzyılın en önemli 100 kişisinden biridir.
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Published January 1, 2014
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About the author
Deepak Chopra
689 books19.1k followersDeepak Chopra, MD serves as the Founder and Chairman of The Chopra Foundation, and Co-Founder of the Chopra Center for Wellbeing.
As a global leader and pioneer in the field of mind-body medicine, Chopra transforms the way the world views physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social wellness. Known as a prolific author of eighty books books with twenty-two New York Times best sellers in both fiction and non-fiction, his works have been published in more than forty-three languages.
Chopra’s medical training is in internal medicine and endocrinology. He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and a member of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. Dr. Chopra serves as Co-Founder and Chairman of The Chopra Center for Wellbeing, Founder of The Chopra Well on YouTube, Adjunct Professor of Executive Programs at Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, Adjunct Professor at Columbia Business School, Columbia University, Assistant Clinical Professor, in the Family and Preventive Medicine Department at the University of California, San Diego, Health Sciences, Faculty at Walt Disney Imagineering, and Senior Scientist with The Gallup Organization.
GlobeIn acknowledges Chopra as "one of top ten most influential spiritual leaders around the world." TIME magazine has described Dr. Chopra as "one of the top 100 heroes and icons of the century and credits him as "the poet-prophet of alternative medicine."
As a global leader and pioneer in the field of mind-body medicine, Chopra transforms the way the world views physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, and social wellness. Known as a prolific author of eighty books books with twenty-two New York Times best sellers in both fiction and non-fiction, his works have been published in more than forty-three languages.
Chopra’s medical training is in internal medicine and endocrinology. He is a Fellow of the American College of Physicians and a member of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists. Dr. Chopra serves as Co-Founder and Chairman of The Chopra Center for Wellbeing, Founder of The Chopra Well on YouTube, Adjunct Professor of Executive Programs at Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University, Adjunct Professor at Columbia Business School, Columbia University, Assistant Clinical Professor, in the Family and Preventive Medicine Department at the University of California, San Diego, Health Sciences, Faculty at Walt Disney Imagineering, and Senior Scientist with The Gallup Organization.
GlobeIn acknowledges Chopra as "one of top ten most influential spiritual leaders around the world." TIME magazine has described Dr. Chopra as "one of the top 100 heroes and icons of the century and credits him as "the poet-prophet of alternative medicine."
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 85 reviews
February 14, 2024
Deepak Chopra’s new book, The Future of God: A Practical Approach to Spirituality in Our Times, is a very poor book for a number of reasons. I want to enumerate those reasons, but first let me tell you about another book, a very fine one, Karen Armstrong’s The Case for God. (Knopf, 2009, 406 pp.) A scholar of comparative religion, Armstrong writes that virtually all world religions have historically depended on a foundation of silence, or what she calls “unknowing.” This is the silence through which one gets intimations of the Divine, and it is based on sacred teachings.
Armstrong says that there never was a presumption on the part of early theists that they could grasp God. God was beyond human comprehension. Since direct knowledge was not possible the only alternative was what she calls kenosis (Greek “self emptying”). This technique leads one toward the necessary quiet contemplation of God. So religion was not in its early days about belief at all. No one was expected to believe in God. In fact, the idea of belief as we know it today did not even exist then, almost two millenia ago. That happened when the scientific revolution came along. The scientific method taught that facts were either right or wrong. Either you could repeat the experiment, or you could not.
Gradually there was a shift from kenosis, from the gentle act of self-emptying for purposes of contemplation of God in silence, to one which began to seek "scientific proofs" for God's existence. For instance, it was at first thought that the incredible detail revealed by microscopes was a sign of the Divine. William Paley, an English clergyman, wrote about this in his Natural Theology.
Then two things happened that threw this new approach to “knowing” God on its ear. First were advances in geology. Geology showed that the earth was not created in six days, as stated in Genesis; rather it pointed to time spans (hundreds of millions of years) almost beyond human comprehension. Then came evolution. Darwin showed us that homo sapiens and his fellows were not created all at one time and set down on the planet in their current form. Evolution showed us that there was no Intelligent Design, for its process (natural selection) was not in any way directed. That is to say, it was a geologically slow and muddled process marked by eons of struggle, most of it futile, not to mention much extinction.
So here we are in the present day. The fundamentalists believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible. Something never required of early worshippers. Somehow it has come to be thought that religion must match science truth for truth. And religion of course, with its basis in sacred narrative, can never do that.
This brings me to Deepak Chopra’s new book, The Future of God. The book is such a morass, such a muddle of half thoughts and inchoate statements, that at first I hardly knew how to begin my review. (I suspect it was dictated. Not that there’s anything wrong with dictation if you edit and revise, but Mr. Chopra does not seem to have even given this mess a second reading. I surmise it was just dictated, hurriedly, transcribed, and sent to the publisher. After all, why actually work on a book when you know it will sell a 100,000 copies? And Chopra publishes books at an inhuman pace.)
Chopra attacks those he calls the militant atheists, particularly Richard Dawkins, the late Christopher Hitchens and others. Chopra enters into an insanely outdated mission to lend creedence to Paley’s argument for Intelligent Design. He falls into the very trap that Armstrong laid out in The Case for God. He tries to match proofs with the science of Dawkins et. al with regard to God’s existence. It's moot. I was stunned to read that!
Moreover, Chopra doesn’t understand evolution. If he did understand it he would not need to rail against its seeming Godlessness. For the mechanism of natural selection that Darwin passed down to us does not, to my mind, exclude the idea of a Creator. But because Chopra doesn’t understand evolution, which, admittedly, can be highly counter-intuitive at times, he rejects it wholesale. Just astonishing!
Unlike Armstrong, Chopra does not argue for the existence of God in our daily lives from its basis in the extensive mythical narratives that have come down to us. He’s argues for a God in the abstract, wholly disconnected from its vast narrative core. There’s no substantive discussion of the great books of world religion here. Chopra is a very traditional fellow, extolling divine inspiration and healings, which he takes at face value.
I am an agnostic. I believe in something out there, but I don’t know what it is. I admire normal religious people for their ability to reflect inwardly and live confident and productive lives. (For a moving portrait of such persons see Marilynn Robinson's fine novel Gilead.) So I think the average religious person has an advantage on me in that they have the confidence of faith, while I do not.
At any rate, I cannot recommended this book. If you want a substantive consideration of God in historical context with the great books of revelatory monotheistic faith, I highly recommend Karen Armstong’s The Case for God.
Armstrong says that there never was a presumption on the part of early theists that they could grasp God. God was beyond human comprehension. Since direct knowledge was not possible the only alternative was what she calls kenosis (Greek “self emptying”). This technique leads one toward the necessary quiet contemplation of God. So religion was not in its early days about belief at all. No one was expected to believe in God. In fact, the idea of belief as we know it today did not even exist then, almost two millenia ago. That happened when the scientific revolution came along. The scientific method taught that facts were either right or wrong. Either you could repeat the experiment, or you could not.
Gradually there was a shift from kenosis, from the gentle act of self-emptying for purposes of contemplation of God in silence, to one which began to seek "scientific proofs" for God's existence. For instance, it was at first thought that the incredible detail revealed by microscopes was a sign of the Divine. William Paley, an English clergyman, wrote about this in his Natural Theology.
Then two things happened that threw this new approach to “knowing” God on its ear. First were advances in geology. Geology showed that the earth was not created in six days, as stated in Genesis; rather it pointed to time spans (hundreds of millions of years) almost beyond human comprehension. Then came evolution. Darwin showed us that homo sapiens and his fellows were not created all at one time and set down on the planet in their current form. Evolution showed us that there was no Intelligent Design, for its process (natural selection) was not in any way directed. That is to say, it was a geologically slow and muddled process marked by eons of struggle, most of it futile, not to mention much extinction.
So here we are in the present day. The fundamentalists believe in a literal interpretation of the Bible. Something never required of early worshippers. Somehow it has come to be thought that religion must match science truth for truth. And religion of course, with its basis in sacred narrative, can never do that.
This brings me to Deepak Chopra’s new book, The Future of God. The book is such a morass, such a muddle of half thoughts and inchoate statements, that at first I hardly knew how to begin my review. (I suspect it was dictated. Not that there’s anything wrong with dictation if you edit and revise, but Mr. Chopra does not seem to have even given this mess a second reading. I surmise it was just dictated, hurriedly, transcribed, and sent to the publisher. After all, why actually work on a book when you know it will sell a 100,000 copies? And Chopra publishes books at an inhuman pace.)
Chopra attacks those he calls the militant atheists, particularly Richard Dawkins, the late Christopher Hitchens and others. Chopra enters into an insanely outdated mission to lend creedence to Paley’s argument for Intelligent Design. He falls into the very trap that Armstrong laid out in The Case for God. He tries to match proofs with the science of Dawkins et. al with regard to God’s existence. It's moot. I was stunned to read that!
Moreover, Chopra doesn’t understand evolution. If he did understand it he would not need to rail against its seeming Godlessness. For the mechanism of natural selection that Darwin passed down to us does not, to my mind, exclude the idea of a Creator. But because Chopra doesn’t understand evolution, which, admittedly, can be highly counter-intuitive at times, he rejects it wholesale. Just astonishing!
Unlike Armstrong, Chopra does not argue for the existence of God in our daily lives from its basis in the extensive mythical narratives that have come down to us. He’s argues for a God in the abstract, wholly disconnected from its vast narrative core. There’s no substantive discussion of the great books of world religion here. Chopra is a very traditional fellow, extolling divine inspiration and healings, which he takes at face value.
I am an agnostic. I believe in something out there, but I don’t know what it is. I admire normal religious people for their ability to reflect inwardly and live confident and productive lives. (For a moving portrait of such persons see Marilynn Robinson's fine novel Gilead.) So I think the average religious person has an advantage on me in that they have the confidence of faith, while I do not.
At any rate, I cannot recommended this book. If you want a substantive consideration of God in historical context with the great books of revelatory monotheistic faith, I highly recommend Karen Armstong’s The Case for God.
September 22, 2023
Did you know, the original title of this book was,
"Richard Dawkins ! You are wrong. It is you who is deluded. I will shove so much quantum consciousness in your arrogant ass, that your cosmic potential will be defeated by my infinite karmic experiences. And, don't you worry about my followers. They will buy my book even if I just compile the quotes from Random Deepak Chopra Quote Generator, cause you see, I am an evolved wise philosopher cum scientist cum quantum guru cum spiritual mentor cum cosmological cum-cum. Mu Ha Ha Ha!!!"
But, the publishers didn't agree and made up a clickbait title instead.
And, that's that.
"Richard Dawkins ! You are wrong. It is you who is deluded. I will shove so much quantum consciousness in your arrogant ass, that your cosmic potential will be defeated by my infinite karmic experiences. And, don't you worry about my followers. They will buy my book even if I just compile the quotes from Random Deepak Chopra Quote Generator, cause you see, I am an evolved wise philosopher cum scientist cum quantum guru cum spiritual mentor cum cosmological cum-cum. Mu Ha Ha Ha!!!"
But, the publishers didn't agree and made up a clickbait title instead.
And, that's that.
October 26, 2015
Quote
The chance that higher life forms might hve emerged in this way [i.e., randomly] is comparable to the chance that a tornado sweeping through a junkyard might assemble a Boeing 747 from the materials within.
-Physicist Sir Fred Hoyle
p.49
Quote
The analogy was brilliant because it can be easily understood, and believed, by anyone. A Boeing 74 has around six million parts, and it takes intelligence, design, and planning to fit them all together. Hoyle wasn't a creationist, and he didn't believe in God. His aim was to show that highly complex structures can't be explained by chance. p.49
Quote
Dawkins (The God Delusion) takes nearly four hundred pages to demolish God without seriously considering that a father in the sky might not be the only way to think about the divine. As soon as you reply, "That's not the God I had in mind," the straw man of God the Father becomes irrelevant. Organized religion has been backed into a corner by its refusal to find a viable alternative to God the Father, but such alternatives do exist. Saint Augustine had already rejected a literal reading of the Bible in the fifth century AD. Modern belief has gone much further away from literalism, but it serves Dawkins not to even take a peek. p.53
Quote
One possibility is that God became the creation. (Einstein suggested something like this in his famous quote about wanting to know the mind of God, although he didn't explicitly say that God was inside the laws governing time and space.) In other words, God is not a person but the totality of nature. As the source of existence, he is the starting point of your being and mine. God isn't our father; he isn't a watchmaker assembling parts into a watch (an image devised in the eighteenth century to explain how a single intelligent creator put all the moving parts of the cosmos together); he doesn't have feelings and desires. He is being itself. All things exist because he existed first. There is no need for such a God to be intricate. p.53
Quote
God could be the simplest thing of all, in fact. He is a unity. Diversity unfolds from this unity, and diversity - the expanding universe, billions of galaxies, human DNA - is bewilderingly complex. But its source doesn't have to be diverse. Picasso was the source of tens of thousands of artworks, but he didn't have to imagine all of them at once in his mind. Like natural selection, God is allowed to produce the natural world step by step, unless you insist, as Dawkins does that the literal acceptance of Genesis is the only creation story religious people believe. The alternative I posed, that God became the creation, has a long tradition as well. p.54-55
Quote
It would only have taken a few dropped stitches, billions of years ago, for the whole enterprise to have collapses - for example, if water didn't emerge from the combination of oxygen and hydrogen. The early cosmos was full of free-floating hydrogen and oxygen, as it is today. DNA cannot exist without water, and the water must have been in abundance for hundreds of millions of years. Since 99.9999 percent of the oxygena nd hydrogen in the universe didn't turn into water - add as many decimal laces as you like - the fact that water appeared on Earth isn't a matter of tiny probable steps. Quite the opposite - arguments for the uniqueness of life on Earth still hold enormous power, and they don't have to be arguments based on a Biblical God. p.55
Quote
If you explore the universe mining it for data and discount everything else, most of what makes life rich and beautiful goes out the window. God isn't a strange supernatural fiction, as Dawkins asserts. He's the source of our inner world, the same place where art, music, imagination, visionary conceptions, love, altruism, philosophy, morals, and human bonding are born. This world has its own truths. We can reach them by experiencing them. p.56
Quote
We need to be clear about a very basic point: The visible universe isn't the same as reality. When solid objects are reduced to atoms and then to subatomic particles, they are no longer solid. They are clouds of potentiality. As physics defines it, potentiality is neither matter nor energy but completely intangible, no matter how solid a mountain may be or how powerful a lightning bolt. Particles in such a state aren't even particles anymore. They do not have a specific location in space; instead every particle emerges from quantum waves that can extend infinitely in all directions....[T]he most recent theories of the cosmos propose that only 4% of the universe is made up of matter and energy that can be measured - the remaining 96% consists of so-called dark matter and energy, which are little understood. They cannot be seen, only inferred. p.93
Quote
All the evidence points in one direction: We need a new paradigm for explaining the cosmos. We need to accept first and foremost that the last things to be trusted are the five senses. More than that, even cherished theories like relativity have become drastically unstable. Dark energy is enlarging the space between galaxies faster than the speed of light. So something beyond space and time serves as the major force for creation and destruction in the cosmos, and whatever it is, it will be as invisible as mind, God, the soul, and higher consciousness. p.94
Quote
Wisdom tells us secrets before we have a right to know them. That's the beauty of it. You don't have to pray for wisdom or make yourself worthy of it. As with the concept of grace in the New testament, which falls like rain on the just and the unjust alike, the ultimate truth simply is. When we catch a glimpse of it, we become more real in ourselves. It is undeniable that the outward appearance of life contains suffering and distress. Wisdom reveals that suffering comes and goes while a deeper reality never changes. That reality is founded on truth and love. p.121
Quote
The same forces that create saints are present in your life. What they wait upon is to be noticed. If you are reasonably attentive to what's happening in yourself, you are already responding to the forces listed above. (p. 158) You envision a better life for yourself. Growing as a person matters to you. You can see the outlines of a better future for yourself....God is realized in the highest state of awareness. Since everyone is aware, God is reachable by all of us. p.159
Quote
As banal as it sounds, finding God depends on regular practice. (p.189)
Quote
Let It Be
(p.201)
Quote
At a certain stage, you reach a tipping point. Having done the work of imprinting your brain to have new responses, you can trust those responses. This opens the door for Being. You can "let it be" when your brain starts taking care of you. You already trust your brain to take care of you in countless ways. It automatically controls hormone levels. respiration, the sleep cycle, heart rate, appetite, sexual response, the immune system, and much more. So the art of being isn't foreign to you, it is second nature. (p.203)
Quote
God is reached by "going beyond," which is the definition of transcending. There is no other way to get past the dead end where thinking stops being useful. Quiet awareness must step in. If it wants to, awareness is capable of going beyond the material and even the subtle world. (p.211)
Quote
Unless you are blinded by your allegiance to materialism, it's obvious that brain cells can't see or hear in the first place. This fact is supported by the simplest test: if you peer inside, the brain is dark and silent. Something creates glowing sunsets and the clap of thunder, along with all the ravishing sights and sounds of the world. That something is personal; it's creating your world right this second. Genesis is now, but it isn't happening in the brain. (p.218)
Quote
In the end, to know God is to remember and to forget. You forget the illusion that you are separate, isolated, powerless, and stranded in an overwhelming cosmos. You remember that you are the dreamer who is in charge of the dream. What you perceive through the five senses isn't the same as reality. Go beyond the shadow play of appearances, and reality will greet you, as Rumi say, in "a world too full to talk about." Enter the realm of all possibilities. Making them come rue is a great gift. It comes directly from God. (p.222)
Quote
The real issue is how much of infinity you can absorb into your life. When expansion is infinite, the whole project feels daunting. Why challenge your boundaries, which feel like home? You might go flying outward like a paddleball, only to come springing back on a rubber band. A liver or heart cell is fortunate. To remain alive, it must connect with wholeness. It cannot doubt or opt out, turn its back on its creator, or denounce God as a delusion. But you are even more fortunate. You have self-awareness, the ability to know who you are. So your spiritual path comes down to choosing an identity. You act like an isolated individual or like the whole. You either align yourself with the universe or you don't. (p.227)
The chance that higher life forms might hve emerged in this way [i.e., randomly] is comparable to the chance that a tornado sweeping through a junkyard might assemble a Boeing 747 from the materials within.
-Physicist Sir Fred Hoyle
p.49
Quote
The analogy was brilliant because it can be easily understood, and believed, by anyone. A Boeing 74 has around six million parts, and it takes intelligence, design, and planning to fit them all together. Hoyle wasn't a creationist, and he didn't believe in God. His aim was to show that highly complex structures can't be explained by chance. p.49
Quote
Dawkins (The God Delusion) takes nearly four hundred pages to demolish God without seriously considering that a father in the sky might not be the only way to think about the divine. As soon as you reply, "That's not the God I had in mind," the straw man of God the Father becomes irrelevant. Organized religion has been backed into a corner by its refusal to find a viable alternative to God the Father, but such alternatives do exist. Saint Augustine had already rejected a literal reading of the Bible in the fifth century AD. Modern belief has gone much further away from literalism, but it serves Dawkins not to even take a peek. p.53
Quote
One possibility is that God became the creation. (Einstein suggested something like this in his famous quote about wanting to know the mind of God, although he didn't explicitly say that God was inside the laws governing time and space.) In other words, God is not a person but the totality of nature. As the source of existence, he is the starting point of your being and mine. God isn't our father; he isn't a watchmaker assembling parts into a watch (an image devised in the eighteenth century to explain how a single intelligent creator put all the moving parts of the cosmos together); he doesn't have feelings and desires. He is being itself. All things exist because he existed first. There is no need for such a God to be intricate. p.53
Quote
God could be the simplest thing of all, in fact. He is a unity. Diversity unfolds from this unity, and diversity - the expanding universe, billions of galaxies, human DNA - is bewilderingly complex. But its source doesn't have to be diverse. Picasso was the source of tens of thousands of artworks, but he didn't have to imagine all of them at once in his mind. Like natural selection, God is allowed to produce the natural world step by step, unless you insist, as Dawkins does that the literal acceptance of Genesis is the only creation story religious people believe. The alternative I posed, that God became the creation, has a long tradition as well. p.54-55
Quote
It would only have taken a few dropped stitches, billions of years ago, for the whole enterprise to have collapses - for example, if water didn't emerge from the combination of oxygen and hydrogen. The early cosmos was full of free-floating hydrogen and oxygen, as it is today. DNA cannot exist without water, and the water must have been in abundance for hundreds of millions of years. Since 99.9999 percent of the oxygena nd hydrogen in the universe didn't turn into water - add as many decimal laces as you like - the fact that water appeared on Earth isn't a matter of tiny probable steps. Quite the opposite - arguments for the uniqueness of life on Earth still hold enormous power, and they don't have to be arguments based on a Biblical God. p.55
Quote
If you explore the universe mining it for data and discount everything else, most of what makes life rich and beautiful goes out the window. God isn't a strange supernatural fiction, as Dawkins asserts. He's the source of our inner world, the same place where art, music, imagination, visionary conceptions, love, altruism, philosophy, morals, and human bonding are born. This world has its own truths. We can reach them by experiencing them. p.56
Quote
We need to be clear about a very basic point: The visible universe isn't the same as reality. When solid objects are reduced to atoms and then to subatomic particles, they are no longer solid. They are clouds of potentiality. As physics defines it, potentiality is neither matter nor energy but completely intangible, no matter how solid a mountain may be or how powerful a lightning bolt. Particles in such a state aren't even particles anymore. They do not have a specific location in space; instead every particle emerges from quantum waves that can extend infinitely in all directions....[T]he most recent theories of the cosmos propose that only 4% of the universe is made up of matter and energy that can be measured - the remaining 96% consists of so-called dark matter and energy, which are little understood. They cannot be seen, only inferred. p.93
Quote
All the evidence points in one direction: We need a new paradigm for explaining the cosmos. We need to accept first and foremost that the last things to be trusted are the five senses. More than that, even cherished theories like relativity have become drastically unstable. Dark energy is enlarging the space between galaxies faster than the speed of light. So something beyond space and time serves as the major force for creation and destruction in the cosmos, and whatever it is, it will be as invisible as mind, God, the soul, and higher consciousness. p.94
Quote
Wisdom tells us secrets before we have a right to know them. That's the beauty of it. You don't have to pray for wisdom or make yourself worthy of it. As with the concept of grace in the New testament, which falls like rain on the just and the unjust alike, the ultimate truth simply is. When we catch a glimpse of it, we become more real in ourselves. It is undeniable that the outward appearance of life contains suffering and distress. Wisdom reveals that suffering comes and goes while a deeper reality never changes. That reality is founded on truth and love. p.121
Quote
The same forces that create saints are present in your life. What they wait upon is to be noticed. If you are reasonably attentive to what's happening in yourself, you are already responding to the forces listed above. (p. 158) You envision a better life for yourself. Growing as a person matters to you. You can see the outlines of a better future for yourself....God is realized in the highest state of awareness. Since everyone is aware, God is reachable by all of us. p.159
Quote
As banal as it sounds, finding God depends on regular practice. (p.189)
Quote
Let It Be
(p.201)
Quote
At a certain stage, you reach a tipping point. Having done the work of imprinting your brain to have new responses, you can trust those responses. This opens the door for Being. You can "let it be" when your brain starts taking care of you. You already trust your brain to take care of you in countless ways. It automatically controls hormone levels. respiration, the sleep cycle, heart rate, appetite, sexual response, the immune system, and much more. So the art of being isn't foreign to you, it is second nature. (p.203)
Quote
God is reached by "going beyond," which is the definition of transcending. There is no other way to get past the dead end where thinking stops being useful. Quiet awareness must step in. If it wants to, awareness is capable of going beyond the material and even the subtle world. (p.211)
Quote
Unless you are blinded by your allegiance to materialism, it's obvious that brain cells can't see or hear in the first place. This fact is supported by the simplest test: if you peer inside, the brain is dark and silent. Something creates glowing sunsets and the clap of thunder, along with all the ravishing sights and sounds of the world. That something is personal; it's creating your world right this second. Genesis is now, but it isn't happening in the brain. (p.218)
Quote
In the end, to know God is to remember and to forget. You forget the illusion that you are separate, isolated, powerless, and stranded in an overwhelming cosmos. You remember that you are the dreamer who is in charge of the dream. What you perceive through the five senses isn't the same as reality. Go beyond the shadow play of appearances, and reality will greet you, as Rumi say, in "a world too full to talk about." Enter the realm of all possibilities. Making them come rue is a great gift. It comes directly from God. (p.222)
Quote
The real issue is how much of infinity you can absorb into your life. When expansion is infinite, the whole project feels daunting. Why challenge your boundaries, which feel like home? You might go flying outward like a paddleball, only to come springing back on a rubber band. A liver or heart cell is fortunate. To remain alive, it must connect with wholeness. It cannot doubt or opt out, turn its back on its creator, or denounce God as a delusion. But you are even more fortunate. You have self-awareness, the ability to know who you are. So your spiritual path comes down to choosing an identity. You act like an isolated individual or like the whole. You either align yourself with the universe or you don't. (p.227)
January 18, 2015
I’m pretty sure when I say the name “Deepak Chopra,” Mr. Chopra needs no introduction. However, just in case you haven’t heard of Deepak Chopra…allow me to make the introduction.
Deepak Chopra is one of the most famous global leaders…he has transformed the world with his medicine and teachings for wellness of the mind, body, and spirit.
He is known as a prolific author of (80) eighty books, and (22) twenty-two of those books are New York Times best sellers in both fiction and non-fiction. And last but not least... his literary works has been published in more than (43) forty-three languages.
As a Buddhist, one of my most favorite literary genres is Spirituality, and with that said I could not wait to get my hands of this book. However, I have to admit… I read this book twice before writing this book review. Why? I had to read this book twice because the book was so thought provoking… it made it difficult for me to take notes. I actually got swept away in some of the messages in this book, and not too many books can do that for me.
Now with a title like “The Future of God” many of you might be wondering what a Buddhist would find so interesting about this book…Well…Plenty. I would like to think that this book is not literally about the future of any one particular God, I think this book is about the future of Religion, Faith, and our existence as human beings in this modern world with an outdated view point of the meaning of Religion and Faith.
However, there is no doubt when it comes to Deepak Chopra and his disapproval of militant atheists… which God we are focusing on in this book…a God that is offered to us as God 2.0.
This book is definitely a spiritual journey…And it is definitely a journey you would not forget. The book instead of being divided into Chapters…is divided into stages… Stage one, two, and three to be exact…Stage One representing Unbelief, Stage Two representing Faith, and Stage Three representing Knowledge.
With that said, there are some of you who will read this book and fall absolutely in love with every single word… And there are some of us… that won’t.
Some of you may view the refuting of the atheist’s point of view… well…like telling a child that Santa Claus, The Easter Bunny, and The Tooth Fairy does not exist…an unnecessary debate. Others might feel that the debate was necessary to get the point across about God…and the future of God.
Whether you agree or disagree, there are some truths…I believe we should be allowed to have, and others to discover on our own. I believe spiritually is the translation of the language of our own individual life philosophy, and there is no right or wrong philosophy…whether its religion or science…we are all seeking the same thing…the path to our own individual happiness.
With that said, I end this book review by saying…not everyone is going to fall in love with every single word in this book. And that’s okay… it’s a matter of personal opinion.
However… I feel Stage Two…. And Stage Three… makes this book a must read…and a must have. This book definitely gives you something to think about, not only about the views of the atheist mindset, but our views on atheism.
At times I felt that the information that was suppose to serves as stepping stone to the realization of God…felt like I was throwing stones at the non-believers.
“Faith must be saved for everyone’s sake…From faith springs a passion for the eternal, which is even stronger than love.” (Deepak Chopra).
I always say what you get out of spirituality is what you invest in it, and just like this book, I believe what you are seeking you shall find.
.
January 14, 2015
As I've watched our next generation wander far from traditional religious views and practice, I've often thought about the future of God in our country and in the human family at large. As I've watched fundamentalism take root everywhere, I've often thought God could use a good interpreter down here, one who understands the universality of divine consciousness and its integral connection to our higher human nature. So much has been distorted in our religions, it's hard to know where to start. A clean slate would be nice, but how would that happen exactly without a disastrous prequel?
Deepak Chopra takes a stab at a very difficult and controversial subject. He defines God 2.0, a fascinating concept that involves us, of course, and our willingness to transform into creatures who accept our inherent divinity and power. Even if you don't accept this material offhand, it would be a good idea to read it, stick it in a drawer and watch it grow. Because it will grow, as truth always does. This, I believe, is how our youth will finally understand the true meaning of their own spirituality outside of the religions that have disappointed and disillusioned so many.
Deepak Chopra takes a stab at a very difficult and controversial subject. He defines God 2.0, a fascinating concept that involves us, of course, and our willingness to transform into creatures who accept our inherent divinity and power. Even if you don't accept this material offhand, it would be a good idea to read it, stick it in a drawer and watch it grow. Because it will grow, as truth always does. This, I believe, is how our youth will finally understand the true meaning of their own spirituality outside of the religions that have disappointed and disillusioned so many.
April 28, 2016
Really liked the middle half of this book, so much that I'm rating it a 4. But had some problems with his critique of militant atheism, his seemingly intentional naivety, and his narrow view of God as non-personal. So taking the book as a whole, I rate it a 3, but for how much I liked the middle, a 4.
Christians wd be better liked if they read books like this, and wd be no further from truth, only closer to God by being closer to themselves.
Couple of passages I liked, and some discussion.
1.
https://books.google.com/books?id=6Ve...
The passage from “Healthy brain function” through “The light will enter of its own accord”.
2.
https://books.google.com/books?id=6Ve...
a. Notice Chopra takes for granted that a person can encounter God, experience It firsthand. Proving It as a unique entity that exists is irrelevant. He's responding to atheists like Hitchens who throw out God altogether, but make arguments only against the personal Christian God (and possibly other personal gods). Irrelevant. People feel God the same way they feel love, anger, indigestion, or a new idea. They are affected by the concept and perspective, and they change their perspectives on It. That is what matters at first, to Chopra, bc that's all he's claiming God is. (Just the transcendent everythingness of the universe (multiverse), that's all). But also merely psychology on steroids.
Eventually, if you want to debate the existence of an impersonal entity called God, you can subsume these collective experiences into a broader discussion that includes scientific observation and logical argumentation. Chopra will go there with you, but only after you understand the kind of God he's talking about and admit that that conception of God is legitimate and in that sense "exists", as a conception and worldview and series of emotions that people experience. Chopra is in the business of defending possibility as far as you can take it. He’s not in the business of defending a personal God, and prob doesn’t believe in that; yet the New Atheists resist him intensely in ways that focusing almost exclusively on a personal God.
b. New atheists wd probably respond to Chopra’s “wake up before calling others asleep” comment by saying that Chopra is the one who needs to wake up, and the only way to settle who’s awake is science, the bedrock of thought and truth. An important point, and Chopra should take it up, but fails to foresee it. If this naivety reflects how he interacts with New Atheists, I doubt I’d bother defending him. But for now, I’ll take up the issue here, casually.
Let’s start with the totems in Inception, where New Atheists tell us science has crafted a tool that perfectly identifies whether you’re in a dream or not. The end of the movie tells us to stop waiting on tenterhooks to find out if the top keeps spinning and DiCaprio is in a dream, bc it doesn’t matter, or at least shdn’t be his only desperate concern. What’s important is he can walk away from the top and reunite and play with his family. Chopra gets that, and he’s too comfortable and matter-of-fact with it for my taste, but still, he gets it. The New Atheists don’t, or don’t seem to. Maybe bc they have taken on faith the premise that consciousness can be reduced to science. If they have proven that, or have a good theory, then they shd spend all their time and write all their books showing how, not working out the implications. Of course you have to do it without recourse to consciousness. But they don’t even seem to try to prove it, and I don’t believe philosophers have. If you do, let me know. Until then, I don’t trust the totem top, and I’m going to play with my family and my God.
c. Re: holding up a mirror to unbelief and letting illusions fall away to leave only truth and God, and about this being a fearful proposition. Yes! But for Christians all the more so, holding the mirror to belief (and unbelief). Ouch. Christians rely heavily on the Bible and revelation and institutions and tradition, and proudly speak about showing deference to previous thinkers and experts and saints, rather than just believing whatever greedy invention you want. Boy are they proud of that. And that’s good, bc nothing is less credible or life-embracing than thinking believing and doing whatever you want. It sounds like the ultimate freedom, but as soon as you find something you want to change about yourself, you find you’re a slave to yourself and your natural ways and automatic thoughts and genes and upbringing, etc. Life comes from doing a mix of what you want at the moment, what you aspire to, what others want you to do, what transcendent forces guide you to, and more. So Christians miss out who focus only on what they read into the Bible and tradition, and not on what the God within is telling them.
I think this is bc Christians, and not just fundamentalists, assume it’s always you believing whatever greedy invention pops into your mind, they don’t really believe you can hear God within or they would listen and heed Him more. Or they’re scared they’re hearing wrong, or that they’ll hear wrong if they try. Big mistake. When you practice listening for what to believe, you find it’s what remains after you hold a mirror to your belief and let illusions fall away, when you hold God in mind, and find out what you really believe, when you look at your behavior as the inevitable consequence of your actual beliefs, and let your stated and presumed beliefs fall away. Chopra is in the business of defending possibility as far as you can take it, of first expanding your consciousness as far as you’re willing to go, stirring it up, and letting truths settle, then starting the process again. A very few truths may gain enough substance to settle on the bottom then challenging yourself to go further, I’ll have no truck with a worldview that excludes either of these wisdom sources. So I reject humanism and canonical Christianity.
Christians wd be better liked if they read books like this, and wd be no further from truth, only closer to God by being closer to themselves.
Couple of passages I liked, and some discussion.
1.
https://books.google.com/books?id=6Ve...
The passage from “Healthy brain function” through “The light will enter of its own accord”.
2.
https://books.google.com/books?id=6Ve...
a. Notice Chopra takes for granted that a person can encounter God, experience It firsthand. Proving It as a unique entity that exists is irrelevant. He's responding to atheists like Hitchens who throw out God altogether, but make arguments only against the personal Christian God (and possibly other personal gods). Irrelevant. People feel God the same way they feel love, anger, indigestion, or a new idea. They are affected by the concept and perspective, and they change their perspectives on It. That is what matters at first, to Chopra, bc that's all he's claiming God is. (Just the transcendent everythingness of the universe (multiverse), that's all). But also merely psychology on steroids.
Eventually, if you want to debate the existence of an impersonal entity called God, you can subsume these collective experiences into a broader discussion that includes scientific observation and logical argumentation. Chopra will go there with you, but only after you understand the kind of God he's talking about and admit that that conception of God is legitimate and in that sense "exists", as a conception and worldview and series of emotions that people experience. Chopra is in the business of defending possibility as far as you can take it. He’s not in the business of defending a personal God, and prob doesn’t believe in that; yet the New Atheists resist him intensely in ways that focusing almost exclusively on a personal God.
b. New atheists wd probably respond to Chopra’s “wake up before calling others asleep” comment by saying that Chopra is the one who needs to wake up, and the only way to settle who’s awake is science, the bedrock of thought and truth. An important point, and Chopra should take it up, but fails to foresee it. If this naivety reflects how he interacts with New Atheists, I doubt I’d bother defending him. But for now, I’ll take up the issue here, casually.
Let’s start with the totems in Inception, where New Atheists tell us science has crafted a tool that perfectly identifies whether you’re in a dream or not. The end of the movie tells us to stop waiting on tenterhooks to find out if the top keeps spinning and DiCaprio is in a dream, bc it doesn’t matter, or at least shdn’t be his only desperate concern. What’s important is he can walk away from the top and reunite and play with his family. Chopra gets that, and he’s too comfortable and matter-of-fact with it for my taste, but still, he gets it. The New Atheists don’t, or don’t seem to. Maybe bc they have taken on faith the premise that consciousness can be reduced to science. If they have proven that, or have a good theory, then they shd spend all their time and write all their books showing how, not working out the implications. Of course you have to do it without recourse to consciousness. But they don’t even seem to try to prove it, and I don’t believe philosophers have. If you do, let me know. Until then, I don’t trust the totem top, and I’m going to play with my family and my God.
c. Re: holding up a mirror to unbelief and letting illusions fall away to leave only truth and God, and about this being a fearful proposition. Yes! But for Christians all the more so, holding the mirror to belief (and unbelief). Ouch. Christians rely heavily on the Bible and revelation and institutions and tradition, and proudly speak about showing deference to previous thinkers and experts and saints, rather than just believing whatever greedy invention you want. Boy are they proud of that. And that’s good, bc nothing is less credible or life-embracing than thinking believing and doing whatever you want. It sounds like the ultimate freedom, but as soon as you find something you want to change about yourself, you find you’re a slave to yourself and your natural ways and automatic thoughts and genes and upbringing, etc. Life comes from doing a mix of what you want at the moment, what you aspire to, what others want you to do, what transcendent forces guide you to, and more. So Christians miss out who focus only on what they read into the Bible and tradition, and not on what the God within is telling them.
I think this is bc Christians, and not just fundamentalists, assume it’s always you believing whatever greedy invention pops into your mind, they don’t really believe you can hear God within or they would listen and heed Him more. Or they’re scared they’re hearing wrong, or that they’ll hear wrong if they try. Big mistake. When you practice listening for what to believe, you find it’s what remains after you hold a mirror to your belief and let illusions fall away, when you hold God in mind, and find out what you really believe, when you look at your behavior as the inevitable consequence of your actual beliefs, and let your stated and presumed beliefs fall away. Chopra is in the business of defending possibility as far as you can take it, of first expanding your consciousness as far as you’re willing to go, stirring it up, and letting truths settle, then starting the process again. A very few truths may gain enough substance to settle on the bottom then challenging yourself to go further, I’ll have no truck with a worldview that excludes either of these wisdom sources. So I reject humanism and canonical Christianity.
January 25, 2015
In a word, The Future of God is a beautiful book. At the risk of offending those who subscribe to a traditional religion, this book is for the rest of us—the spiritual, the believers—who dismiss the God of children’s fables and the Bible. Who reject a white-bearded father-in-the-sky, and don’t necessarily equate God with Jesus Christ. Many such “heathens” believe unequivocally in God. We’re smart enough to know that to presume otherwise is wholly illogical and arrogant. As Deepak points out, to accept that a universe as complex as ours haphazardly came to be absent a deeper intelligence is like believing that the six million parts of a Boeing 747 whooshed together from the wreckage of a tornado.
Deepak divides our Universe into three parts: the material world; the subtle world; and the transcendent world. Naturally, we cannot see or perceive the latter two, but this does not mean they do not exist. Rather, if we are open, if we connect with our deeper consciousness, the subtle and transcendent worlds offer hints of their existence. Deepak gives such examples as when we have an “aha” moment, or when we are “struck by awe and wonder.” Other examples are having a leap of creativity; experiencing love; thinking of someone’s name and then that person calls (isn’t it uncanny how often that happens?). And what about those “meaningful coincidences” that sometimes fall into place to fulfill our desires, or feeling the presence of someone who died?
Deepak also speaks about faith in god leading us to wise choices, such as “speaking up for the truth;” not succumbing to the voice of fear; and making conscious decisions about those inevitably bad situations life throws our way (i.e., put up with it, try to fix it, or walk away). These are perhaps mundane moral issues we each face all the time. But it seems to me that respect for a higher consciousness provides the foundation for “right thinking.” Conversely, the abandonment of any spiritual core erodes our moral imperative, which is why it’s now fine to lie, “coast,” and cheat as long as we don’t get caught.
I gave this book four stars because, as many other reviewers have pointed out, Deepak spends way too much time refuting the claims of Richard Dawkins, author of The God Delusion. It’s as if a prime purpose of Deepak’s was to rebut Dawkins’ illogical and poorly-argued case for atheism. I daresay, Deepak probably did more to promote The God Delusion through his outspoken indignity, when The Future of God can and should stand all on its own. But unlike some reviewers, I do not fault Deepak for not being more “enlightened,” as I hold him to no higher standard than the rest of us. He, too, is a mere mortal on whatever path he is on. (I once saw him on Bill Maher’s show, Politically Incorrect, where he became quite riled over something another guest had said.) And Deepak can be repetitive at times, and a bit “fluffy” in his arguments. Nonetheless, he deserves credit for tackling a topic of universal and enduring importance in an uplifting way we ordinary, non-religious folk can appreciate.
On the whole, The Future of God gave me a greater feeling of connection to a higher consciousness I have little doubt exists. It left me more at peace and more in awe than ever at the sheer wonder of it all. Kudos to Deepak for a timely, comforting, and quite respectable reaffirmation of the inevitability of God in these divisive times.
Deepak divides our Universe into three parts: the material world; the subtle world; and the transcendent world. Naturally, we cannot see or perceive the latter two, but this does not mean they do not exist. Rather, if we are open, if we connect with our deeper consciousness, the subtle and transcendent worlds offer hints of their existence. Deepak gives such examples as when we have an “aha” moment, or when we are “struck by awe and wonder.” Other examples are having a leap of creativity; experiencing love; thinking of someone’s name and then that person calls (isn’t it uncanny how often that happens?). And what about those “meaningful coincidences” that sometimes fall into place to fulfill our desires, or feeling the presence of someone who died?
Deepak also speaks about faith in god leading us to wise choices, such as “speaking up for the truth;” not succumbing to the voice of fear; and making conscious decisions about those inevitably bad situations life throws our way (i.e., put up with it, try to fix it, or walk away). These are perhaps mundane moral issues we each face all the time. But it seems to me that respect for a higher consciousness provides the foundation for “right thinking.” Conversely, the abandonment of any spiritual core erodes our moral imperative, which is why it’s now fine to lie, “coast,” and cheat as long as we don’t get caught.
I gave this book four stars because, as many other reviewers have pointed out, Deepak spends way too much time refuting the claims of Richard Dawkins, author of The God Delusion. It’s as if a prime purpose of Deepak’s was to rebut Dawkins’ illogical and poorly-argued case for atheism. I daresay, Deepak probably did more to promote The God Delusion through his outspoken indignity, when The Future of God can and should stand all on its own. But unlike some reviewers, I do not fault Deepak for not being more “enlightened,” as I hold him to no higher standard than the rest of us. He, too, is a mere mortal on whatever path he is on. (I once saw him on Bill Maher’s show, Politically Incorrect, where he became quite riled over something another guest had said.) And Deepak can be repetitive at times, and a bit “fluffy” in his arguments. Nonetheless, he deserves credit for tackling a topic of universal and enduring importance in an uplifting way we ordinary, non-religious folk can appreciate.
On the whole, The Future of God gave me a greater feeling of connection to a higher consciousness I have little doubt exists. It left me more at peace and more in awe than ever at the sheer wonder of it all. Kudos to Deepak for a timely, comforting, and quite respectable reaffirmation of the inevitability of God in these divisive times.
February 18, 2017
As a primer on the human wisdom that can be gained from Eastern religion and philosophy, this would be nearly a two star book.
As a book on God, one star is far too generous.
Here are a few of the book's problems (not even close to a comprehensive list):
1. Utter pantheism.
2. Denial of the reality of evil (and the claim that resisting evil is participation in evil).
3. The claim that Christian faith, particularly in the resurrection, is blind.
4. Making Christianity (particularly penal substitutionary atonement) the least "evolved" of all ideas of God.
It's a train wreck from beginning to end. No wonder Oprah loves this guy.
As a book on God, one star is far too generous.
Here are a few of the book's problems (not even close to a comprehensive list):
1. Utter pantheism.
2. Denial of the reality of evil (and the claim that resisting evil is participation in evil).
3. The claim that Christian faith, particularly in the resurrection, is blind.
4. Making Christianity (particularly penal substitutionary atonement) the least "evolved" of all ideas of God.
It's a train wreck from beginning to end. No wonder Oprah loves this guy.
Read
January 20, 2015A quote from the book, "You are finding your center whenever you....... .......Refuse to turn against others for ideological reason...." yet, he spent a good amount of time in the book dissing a writer who disagrees with his ideas of God????? I thought this would be a good book, no stars, bad book.
August 31, 2019
A practical approach? 🤣 The book should be called ‘An argument against Richard Dawkin’. The only thing Deepak does in the entire book is crib about Dawkins argument against God. While providing no proof for his own argument. Also the writing is so confusing.
Read
March 12, 2015Disappointing. I would rather read the quotes, stats and facts without all of the finger pointing.
December 9, 2014
No delusions, just an open mind.
The main reason I like Deepak Chopra’s latest book, “The Future of God” is that it stands as a viable alternative to the “militant atheist’s” bible, “the God delusion.” Indeed, even though Deepak does not make the statement himself (at least I have not read specific words to that effect), it seems to me that “The Future of God” was written as a direct response to the “avowed enemies of faith.” As such, many references are made to the militant atheist tribe and their self-proclaimed conquistadors.
Deepak does clearly state in this book that he has no issue with those who have no faith in a higher power, he simply takes exception to the fact that, ‘This disturbing movement centered around Professor Richard Dawkins cloaks its vehement, often personal attacks in terms of science and rea-son… I have no harsh things to say about atheism without the militancy.’
Building from there, Deepak incorporates three stages of personal development that one progresses through on the path to God: unbelief, faith and finally knowledge. In other words, “They are stepping-stones from ‘No God’ to ‘Perhaps God’ to ‘God in me.’” The first stage of ‘Unbelief’ is characterized by reason and doubt and individuals, atheists, take the position that the physical is all that there is. The second stage, ‘Faith’, is when individuals hope that God is real and while this can be a positive influence, there is also the negative side of faith which is fanaticism. The third and final stage, ‘Knowledge’, is the stage where we are able to assert unquestioningly to ourselves that God does exist. The transition from stage to stage is not a clear cut, well-defined process, rather it is a gradual progression and it is bi-directional, in that while progress can be made, there will also be times when we can also digress.
Woven into the three stages are: numerous references and discussions that have taken place with said militant atheists, statistics about the state of religion and faith, anecdotal stories about the power of faith and various scientific discoveries pertaining to the nature of reality.
If one truly looks at the “facts”, the “hard questions” have not been solved by science and to discount a potential cause, simply because it does not fit into one’s belief system, is certainly not science, it is dogma. For those who do not wish to open their eyes, the world will always be dark.
So, in the final analysis, an ardent militant atheist would likely not enjoy this book, nor would any religious fundamentalists because, “The Future of God” is written to encourage a deeper exploration of the mystery of existence. As evidenced by the prolific endorsements from some of the world’ s leading professors, in many diverse fields, it is apparent that this latest book from Deepak not only provides readers with a philosophical view of faith, but also one founded on leading edge science - rather than the pseudoscience advocated by the naysayers. If you already know all the answer to the mysteries of life, then you won’t enjoy, or benefit from, this book. If, on the other hand, you feel that God doesn’t have to be an old man with a beard sitting on a cloud, if you feel that there is ‘something more’, if you are curious about the nature of reality and you are open to possibilities, than this could be the book you are looking for.
The main reason I like Deepak Chopra’s latest book, “The Future of God” is that it stands as a viable alternative to the “militant atheist’s” bible, “the God delusion.” Indeed, even though Deepak does not make the statement himself (at least I have not read specific words to that effect), it seems to me that “The Future of God” was written as a direct response to the “avowed enemies of faith.” As such, many references are made to the militant atheist tribe and their self-proclaimed conquistadors.
Deepak does clearly state in this book that he has no issue with those who have no faith in a higher power, he simply takes exception to the fact that, ‘This disturbing movement centered around Professor Richard Dawkins cloaks its vehement, often personal attacks in terms of science and rea-son… I have no harsh things to say about atheism without the militancy.’
Building from there, Deepak incorporates three stages of personal development that one progresses through on the path to God: unbelief, faith and finally knowledge. In other words, “They are stepping-stones from ‘No God’ to ‘Perhaps God’ to ‘God in me.’” The first stage of ‘Unbelief’ is characterized by reason and doubt and individuals, atheists, take the position that the physical is all that there is. The second stage, ‘Faith’, is when individuals hope that God is real and while this can be a positive influence, there is also the negative side of faith which is fanaticism. The third and final stage, ‘Knowledge’, is the stage where we are able to assert unquestioningly to ourselves that God does exist. The transition from stage to stage is not a clear cut, well-defined process, rather it is a gradual progression and it is bi-directional, in that while progress can be made, there will also be times when we can also digress.
Woven into the three stages are: numerous references and discussions that have taken place with said militant atheists, statistics about the state of religion and faith, anecdotal stories about the power of faith and various scientific discoveries pertaining to the nature of reality.
If one truly looks at the “facts”, the “hard questions” have not been solved by science and to discount a potential cause, simply because it does not fit into one’s belief system, is certainly not science, it is dogma. For those who do not wish to open their eyes, the world will always be dark.
So, in the final analysis, an ardent militant atheist would likely not enjoy this book, nor would any religious fundamentalists because, “The Future of God” is written to encourage a deeper exploration of the mystery of existence. As evidenced by the prolific endorsements from some of the world’ s leading professors, in many diverse fields, it is apparent that this latest book from Deepak not only provides readers with a philosophical view of faith, but also one founded on leading edge science - rather than the pseudoscience advocated by the naysayers. If you already know all the answer to the mysteries of life, then you won’t enjoy, or benefit from, this book. If, on the other hand, you feel that God doesn’t have to be an old man with a beard sitting on a cloud, if you feel that there is ‘something more’, if you are curious about the nature of reality and you are open to possibilities, than this could be the book you are looking for.
November 24, 2014
Misplacing this book, I said to a person, do you know where 'The Future of God' is? She mistook this as a defensive take on one of life's big questions, explaining numbers of youth attending church are up. I guess she has her God as a witness to that one.
But chances are if you're offended by Chopra for many reasons, his net-worth, his network *Oprah*, 12 people of big credibility supporting him at the beginning of this book. He's twinged skeptics' nerves, challenging Team Dawkins, Team Harris, Team Hitchens. While I refuse to jump on or stand militant by any person, and honestly accept my opinion as a far less learned offering, that's to say, I know very little sometimes I'm stupid proving that in this review. However, the hostility and arrogance from whoever no matter the message is off-putting. Robust, rational debate is required but I think when any person demeaned on purpose, it comes at cost especially to those of us once skeptic, who've surfaced from suffering, rejected the material world opting for creativity, diet change, meditation, living better and operating from the heart therefore discovering some of Chopra's woo.
There's great value in quashing aspects of religion we know are batty. Equally, there's value in offering us a new version of *spirituality* or indeed, a version followed personally without inferring on others as THE way, THE only way and best left to your interpretation no matter what language used to persuade or deter you away from.
Like him or not, he's added something to consider, and whether you give him credit is entirely run by your gut, head, and cold heart< ha!
But chances are if you're offended by Chopra for many reasons, his net-worth, his network *Oprah*, 12 people of big credibility supporting him at the beginning of this book. He's twinged skeptics' nerves, challenging Team Dawkins, Team Harris, Team Hitchens. While I refuse to jump on or stand militant by any person, and honestly accept my opinion as a far less learned offering, that's to say, I know very little sometimes I'm stupid proving that in this review. However, the hostility and arrogance from whoever no matter the message is off-putting. Robust, rational debate is required but I think when any person demeaned on purpose, it comes at cost especially to those of us once skeptic, who've surfaced from suffering, rejected the material world opting for creativity, diet change, meditation, living better and operating from the heart therefore discovering some of Chopra's woo.
There's great value in quashing aspects of religion we know are batty. Equally, there's value in offering us a new version of *spirituality* or indeed, a version followed personally without inferring on others as THE way, THE only way and best left to your interpretation no matter what language used to persuade or deter you away from.
Like him or not, he's added something to consider, and whether you give him credit is entirely run by your gut, head, and cold heart< ha!
April 23, 2024
De mis libros favoritos.
Deepak nos explica cómo se ha fortalecido el movimiento ateísta esparcido por Richard Dawkins y para muchos, que la divinidad está pasada de moda en el mundo moderno. ¿Qué habría que hacer para que tengamos una vida espiritual más poderosa que en el pasado?. Deepak nos recuerda dónde buscar a Dios y cómo sanar la separación de este ser con nosotros mismos creada por la ilusión de la experiencia humana.
Les dejo algunos highlights:
"Dios dentro de ti, puedes confiar en la conexión. Dios está desconectado en el mundo material pero tiene una presencia en el mundo sutil. Este no es el final del viaje, pero por medio de la acción sutil, seguida por una respuesta real, lo divino comienza a ser importante.”
“Nuestro fracaso para encontrar a Díos puede ser rastreado hasta nuestro hábito de ir y venir en vez de hacer un hogar en el mundo sutil.”
“Díos depende de una práctica cotidiana.”
Deepak nos explica cómo se ha fortalecido el movimiento ateísta esparcido por Richard Dawkins y para muchos, que la divinidad está pasada de moda en el mundo moderno. ¿Qué habría que hacer para que tengamos una vida espiritual más poderosa que en el pasado?. Deepak nos recuerda dónde buscar a Dios y cómo sanar la separación de este ser con nosotros mismos creada por la ilusión de la experiencia humana.
Les dejo algunos highlights:
"Dios dentro de ti, puedes confiar en la conexión. Dios está desconectado en el mundo material pero tiene una presencia en el mundo sutil. Este no es el final del viaje, pero por medio de la acción sutil, seguida por una respuesta real, lo divino comienza a ser importante.”
“Nuestro fracaso para encontrar a Díos puede ser rastreado hasta nuestro hábito de ir y venir en vez de hacer un hogar en el mundo sutil.”
“Díos depende de una práctica cotidiana.”
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 25, 2018
I actually read this book twice successively before writing this review. This has never happened before and I am truly glad I did. This is an incredible piece of work where Deepak has taken the time to truly do an in-depth analysis of the human state versus the existence of God. The only thing that prevented me from scoring a complete success is the extent that atheists occupied in the writings. While everyone is entitled to his or her opinion, and I truly fully understand why Deepak spent the time he did on this crowd, I felt that they were more of a distraction from Deepak’s true message. For anyone with the slightest urge to explore further our human existence and the position of God in our thoughts, beliefs, actions and intentions, this is a ‘must read’, and if you are as slow as me when it comes to understanding and expanding my conscience, this is a must-read at least twice.
October 5, 2014
Book on atheism and the futility of this for the purposes of a better life and lived more fully. For lovers of Derek Chopra there is not anything really new in this last book, for other readers it can offer food for thought.
Libro sull'ateismo e l'inutilità di questo ai fini di una vita migliore e vissuta in modo piú completa. Per gli amanti di Derek Chopra non c'é scritto niente di veramente nuovo in questo suo ultimo libro, per gli altri puó offrire spunti di riflessione.
THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND CROWN PUBLISHING FOR THE PREVIEW!
Libro sull'ateismo e l'inutilità di questo ai fini di una vita migliore e vissuta in modo piú completa. Per gli amanti di Derek Chopra non c'é scritto niente di veramente nuovo in questo suo ultimo libro, per gli altri puó offrire spunti di riflessione.
THANKS TO NETGALLEY AND CROWN PUBLISHING FOR THE PREVIEW!
May 29, 2020
The book should be called ‘An argument against Richard Dawkin’s "The God Delusion'.Chopra fails .....not providing any proof for his own arguments.Chopra enters into an insanely outdated mission to lend creedence to Paley’s argument for Intelligent Design. Fails miserably,.He wants to assist his readers in finding the connection to the divine that he himself claims to enjoy. However, explanations that revolve around terms such as Pure Being and universal consciousness leave my hopelessly eastern psyche grasping for something concrete to hold on to....
Avoidable .....
Avoidable .....
January 7, 2015
I think this is a timely view of faith, belief, or whatever term you choose to give it. Traditional Christian religion continues to decline something else is surely needed.
October 2, 2019
Crucial work
The author crates a transition between the past and future of religions. We need to reinterpret our faith in this fast changing times.
The author crates a transition between the past and future of religions. We need to reinterpret our faith in this fast changing times.
March 24, 2025
H • R59
Neterminata! Sentiment de pseudostiinta ieftina. Autorul e un avocat al medicinii alternative si adept al miscarii New Age! TECHNOBABBLE! Un impostor!
În lucrarea sa „Viitorul lui Dumnezeu”, Deepak Chopra explorează relația dintre spiritualitate și știință, oferind o viziune despre cum se va transforma înțelegerea noastră despre Dumnezeu și religie în viitor, pe măsură ce progresăm în domeniul științei și al tehnologiei. Chopra combină elemente din fizica cuantică, neuroștiință și tradițiile spirituale antice pentru a construi o viziune holistică și evolutivă despre divinitate și cosmos.
Iată câteva dintre ideile principale din lucrarea sa:
1. Dumnezeu ca conștiință universală
Chopra susține că, în viitor, vom înțelege „Dumnezeu” nu ca pe o entitate personală sau transcendentă, ci ca pe o „conștiință universală”, o realitate profundă și unificatoare care este prezentă în tot ceea ce există. Conform viziunii lui Chopra, această conștiință nu este doar un concept religios, ci și un fenomen ce poate fi studiat prin prisma științei. El susține că, în viitor, avansurile în fizica cuantică și neuroștiință vor revela natura fundamentală a realității ca fiind bazată pe conștiință și informație.
2. Spiritualitate și știință se vor reuni
Chopra subliniază că, în loc să fie considerate domenii separate, spiritualitatea și știința vor ajunge să fie înțelese ca complementare. El propune ideea că descoperirile științifice în domeniul fizicii cuantice, care subliniază interconectivitatea tuturor lucrurilor și natura relativă a realității, vor confirma învățăturile spirituale tradiționale despre unitatea tuturor ființelor. Această viziune unificatoare ar putea duce la o înțelegere mai profundă a lui Dumnezeu ca o forță care nu doar că guvernează universul, dar este și esența lui.
3. Evoluția spirituală a umanității
Chopra crede că, în viitor, umanitatea va trece printr-o evoluție spirituală în care oamenii vor ajunge să înțeleagă că adevărata lor natură este una divină și conștientă. El sugerează că, pe măsură ce tehnologia avansează, oamenii vor avea acces la cunoștințe și practici care îi vor ajuta să-și dezvolte potențialul spiritual, să înțeleagă profund conexiunea cu divinitatea și să realizeze un „nou mod de a fi” pe Pământ. Această evoluție spirituală va include nu doar o înțelegere mai profundă a sinelui, dar și un angajament mai mare față de pace, iubire și cooperare globală.
4. Tehnologia și conștiința
Un alt aspect important al viziunii lui Chopra este rolul tehnologiei în transformarea percepției umanității asupra divinității. El sugerează că tehnologia va evolua într-un mod care să ajute la expansiunea conștiinței umane, prin intermediul tehnologiilor care pot sprijini meditația, auto-descoperirea și conectarea la o realitate mai profundă. Chopra imaginează un viitor în care oamenii vor putea integra știința și tehnologia pentru a explora și experimenta stări de conștiință extinsă și pentru a înțelege mai profund natura divinității.
5. Viziunea despre viață după moarte
Chopra discută și despre viitorul înțelegerii noastre despre viața după moarte. În loc să se axeze pe ideea unei vieți veșnice într-un rai sau iad, el propune o viziune în care conștiința continuă să evolueze după moarte, iar experiențele de viață și moarte nu sunt văzute ca fiind finale, ci ca o continuare a unui proces evolutiv al conștiinței. În această viziune, „moartea” nu reprezintă sfârșitul, ci un moment de tranziție într-o realitate diferită, dar conectată.
6. Un Dumnezeu al iubirii și al conștiinței pure
În esență, Chopra propune o viziune a lui Dumnezeu ca iubire și conștiință pură, o forță fundamentală care guvernează universul și care poate fi accesată prin meditație, conștientizare și practici spirituale. El își bazează această idee pe învățăturile spirituale ale diferitelor tradiții, dar le îmbină cu perspectivele științifice moderne. În viziunea lui Chopra, oamenii nu doar că sunt creați de Dumnezeu, dar sunt și în permanență interconectați cu divinitatea, iar scopul vieții este de a înțelege și experimenta această conexiune profundă.
Concluzie
În „Viitorul lui Dumnezeu”, Deepak Chopra propune o viziune optimistă și evolutivă a spiritualității, în care știința și religia nu sunt în conflict, ci se unesc pentru a revela o înțelegere mai profundă a lui Dumnezeu ca o conștiință universală. Această viziune presupune o transformare radicală a modului în care oamenii înțeleg divinitatea, spiritualitatea și rolul lor în univers, într-un context în care tehnologia și știința sprijină creșterea spirituală și evoluția conștiinței umane.
Neterminata! Sentiment de pseudostiinta ieftina. Autorul e un avocat al medicinii alternative si adept al miscarii New Age! TECHNOBABBLE! Un impostor!
În lucrarea sa „Viitorul lui Dumnezeu”, Deepak Chopra explorează relația dintre spiritualitate și știință, oferind o viziune despre cum se va transforma înțelegerea noastră despre Dumnezeu și religie în viitor, pe măsură ce progresăm în domeniul științei și al tehnologiei. Chopra combină elemente din fizica cuantică, neuroștiință și tradițiile spirituale antice pentru a construi o viziune holistică și evolutivă despre divinitate și cosmos.
Iată câteva dintre ideile principale din lucrarea sa:
1. Dumnezeu ca conștiință universală
Chopra susține că, în viitor, vom înțelege „Dumnezeu” nu ca pe o entitate personală sau transcendentă, ci ca pe o „conștiință universală”, o realitate profundă și unificatoare care este prezentă în tot ceea ce există. Conform viziunii lui Chopra, această conștiință nu este doar un concept religios, ci și un fenomen ce poate fi studiat prin prisma științei. El susține că, în viitor, avansurile în fizica cuantică și neuroștiință vor revela natura fundamentală a realității ca fiind bazată pe conștiință și informație.
2. Spiritualitate și știință se vor reuni
Chopra subliniază că, în loc să fie considerate domenii separate, spiritualitatea și știința vor ajunge să fie înțelese ca complementare. El propune ideea că descoperirile științifice în domeniul fizicii cuantice, care subliniază interconectivitatea tuturor lucrurilor și natura relativă a realității, vor confirma învățăturile spirituale tradiționale despre unitatea tuturor ființelor. Această viziune unificatoare ar putea duce la o înțelegere mai profundă a lui Dumnezeu ca o forță care nu doar că guvernează universul, dar este și esența lui.
3. Evoluția spirituală a umanității
Chopra crede că, în viitor, umanitatea va trece printr-o evoluție spirituală în care oamenii vor ajunge să înțeleagă că adevărata lor natură este una divină și conștientă. El sugerează că, pe măsură ce tehnologia avansează, oamenii vor avea acces la cunoștințe și practici care îi vor ajuta să-și dezvolte potențialul spiritual, să înțeleagă profund conexiunea cu divinitatea și să realizeze un „nou mod de a fi” pe Pământ. Această evoluție spirituală va include nu doar o înțelegere mai profundă a sinelui, dar și un angajament mai mare față de pace, iubire și cooperare globală.
4. Tehnologia și conștiința
Un alt aspect important al viziunii lui Chopra este rolul tehnologiei în transformarea percepției umanității asupra divinității. El sugerează că tehnologia va evolua într-un mod care să ajute la expansiunea conștiinței umane, prin intermediul tehnologiilor care pot sprijini meditația, auto-descoperirea și conectarea la o realitate mai profundă. Chopra imaginează un viitor în care oamenii vor putea integra știința și tehnologia pentru a explora și experimenta stări de conștiință extinsă și pentru a înțelege mai profund natura divinității.
5. Viziunea despre viață după moarte
Chopra discută și despre viitorul înțelegerii noastre despre viața după moarte. În loc să se axeze pe ideea unei vieți veșnice într-un rai sau iad, el propune o viziune în care conștiința continuă să evolueze după moarte, iar experiențele de viață și moarte nu sunt văzute ca fiind finale, ci ca o continuare a unui proces evolutiv al conștiinței. În această viziune, „moartea” nu reprezintă sfârșitul, ci un moment de tranziție într-o realitate diferită, dar conectată.
6. Un Dumnezeu al iubirii și al conștiinței pure
În esență, Chopra propune o viziune a lui Dumnezeu ca iubire și conștiință pură, o forță fundamentală care guvernează universul și care poate fi accesată prin meditație, conștientizare și practici spirituale. El își bazează această idee pe învățăturile spirituale ale diferitelor tradiții, dar le îmbină cu perspectivele științifice moderne. În viziunea lui Chopra, oamenii nu doar că sunt creați de Dumnezeu, dar sunt și în permanență interconectați cu divinitatea, iar scopul vieții este de a înțelege și experimenta această conexiune profundă.
Concluzie
În „Viitorul lui Dumnezeu”, Deepak Chopra propune o viziune optimistă și evolutivă a spiritualității, în care știința și religia nu sunt în conflict, ci se unesc pentru a revela o înțelegere mai profundă a lui Dumnezeu ca o conștiință universală. Această viziune presupune o transformare radicală a modului în care oamenii înțeleg divinitatea, spiritualitatea și rolul lor în univers, într-un context în care tehnologia și știința sprijină creșterea spirituală și evoluția conștiinței umane.
January 31, 2015
The Future of God by Deepak Chopra is the voice bridging the gap for all seekers who find themselves wandering in the wilderness between the camps of raging atheism on the one hand and empty religion on the other hand--both of which fail to address the nagging sense that something of significance is missing from life.
Chopra spends ample time in the opening two-thirds of the book laying out the arguments made by modern day atheism and science regarding their belief that there can be no God. He also lays open the arguments made by religion that leave educated seekers feeling that something is missing in the dogma of the faith system in which they were raised. I can identify with both of these plights! Having been seminary trained and serving as an ordained Lutheran minister for 13+ years, I know full well the theological underpinnings of Christianity. I also personally experienced the pitfalls and short comings of Christianity's theological dogmas and practices. When I saw the many ways in which the church seemed to miss on connecting to the divine, I could no longer remain a part of it. At the same time, I was being barraged constantly by questions and arguments from both genuine seekers and atheists with their own agenda. These encounters left me an odd mix of excited, exhausted, questioning my own faith, and angry.
Thus the first two-thirds of The Future of God felt a bit slow to me, because I found my own personal issues and struggles being resurrected. It felt as though weights were attached to my feet, with more weight being added and the terrain growing muddier as I read. This was not necessarily a bad thing, however.
Because of the journey I had taken through the beginning of the book, I found myself thinking, "Yes." "YES." "YES!" as I read "Stage 3: Knowing." Reading Chopra's words, "You remember that you are the dreamer who is in charge of the dream," I recalled riding in the back seat of my parents' station wagon as a child, contemplating life and thinking to myself, "What if everything we know as 'life' is really just a dream? And what if death is simply waking up?" The fact that a man from a predominantly Hindu country, who grew up surrounded by the religious thinking and teaching of the world's main polytheistic religion should be proclaiming the truth of Oneness, God in all things, everywhere and nowhere at one and the same time strikes me as profound, authentic and true. I have long harbored the belief that God is much bigger and beyond what any one religious system can capture. Chopra's says that the universal truth of God is that God cannot be put (refuses to stay put!) in a box. To this, something within me shouts "YES!" Anything other would not be divine, would not be God."
If you have questions about life's meaning; if you ponder the deeper questions of faith, meaning, purpose; if you sense there may be more to your faith you should read The Future of God. I will recommend this book to those who struggle with questions posed to them by skeptics, atheists, science, and followers of blind faith. Chopra has some answers. He opens possibilities. He restores faith and in doing so, provides hope.
From the Publisher . . .
Can God be revived in a skeptical age? What would it take to give people a spiritual life more powerful than anything in the past? Deepak Chopra tackles these issues with eloquence and insight in this book. He proposes that God lies at the source of human awareness. Therefore, any person can find the God within that transforms everyday life.
God is in trouble. The rise of the militant atheist movement spearheaded by Richard Dawkins signifies, to many, that the deity is an outmoded myth in the modern world. Deepak Chopra passionately disagrees, seeing the present moment as the perfect time for making spirituality what it really should be: reliable knowledge about higher reality. Outlining a path to God that turns unbelief into the first step of awakening, Deepak shows us that a crisis of faith is like the fire we must pass through on the way to power, truth, and love.
“Faith must be saved for everyone’s sake,” he writes. “From faith springs a passion for the eternal, which is even stronger than love. Many of us have lost that passion or have never known it.” In any age, faith is a cry from the heart. God is the higher consciousness that responds to the cry. “By itself, faith can’t deliver God, but it does something more timely: It makes God possible.”
For three decades, Deepak Chopra has inspired millions with his profound writing and teaching. With The Future of God, he invites us on a journey of the spirit, providing a practical path to understanding God and our own place in the universe. Now, is a moment of reinvigoration, he argues. Now is moment of renewal. Now is the future.
About the Author . . .
DEEPAK CHOPRA is the author of more than fifty books translated into more than thirty-five languages—including numerous New York Times bestsellers in both the fiction and nonfiction categories. Dr. Chopra is a fellow of the American College of Physicians, a member of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, adjunct professor at the Kellogg School of Management, and a senior scientist with the Gallup Organization. He is founder and president of the Alliance for a New Humanity. Time magazine heralds Deepak Chopra as one of the top 100 heroes and icons of the century and credits him as “the poet–prophet of alternative medicine.”
Chopra spends ample time in the opening two-thirds of the book laying out the arguments made by modern day atheism and science regarding their belief that there can be no God. He also lays open the arguments made by religion that leave educated seekers feeling that something is missing in the dogma of the faith system in which they were raised. I can identify with both of these plights! Having been seminary trained and serving as an ordained Lutheran minister for 13+ years, I know full well the theological underpinnings of Christianity. I also personally experienced the pitfalls and short comings of Christianity's theological dogmas and practices. When I saw the many ways in which the church seemed to miss on connecting to the divine, I could no longer remain a part of it. At the same time, I was being barraged constantly by questions and arguments from both genuine seekers and atheists with their own agenda. These encounters left me an odd mix of excited, exhausted, questioning my own faith, and angry.
Thus the first two-thirds of The Future of God felt a bit slow to me, because I found my own personal issues and struggles being resurrected. It felt as though weights were attached to my feet, with more weight being added and the terrain growing muddier as I read. This was not necessarily a bad thing, however.
Because of the journey I had taken through the beginning of the book, I found myself thinking, "Yes." "YES." "YES!" as I read "Stage 3: Knowing." Reading Chopra's words, "You remember that you are the dreamer who is in charge of the dream," I recalled riding in the back seat of my parents' station wagon as a child, contemplating life and thinking to myself, "What if everything we know as 'life' is really just a dream? And what if death is simply waking up?" The fact that a man from a predominantly Hindu country, who grew up surrounded by the religious thinking and teaching of the world's main polytheistic religion should be proclaiming the truth of Oneness, God in all things, everywhere and nowhere at one and the same time strikes me as profound, authentic and true. I have long harbored the belief that God is much bigger and beyond what any one religious system can capture. Chopra's says that the universal truth of God is that God cannot be put (refuses to stay put!) in a box. To this, something within me shouts "YES!" Anything other would not be divine, would not be God."
If you have questions about life's meaning; if you ponder the deeper questions of faith, meaning, purpose; if you sense there may be more to your faith you should read The Future of God. I will recommend this book to those who struggle with questions posed to them by skeptics, atheists, science, and followers of blind faith. Chopra has some answers. He opens possibilities. He restores faith and in doing so, provides hope.
From the Publisher . . .
Can God be revived in a skeptical age? What would it take to give people a spiritual life more powerful than anything in the past? Deepak Chopra tackles these issues with eloquence and insight in this book. He proposes that God lies at the source of human awareness. Therefore, any person can find the God within that transforms everyday life.
God is in trouble. The rise of the militant atheist movement spearheaded by Richard Dawkins signifies, to many, that the deity is an outmoded myth in the modern world. Deepak Chopra passionately disagrees, seeing the present moment as the perfect time for making spirituality what it really should be: reliable knowledge about higher reality. Outlining a path to God that turns unbelief into the first step of awakening, Deepak shows us that a crisis of faith is like the fire we must pass through on the way to power, truth, and love.
“Faith must be saved for everyone’s sake,” he writes. “From faith springs a passion for the eternal, which is even stronger than love. Many of us have lost that passion or have never known it.” In any age, faith is a cry from the heart. God is the higher consciousness that responds to the cry. “By itself, faith can’t deliver God, but it does something more timely: It makes God possible.”
For three decades, Deepak Chopra has inspired millions with his profound writing and teaching. With The Future of God, he invites us on a journey of the spirit, providing a practical path to understanding God and our own place in the universe. Now, is a moment of reinvigoration, he argues. Now is moment of renewal. Now is the future.
About the Author . . .
DEEPAK CHOPRA is the author of more than fifty books translated into more than thirty-five languages—including numerous New York Times bestsellers in both the fiction and nonfiction categories. Dr. Chopra is a fellow of the American College of Physicians, a member of the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists, adjunct professor at the Kellogg School of Management, and a senior scientist with the Gallup Organization. He is founder and president of the Alliance for a New Humanity. Time magazine heralds Deepak Chopra as one of the top 100 heroes and icons of the century and credits him as “the poet–prophet of alternative medicine.”
March 4, 2025
Güzel bakış açıları var ama internet içeriği olmalıymış 280 sayfa kitap değil.
December 23, 2023
So apparently the "Practical Approach to Spirituality" is to strawman atheists and attack their beliefs or lack of. This book makes me so sad. I really loved my first introduction to Chopra and his use of spiritualism to improve your life. However, with his new tack of attacking aggressive atheists like a internet debate lord, he really seems diminished. He doesn't even do it well! With basic understandings of Chemistry, or Physics, or any other base of knowledge, I was continually cringing at his purposeful misunderstandings, painting all who disagreed with him as malevolent trolls. For example, he still uses the 747 in a thunderstorm analogy, completely oblivious to the idea of lesser building blocks such as proteins.
After the first third of the book is spent on this nonsense raving, he starts to get back to actual spirituality and how it can affect one's life positively. However, this is short lived as the draw of angrily attacking skeptics becomes too much for him.
There was a repeated pattern of him noting some remarkable pattern in the world, and then saying that there was no possible scientific explanation for it. This took me aback the first time, as I thought, "but there is?!" After repeated instances, I realized that there were a few possible explanations:
1. Chopra is genuinely unaware of these explanations, indicating a lack of curiosity.
2. Chopra does not understand the science, so chooses to not take them seriously.
3. Chopra is aware of the explanations, but chooses to ignore them because he wants to push his own spirituality dishonestly.
Another major criticism I have is how he disproves himself to the nature of God. He claims that man puts on their own hang ups and interpretations on what God wants, what God does, and how he wants us to act. In the very next sentence he calls God all loving! Does he sincerely not see how he is pushing his own wants onto the God he constructs?
I don't know if there are gems of wisdom in this book, as it became hard to listen to through his bitter nonsense. Deepak Chopra has lost sight of what is important and thus his new ravings are irrelevant and reactionary. Unfortunately, he is now just another on the pile of internet brain broken, having been unable to properly moor himself from narcissism and bad faith attacks.
Only 2/3 of the way did it start to really distance itself from anti-atheism. If only Chopra would take his own advice regarding ignoring negative influences that don't need to affect you! Even though it's good advice, it's hard to take it seriously from someone who clearly does not follow it!
This is not worth reading.
-edit. After re-reading my review of Hitchens "The God Delusion", or as I call it, "How to Be an Atheist Dick on the Internet", I think these 2 deserve each other. Reading either has become a waste of time, a WWE match that has gotten stale.
After the first third of the book is spent on this nonsense raving, he starts to get back to actual spirituality and how it can affect one's life positively. However, this is short lived as the draw of angrily attacking skeptics becomes too much for him.
There was a repeated pattern of him noting some remarkable pattern in the world, and then saying that there was no possible scientific explanation for it. This took me aback the first time, as I thought, "but there is?!" After repeated instances, I realized that there were a few possible explanations:
1. Chopra is genuinely unaware of these explanations, indicating a lack of curiosity.
2. Chopra does not understand the science, so chooses to not take them seriously.
3. Chopra is aware of the explanations, but chooses to ignore them because he wants to push his own spirituality dishonestly.
Another major criticism I have is how he disproves himself to the nature of God. He claims that man puts on their own hang ups and interpretations on what God wants, what God does, and how he wants us to act. In the very next sentence he calls God all loving! Does he sincerely not see how he is pushing his own wants onto the God he constructs?
I don't know if there are gems of wisdom in this book, as it became hard to listen to through his bitter nonsense. Deepak Chopra has lost sight of what is important and thus his new ravings are irrelevant and reactionary. Unfortunately, he is now just another on the pile of internet brain broken, having been unable to properly moor himself from narcissism and bad faith attacks.
Only 2/3 of the way did it start to really distance itself from anti-atheism. If only Chopra would take his own advice regarding ignoring negative influences that don't need to affect you! Even though it's good advice, it's hard to take it seriously from someone who clearly does not follow it!
This is not worth reading.
-edit. After re-reading my review of Hitchens "The God Delusion", or as I call it, "How to Be an Atheist Dick on the Internet", I think these 2 deserve each other. Reading either has become a waste of time, a WWE match that has gotten stale.
January 5, 2016
Nederlandse titel: De toekomst van God - een pleidooi voor hoop, kracht & liefde
Ik heb al veel boeken van Deepak Chopra gelezen, ook spirituele boeken. Ik was benieuwd of Deepak Chopra dezelfde mening is toegedaan als ik, nadat ik de boeken van Michael Newton gelezen had. Ik was dus zeer benieuwd naar dit boek.
De kerken lopen al tijden leeg. Ook is er uit naam van godsdienst veel leed veroorzaakt. Deepak Chopra springt met zijn pleidooi “De toekomst van God” in de bres voor God, omdat die veel toevoegt in de wereld: bewustzijn, hoop, kracht en liefde. Ook neemt Chopra stelling tegen atheïsten, zoals Richard Dawkins en consorten. Als mens kun je je volgens Chopra in drie staten bevinden, die van ongeloof, geloof en van kennis. Het boek is ingedeeld in die drie stadia. ‘De echte crisis gaat over het vinden van een God die ertoe doet en die kan worden vertrouwd’. Aan het eind van het boek geeft hij nog dertig ideeën: tien zwakke punten van het atheïsme, tien argumenten voor geloof en tien ideeën die God toekomst geven. Er is nog een bijlage met positieve reacties op het boek van diverse wetenschappers.
Deepak Chopra zegt: “Het geloof moet je leven beter maken om steekhoudend te zijn.” En “De wijsheidstradities, die we kennen, bieden ons een richtlijn op basis van duizenden jaren menselijke ervaring”. In veel opzichten is zoeken moeilijker dan geloven, zegt hij ook. Zoeken begint met twijfel. Zoekers zijn moedig genoeg om anders te zijn.
Waarom staat God het lijden in de wereld toe? Die vraag wordt veel gesteld en lees je ook vaak in boeken. Ikzelf heb mij die vraag ook veel gesteld. Na het lezen van de boeken van Michael Newton was ik er wel uit. Deepak Chopra is zelf ook vanuit het geloof naar ongeloof gegaan, net als ik. Later heeft hij zijn intuïtie meer geïntegreerd met zijn verstand en kwam op nog een derde stadium. Dat is dezelfde zoektocht als ik gemaakt heb.
Chopra heeft het over de onderzoeken van Dr. Ian Stevenson, die onderzoek in India heeft gedaan. Ik heb daar ook een boek over gelezen. Dat was in 2010: Mama, vroeger was ik... van Jim B. Tucker. Ik heb er toen ook een recensie over geschreven op Goodreads en sinds vandaag staat hij ook op Hebban: https://www.hebban.nl/recensies/ingri...
De Engelse titel is: Life Before Life: A Scientific Investigation of Children's Memories of Previous Lives door Jim B. Tucker en Ian Stevenson.
Ik vind het een heel goed boek, maar ik betwijfel of een ander het goed begrijpt als hij zelf die weg nog niet heeft afgelegd. Ik ben erg benieuwd of er nog meer mensen dit boek gaan lezen en er hier een recensie over zullen plaatsen.
Hier is nog een link met een inkijkje in het boek:
www.boekdb.nl/mediafile/54f5ba650cc33...
Ik heb al veel boeken van Deepak Chopra gelezen, ook spirituele boeken. Ik was benieuwd of Deepak Chopra dezelfde mening is toegedaan als ik, nadat ik de boeken van Michael Newton gelezen had. Ik was dus zeer benieuwd naar dit boek.
De kerken lopen al tijden leeg. Ook is er uit naam van godsdienst veel leed veroorzaakt. Deepak Chopra springt met zijn pleidooi “De toekomst van God” in de bres voor God, omdat die veel toevoegt in de wereld: bewustzijn, hoop, kracht en liefde. Ook neemt Chopra stelling tegen atheïsten, zoals Richard Dawkins en consorten. Als mens kun je je volgens Chopra in drie staten bevinden, die van ongeloof, geloof en van kennis. Het boek is ingedeeld in die drie stadia. ‘De echte crisis gaat over het vinden van een God die ertoe doet en die kan worden vertrouwd’. Aan het eind van het boek geeft hij nog dertig ideeën: tien zwakke punten van het atheïsme, tien argumenten voor geloof en tien ideeën die God toekomst geven. Er is nog een bijlage met positieve reacties op het boek van diverse wetenschappers.
Deepak Chopra zegt: “Het geloof moet je leven beter maken om steekhoudend te zijn.” En “De wijsheidstradities, die we kennen, bieden ons een richtlijn op basis van duizenden jaren menselijke ervaring”. In veel opzichten is zoeken moeilijker dan geloven, zegt hij ook. Zoeken begint met twijfel. Zoekers zijn moedig genoeg om anders te zijn.
Waarom staat God het lijden in de wereld toe? Die vraag wordt veel gesteld en lees je ook vaak in boeken. Ikzelf heb mij die vraag ook veel gesteld. Na het lezen van de boeken van Michael Newton was ik er wel uit. Deepak Chopra is zelf ook vanuit het geloof naar ongeloof gegaan, net als ik. Later heeft hij zijn intuïtie meer geïntegreerd met zijn verstand en kwam op nog een derde stadium. Dat is dezelfde zoektocht als ik gemaakt heb.
Chopra heeft het over de onderzoeken van Dr. Ian Stevenson, die onderzoek in India heeft gedaan. Ik heb daar ook een boek over gelezen. Dat was in 2010: Mama, vroeger was ik... van Jim B. Tucker. Ik heb er toen ook een recensie over geschreven op Goodreads en sinds vandaag staat hij ook op Hebban: https://www.hebban.nl/recensies/ingri...
De Engelse titel is: Life Before Life: A Scientific Investigation of Children's Memories of Previous Lives door Jim B. Tucker en Ian Stevenson.
Ik vind het een heel goed boek, maar ik betwijfel of een ander het goed begrijpt als hij zelf die weg nog niet heeft afgelegd. Ik ben erg benieuwd of er nog meer mensen dit boek gaan lezen en er hier een recensie over zullen plaatsen.
Hier is nog een link met een inkijkje in het boek:
www.boekdb.nl/mediafile/54f5ba650cc33...
April 17, 2016
Bisakah Tuhan dihidupkan kembali di zaman skeptis ini?
Apa yang harus dilakukan untuk memberikan seseorang kehidupan spiritual yang lebih kuat dari apa pun di masa lalunya?
Pertanyaan-pertanyaan tersebut telah dijawab Deepak Chopra dengan kefasihan dan wawasan dalam Buku The Future of God ini.
Ia menjawab bahwa Tuhan terletak pada sumber kesadaran manusia. Oleh karena itu, setiap orang dapat menemukan Tuhan dalam kehidupannya.
Selama tiga dasawarsa, Deepak Chopra telah menginspirasi jutaan orang dengan tulisan dan ajarannya yang mendalam.
Dengan The Future of God, ia mengajak pembaca untuk melakukan sebuah perjalanan roh, menyediakan jalur praktis untuk memahami Tuhan dan tempat kita sendiri di alam semesta.
Ia berpendapat, sekaranglah saatnya untuk memulai hidup baru. Hari ini adalah masa depan.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Toko Buku Online GarisBuku.com
sms/WhatsApp : 0813.1020.3084 | Line @GarisBuku
Follow Us :
facebook | twitter | Blog Wordpress | tumblr | instagram
Apa yang harus dilakukan untuk memberikan seseorang kehidupan spiritual yang lebih kuat dari apa pun di masa lalunya?
Pertanyaan-pertanyaan tersebut telah dijawab Deepak Chopra dengan kefasihan dan wawasan dalam Buku The Future of God ini.
Ia menjawab bahwa Tuhan terletak pada sumber kesadaran manusia. Oleh karena itu, setiap orang dapat menemukan Tuhan dalam kehidupannya.
Selama tiga dasawarsa, Deepak Chopra telah menginspirasi jutaan orang dengan tulisan dan ajarannya yang mendalam.
Dengan The Future of God, ia mengajak pembaca untuk melakukan sebuah perjalanan roh, menyediakan jalur praktis untuk memahami Tuhan dan tempat kita sendiri di alam semesta.
Ia berpendapat, sekaranglah saatnya untuk memulai hidup baru. Hari ini adalah masa depan.
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★ ★
Toko Buku Online GarisBuku.com
sms/WhatsApp : 0813.1020.3084 | Line @GarisBuku
Follow Us :
facebook | twitter | Blog Wordpress | tumblr | instagram
February 10, 2015
I have a suspicion that this book is better as a read. Meandering at times, it can be difficult to follow in the audio form.
Basically, Chopra goes into great depth about the interest question of whether or not God exists and whether or not we should believe without proof. He also discusses how much we should trust in God for all things or whether we should believe, but rely on ourselves. He goes up against famous atheists like Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchins, all the while doing the delicate balancing act of not talking about a specific "God."
It is really interesting to read the reviews of this book. Of course, the people who don't believe in God at all gave this one star. Then there were a few who very honestly stated that they didn't like the book because it was written by the Oprah-endorsed-"name"-clothes-wearing-mainstream Chopra. I didn't realize he was that mainstream but this was certainly fun to find out as I read other reviews. Then there are the reviews that don't state upfront that they don't like Chopra, but you can totally tell that this is why they are dissing the book.
Basically, Chopra goes into great depth about the interest question of whether or not God exists and whether or not we should believe without proof. He also discusses how much we should trust in God for all things or whether we should believe, but rely on ourselves. He goes up against famous atheists like Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchins, all the while doing the delicate balancing act of not talking about a specific "God."
It is really interesting to read the reviews of this book. Of course, the people who don't believe in God at all gave this one star. Then there were a few who very honestly stated that they didn't like the book because it was written by the Oprah-endorsed-"name"-clothes-wearing-mainstream Chopra. I didn't realize he was that mainstream but this was certainly fun to find out as I read other reviews. Then there are the reviews that don't state upfront that they don't like Chopra, but you can totally tell that this is why they are dissing the book.
April 7, 2015
My Review of The Future of God by Deepak Chopra
First I must admit that I was going through a sort of spiritual crisis when I came upon this book
On blogging for books so I had hopes for this book. But at first this book started really slow for me.
The author started out like he was in a fight with Richard Dawkins over God vs atheism. Once you get past the first part the author goes in to stage 2 Faith. This is where the book starts to get better for me. The author still talks about militant atheism but comes back with real science behind faith and shows the reader what to do with faith. But that one gripe I have with this book the author never really gets in to detail with this book on how to get to GOD. He goes on in stage 3 Knowledge to explaine to the reader how to practice your spirituality and to show you how to find God!
I like this book and I like what the Deepak was trying to get a cross. But I just didn't get that spiritual experince I was looking for I don't think he went far enough to explaine things. But he does give you a place to start.
I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.
More Info
Author Bio
First I must admit that I was going through a sort of spiritual crisis when I came upon this book
On blogging for books so I had hopes for this book. But at first this book started really slow for me.
The author started out like he was in a fight with Richard Dawkins over God vs atheism. Once you get past the first part the author goes in to stage 2 Faith. This is where the book starts to get better for me. The author still talks about militant atheism but comes back with real science behind faith and shows the reader what to do with faith. But that one gripe I have with this book the author never really gets in to detail with this book on how to get to GOD. He goes on in stage 3 Knowledge to explaine to the reader how to practice your spirituality and to show you how to find God!
I like this book and I like what the Deepak was trying to get a cross. But I just didn't get that spiritual experince I was looking for I don't think he went far enough to explaine things. But he does give you a place to start.
I received this book from Blogging for Books for this review.
More Info
Author Bio
January 26, 2020
I picked up this book at the right timing. I am personally going through a few major life events and after several months of solitude, decided to understand spirituality. This book didn't do that, I'm afraid. It also didn't put any compelling case of why the author had to start and end the book with the bashing of Richard Dawkins with unconvincing pleads. But beyond that, there are sections of this book where Deepak Chopra shines so bright, even your cat will be awakened! Loved the analogy of the 'Zero Point', bad faith vs good faith and a sprinkling of analogisms throughout the book. Some passages were so compelling that I burst out in happy tears and an epiphany of an inner-self, a way to connect to the experience of God that complies with my nature, it never did before, neither did atheism. At a personal level, this book balances my homeostasis and I never felt this connection with my own spirituality even with all the question marks I still carry. At least it's a brave new world out there and although his book is not the only source of my reckoning, it is definitely a good read for all those doubtful wanderers and seekers looking for some perspectives with an open mind.
July 27, 2015
I have to admire Dr. Chopra's ambition. He has written a book about a phenomenon which he describes as being indescribable in words. That doesn't stop him from trying. His defense of the spiritual world against the assaults of militant atheists, such as professors Dawkins and Dennett, will win him friends among the adherents of traditional religion, however Dr. Chopra is no admirer of organized religion either, dismissing the "Sunday school God" as a creation rather than Creator. Unlike the militant atheists whose primary purpose seems to be pointing out to believers how misguided they are, Dr. Chopra wants to assist his readers in finding the connection to the divine that he himself enjoys. However, explanations that revolve around terms such as Pure Being and universal consciousness leave my hopelessly Western psyche grasping for something concrete to hold on to. They leave me responding like Penny to Sheldon's expounding on quantum physics, "Sweetie, I know you're trying to help, but you're really not".
June 5, 2015
I read another review that called this somewhat scattered and probably dictated. I would agree with that. It did not seem very focused and didn't really do a good job of countering Dawkins, et al. But in a few places Deepak waxed philosophical and I generally like his philosophical/metaphysical bent so it was OK. I would have liked a more intellectual counter argument to Dawkins but I am still formulating my own. This did not give me any fodder really except for a couple of places where Deepak agreed with me that, as opposed to Dawkins viewpoint, it is possible for a more "complex system" (aka God) to create a "simple system." Dawkins argues that, like with evolution, everything has to start out with the most simple and grow in complexity - that a complex system can't pre-date a simple one.
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