IT is the best thing that has happened to humanity: Deepak Chopra
26th Mar 2001
18.25 IST
By Rina Tripathi
Dr Deepak Chopra needs no introduction. Born in 1947, Deepak wanted to be a journalist but changed his mind and took admission in AIIMS. After graduating from AIIMS he migrated to the USA with his wife.
He stumbled upon a book on Transcendental meditation and took advanced TM-Siddhi program. He met Maharshi Mahesh Yogi in 1985 who suggested that he should study Ayurveda. He followed the advice and today he is a leading exponent of holistic health. His twenty-five books have brought him much acclaim. His teaching blends physics and philosophy. His views on our ancient Indian civilizations are heartening. Here are a few of his beliefs:-
· “Aryabhatta was the first to suggest in the 5th century AD that the earth moves around the sun, not the other way round. The world calls it the Copernican revolution, it should be called the Aryabhattan revolution”.
· “India gave to the world Sanskrit. Recently, Forbes magazine wrote that as we move from information tech to technology of artificial intelligence, Sanskrit will be the language of the computer industry.”
· “India is the only country that in 10,000 years hasn’t invaded another country”.
Q-What is your message for Indians?
A-They should study the scriptures. Make them practical. It’s all there, it’s all here.
Q-What is your approach towards human desires?
A-If you fulfill your desire, you become free of desire. If you suppress your desire, what happens? It becomes stronger. You can not get rid of desire by suppressing it, you can only get rid of desire by either fulfilling it or transcending it or transforming it.
Q-What are your views about IT revolution? How will it affect spirituality?
A-It is the most important thing that has happened. IT will do more for spirituality than religion will do. It is the best thing that has happened to humanity, to change the state of the world-spiritually.
Q-What is the central theme of your book “How can one know God”?
A-It is that there are progressive stages of God – realization, which has biological correlates. Ultimately there is the ‘sacred response’, which is God-realization or Self-Actualization, and what I have done is to explain it in the light of Vedanta.
Q-Why is the transition from the East to the West?
A-It is important to show people that spirituality is a domain of awareness that is universal. It is not the prerogative of one culture. India is not necessarily better off. We have done a great PR job in convincing others of the spirituality in the country. It is more accurate to say thet we had more spirituality. At this point the average Indian is obsessed with material success.
Q-What do you think lies ahead for the Human race?
A-I think we are on the threshold of a major transition. The important thing that is happening in the world today that will influence the course of history is global telecommunication. Anything that happens anywhere, instantaneously becomes a worldwide phenomenon.
Dr Deepak Chopra needs no introduction. Born in 1947, Deepak wanted to be a journalist but changed his mind and took admission in AIIMS. After graduating from AIIMS he migrated to the USA with his wife.