Achievers
Books
Business
Calender
Community
Controversy
Cuisine
Eateries
Education
Enterprise
Faith
Good Samaritans
Health
Infotech
Media
Memories
Movies
News Archives
Opinion
Specials
The Arts

Indian community 'discovers' Deepak Chopra

R S Shankar

There is no surprise in Deepak Chopra being interviewed by NBC or ABC Radio Network about his new bestseller, 'How to Know God: The Soul's Journey into the Mystery of Mysteries'.

It is no surprise at all that Chopra, one of the most successful authors in America, is reading from his book at more than 25 bookshops, community organisations and the Harvard Divinity School this month.

But what is surprising is that for the first time in his two-decade-long association with the new-age movement, the holistic guru is addressing half-a-dozen Indian American associations -- and that too in a span of four to six weeks.

Two weeks ago, he got a standing ovation from more than 700 people who heard him at the monthly Conference of TiE, the Silicon Valley hi-tech organisation. He has held benefit reading for such groups as Narika.

"For many years, many Indian Americans shunned him, thinking he has become a white man's favourite guru," says an Indian community organiser. "They were afraid that like many other Indian gurus he could become infamous too."

But despite Chopra's much publicised legal battle with The Weekly Standard magazine, which ran a story that showed him in bad light, the physician turned holistic guru has stood his ground -- and grudgingly Indian Americans have come to admire him.

"To me he is as great a thinker as Swami Vivekananda," says Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan director for North America Dr Jayaraman.

About two years ago, Jayaraman invited Dr Chopra to address one of the Bhavan's benefit events. The response of the audience, who paid about $75 to listen to Chopra, was ecstatic.

Slowly other Indian organisations, including medical associations and trade bodies, began to "discover" Chopra.

"Another reason why he is becoming popular with Indian Americans is that they see many of their younger friends and their own grown children talk about him," says the community organisation.

"Today every Indian community organisation wants to invite him."

The book has found high praise from many eminent people.

The Dalai Lama says, "I congratulate Dr Deepak Chopra for this wonderful book, reaching out to many, many readers, on a subject of spirituality but with a scientific approach. And I absolutely agree with Dr Chopra's view that 'if we want to change the world, we have to begin by changing ourselves'. This is the same message that I have always been conveying."

Meanwhile, Chopra would like to offer us a challenge or two.

He would like to know if you or someone you know has ever had what are called "anomalous" experiences. These include sudden flashes of profound inspiration, insight, former lifetimes, telepathy, ESP, alter ego, synchronicity, clairvoyance, prophecy, spontaneous healing, or miracles.

If you have, Dr Chopra would like to invite you to write an essay in 750 words or less and submit it to godmessage@chopra.com. Dr Chopra and his team will personally review these essays, select 30 to 40 of them, and then make editorial comments from a scientific point of view. These essays will be published in a book entitled 'Messages from God', which could be the beginning of a series.

Previous: Indian programmers form association to fight for rights

Next: Hey! Ram dies out, but The Cup gets fuller

Tell us what you think of this report