Buddha: A Story of Enlightenment by Deepak Chopra

[landyaBhai]

I dont know how much of us would be interested in reading a book on the life of Buddha as seen from the eyes of some famous Indian author on topics related to spirituality.

Personally, I havent read anything except this book by Deepak Chopra.

Anyways, back to the topic:

------------

As the title suggests, the book is about Siddartha Gautama, a prince living a life of luxury. Father Suddodhana trying his best to avoid the scenarios that the priests had predicted during Siddartha's birth. Mother gets mystical dreams about her son. Father tries everything in his power bringing all the luxuries at the feet of Siddartha to avoid having Him think about the richness of the otherworld, the innerworld! ...

The description of enlightenment was a hair-raising experience for me ... For a moment, you feel that what one feels through the five outward senses is unreal ... and then one feels one with everything else ... it was a very mystical experience reading this book as it neared toward the very end ...

Surprisingly, Buddha lives for 40 more years after His enhligtenment and historically the reasons for His bodily death is a case of indigestion through eating bad pork ...

It's a good read!

Rating: 4.5/5 (-0.5 because some of it has been fictionised and watered down for the westerners I guess)

[AmthaLal]

Originally Posted by landyaBhai

I dont know how much of us would be interested in reading a book on the life of Buddha as seen from the eyes of some famous Indian author on topics related to spirituality.

Personally, I havent read anything except this book by Deepak Chopra.

Anyways, back to the topic:

It's a good read!

Rating: 4.5/5 (-0.5 because some of it has been fictionised and watered down for the westerners I guess)

Few things first.

Almost all of us studied about Gautam Buddha in school in history.
Also read in Amar Chitra Kathaa.

This guy Deepak Chopra is a smart man. He developed his books on Indian culture/spirituality and sold them to westerners who had lack of peace of mind in their fast and hactic life. Smart business. No wonder he became filthy rich. A lesson to learn from him: Find a right topic and opportunity and make money out of it and make your life peacefully rich.


Sorry...to me everything sounds business. Do I make money out of reading these books? NO. I make money spending that time at work saving labour and payroll. I am not workaholic but I like to keep myself busy making money.

[landyaBhai]

If you get a chance to read it, try it ... try reading the last two chapters ... the use of words to describe what one felt at the peak of their meditation is just hair-raising ... It's mystical ... although it doesnt last for more than 5 mins ... but it is worth it, considering one get's that for free just by reading some pages ...

[dhurandhar]

Originally Posted by landyaBhai

If you get a chance to read it, try it ... try reading the last two chapters ... the use of words to describe what one felt at the peak of their meditation is just hair-raising ... It's mystical ... although it doesnt last for more than 5 mins ... but it is worth it, considering one get's that for free just by reading some pages ...

landya....your gullibility is praiseworthy

[landyaBhai]

Originally Posted by dhurandhar

landya....your gullibility is praiseworthy

Yeah, my father considers me to be the most gullible ... but then in matters of otherworldly, rationalization seems to be the weakest link ... so I end up reading a lot of stuff ...

[tantric_yogi]

[quote=landyaBhai]I dont know how much /QUOTE]

You meant how many ... one Amthalalaji "the businessman" is enough ... please.

I do agree with Amthalalaji 100%. All that Dipak has done is accumulate all the knowledge freely available in our teachings, mixed it all in to a mishmash and rehashed with teachings of Bodha and zenism ... to fit western concept of peace and tranquility. Admire him for that ... in the process he has become filthy rich is ok.

I lost all respect for Chopra the day I saw him Oprah show. I was informed by a friend of the time and the day. And I made an effort to sit in front of the television set ... something I hate. He was alright ... I thought ... except at one point and to convince Oprah and the audience ... he brings out a pendulum sort of like used by mystics for the purpose of dowsingh and I said to myself ... shit. Of course ... Oprah was stunned and audience were aghast. Good except I thought it was a Hutatma Chowk variety of street trick ... unneccesarly performed to convince metaphysics of Yogi principles for the benefit of Oprahs' audience. I thought like calling him (as if he will accept a call from some chewtiya idiot sitting in Jummritalaiya UP..) to let him know that he did not need to sesort to such foothpath gimmicks to convey to audience efficacy of meditation and Yoga. There are many more effective ways.

Now ... Landyabhai ... to your book. If I had to offer to my children a book to start to understand way of Yogis and Yoga ... certainly ... I'll offer to them books authored by Chopra.

You ... on the other hand are a learned man ... you were already half way on the road to enlightenment ... but you got strayed ... got married ... too bad. Kidding.

Landyabhai ... I recommend a book ... no easy read ... but for a person of your stature ... The Path of the Human Being ... written by Dennis Marzel. Well written ... say for 1st year college students compared to 5th graders written by Chopra.

Please dont not be now going misunderstanding intention of me ... I great respect Dipak Chopra ... he man of goodness. I admire him.

[landyaBhai]

[quote=tantric_yogi]

Originally Posted by landyaBhai

I dont know how much /QUOTE]

You meant how many ... one Amthalalaji "the businessman" is enough ... please.

I do agree with Amthalalaji 100%. All that Dipak has done is accumulate all the knowledge freely available in our teachings, mixed it all in to a mishmash and rehashed with teachings of Bodha and zenism ... to fit western concept of peace and tranquility. Admire him for that ... in the process he has become filthy rich is ok.

I lost all respect for Chopra the day I saw him Oprah show. I was informed by a friend of the time and the day. And I made an effort to sit in front of the television set ... something I hate. He was alright ... I thought ... except at one point and to convince Oprah and the audience ... he brings out a pendulum sort of like used by mystics for the purpose of dowsingh and I said to myself ... shit. Of course ... Oprah was stunned and audience were aghast. Good except I thought it was a Hutatma Chowk variety of street trick ... unneccesarly performed to convince metaphysics of Yogi principles for the benefit of Oprahs' audience. I thought like calling him (as if he will accept a call from some chewtiya idiot sitting in Jummritalaiya UP..) to let him know that he did not need to sesort to such foothpath gimmicks to convey to audience efficacy of meditation and Yoga. There are many more effective ways.

Now ... Landyabhai ... to your book. If I had to offer to my children a book to start to understand way of Yogis and Yoga ... certainly ... I'll offer to them books authored by Chopra.

You ... on the other hand are a learned man ... you were already half way on the road to enlightenment ... but you got strayed ... got married ... too bad. Kidding.

Landyabhai ... I recommend a book ... no easy read ... but for a person of your stature ... The Path of the Human Being ... written by Dennis Marzel. Well written ... say for 1st year college students compared to 5th graders written by Chopra.

Please dont not be now going misunderstanding intention of me ... I great respect Dipak Chopra ... he man of goodness. I admire him.

respect and disrespect, understand and mis-understanding are all amenable to change with the mind under different circumstances and situations ... I myself get amazed at my level of perceptivness ... It's liek a stock market, except that I am buying and selling both and imagining to gain and loose at different times ...

You have found one such circumstance ... I see nothing except that he gave his understanding in front of an audience who may be able to just understand only the trick and nothing beyond Yoga, Zenism, or buddhism ...

[landyaBhai]

[quote=landyaBhai]

Originally Posted by tantric_yogi

respect and disrespect, understand and mis-understanding are all amenable to change with the mind under different circumstances and situations ... I myself get amazed at my level of perceptivness ... It's liek a stock market, except that I am buying and selling both and imagining to gain and loose at different times ...

You have found one such circumstance ... I see nothing except that he gave his understanding in front of an audience who may be able to just understand only the trick and nothing beyond Yoga, Zenism, or buddhism ...

tantuji, dont you think that some of us are doing a HarHar when it comes to rejecting someone based on just one experience ...

[dollyg]

boy this is enlightening....i did not know Gautam Buddha changed worlds due to indigestion caused by bad pork i used to think he took samadhi

[landyaBhai]

Originally Posted by dollyg

boy this is enlightening....i did not know Gautam Buddha changed worlds due to indigestion caused by bad pork i used to think he took samadhi

one aspect of samadhi "samyak-drishti" ... i.e. "equanimity/acceptance with everything" ...

frailty of the body is not the end result ...

[landyaBhai]

Originally Posted by dollyg

boy this is enlightening....i did not know Gautam Buddha changed worlds due to indigestion caused by bad pork i used to think he took samadhi

Lord Krishna died bodily due to an arrow in the leg by some hunter ...

Similarly, RamKrishna Paramhansa died due to throat cancer ...

[dollyg]

Originally Posted by landyaBhai

Lord Krishna died bodily due to an arrow in the leg by some hunter ...

Similarly, RamKrishna Paramhansa died due to throat cancer ...

Lord Krishna - i know
Shri Ramakrishna - didnt know abt his affliction
Now, in the other thread of quotes u mentioned that health and disease are all controlled by the mind or something to that effect.

in that context , i m surprised that a person of Sri Ramakrishna's spiritual stature brought throat cancer upon himself.

[dollyg]

"Every human being is an author of his own health or disease"
this is the one i am referring

[landyaBhai]

Originally Posted by dollyg

"Every human being is an author of his own health or disease"
this is the one i am referring

interesting ...

[smellyfinger]

What???

And I thought Buddha was a Chinese guy. With a fat belly. Sometimes sitting - sometimes dancing with his hands up in the air and a big smile on his face.