I caught Bill Maher on Friday night. I heard his rant about “The Secret” and his opinion that it was just wishful thinking and blaming the victim’s of life. He was joined in his tirade by Rosanne Barr and Deepak Chopra. Now, Barr I can understand – but Deepak? I would have thought he would have exhibited a bit more of a positive attitude about “The Secret”.
I think that the biggest problem I have with the Secret-basher’s is this: They dismiss the entire concept of the Law of Attraction because of all the “Poor Victims” in the world. The existence of victims, to the bashers, is all the evidence they require that the Law of Attraction is nonsense.
Here is the thing, There are no victims!!! It is this entire concept of “Victimization” which has throughout time, created the ugliness we see in the world.
Every time some comedian/celebrity slash wannabe-spiritualist decides to impart their “Wisdom” in this arena, it just blows my mind how Ego driven their entire philosophies are. See the thing is, if there aren’t any victims, Maher is out of work – nothing to complain about, nobody to blame, and really, that is what he gets paid to do. Maher and the entire media, get paid to focus on the “Wrong” or “Bad” things, to draw all of our attention to it, to complain endlessly, and to find someone to blame – so we can focus our anger, frustrations, and hate towards these “Wrong” and “Bad” people.
Telling people about the Law of Attraction isn’t teaching them wishful thinking. The power to transform the world, the power to truly change everything begins within each of us. The Mind is the source of transformation. The first step in overcoming is always to change the way you think about the problem.
Here is one of societies favorite quotes:
“Give a man a fish; you have fed him for today. Teach a man to fish; and you have fed him for a lifetime.”
Author Unknown
This is what the entire process of revealing the Secret is, it is to teach people how to see differently. To teach someone that they are NOT a victim – to teach them that they alone get to choose the life they will experience, that is powerful stuff. Much more powerful than handing them a couple twenties and turning away!
When people stop believing that other people have the power to control their destiny, and that they alone can create the life they desire – WOW, then the world will transform.
4 comments
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March 11, 2007 at 8:15 am
babyboomerqueen
…I prefer to think that you can change!
Smiles and world peace.
Sharon
http://www.BabyBoomerAdvisorClub.com
March 15, 2007 at 8:59 pm
Don Gallent
It is interesting to me that Deepak Chopra would procclaim “the Secret” to be a lot of hot air and positive thinking when it is not. I first learned about the law of Attraction on one of Deepak’s tapes. He called it “pure potentiality”.
After watching Chopra on Bill Maher’s show, he has turned himself into a celebrity and self procalimed “profit” (no kidding). He lost all credibility with me and came across a jealous of “the Secret” which he apparently has not read or seen the DVD. The DVD sums up everything Deepak tried to say in his 20 something books and thousands of lectures. It just says it better and quicker so non-Hindus can undertand.
Deepak Chopra is now just another self righteous hollywood type who loves to brag about the celebrities he knows and his wealth and power. He belongs on CBN or one of the religious preachers channels.
He should also fire the prick who told him those “batman” glasses with diamonds looks nice. He looked like something out of “Pulp Fiction”.
And one final thing…what is Chopra doing on a political satire show with Bill Maher and Rosanne Barr…anyway????
Roseanne told Deepak that $3 and everything Deepak knows will buy you a gallon of gas………I finally agree with Roseanne on something.
March 15, 2007 at 10:22 pm
vlink
Yes, I was also very surprised by Deepak’s attitude towards The Secret, it was not what I would have expected from him.
I can understand that type of cynical attitude from Maher and Barr, but for someone who is a “Spiritualist” and teacher, I had hoped he would be more positive.
Thanks for commenting.
April 11, 2007 at 3:41 pm
LLMT
I just recently watched the Real Time episode with Deepak. I’ve read his books as well as The Secret. I’ve studied Eastern philosophy for several years, so here is my take on the above discussion.
First, the easy stuff:
D.G. said above “what is Chopra doing on a political satire show with Bill Maher and Rosanne Barr…anyway????”
Inferring what? That spiritual people can’t be political? Ghandi, ML King and a whole slew of others would be surprised to know that. Or, implying that spiritual people can’t enjoy humor and satire? Because…what, enlightenment means not being able to have joy and laughter?
Speaking of humor, that’s exactly what the “profit” comment was. Humor. Deepak had a lot of English influence growing up and the Brits do love their puns. But there is a deeper level to this comment, I think. Just like the remarks about being surprised that a spiritual person can have political or humorous views, many folks seem to think that a spiritual person can’t be wealthy, which is also nonsense. If you believe the earth & universe is infinitely abundant, and you are not ATTACHED to wealth accumulation, then…no problem. A spiritual person can be rich or poor. Rich is easier and more comfortable. Poor doesn’t mean “spiritual” either! Buddha tried the path of extreme poverty for 6 years before deciding that wasn’t the way to enlightenment. The often misquoted “The LOVE of money is the root of all evil” comes at it from the other end. (People often leave off the “love of” part of that quote, which changes the meaning entirely.)
Deepak’s message isn’t “Hindu.” It is Eastern philosophy. Hinduism is a religion, based on the philosophy and like all religions then messes it up. Deepak himself said on Maher’s program that Hindus are one of the most violent group of people on the earth. Religion doesn’t mean “spiritual” or “philosophy.” They aren’t mutually exclusive, either, but usually are.
Deepak’s views are not original. They are repackaged ancient thought that goes back 5000 years or more to the Vedas and over 2000 years to Budda and Lao Tzu and Greek philosophers and more recently Christian mystics. Deepak’s genious is presenting these often confusing ideas to a modern Western public that has been indoctrinated into a severe good/bad, black/white kind of dichotomy for eons.
Deepak speaks more on The Secret on his website at the link http://chopra.com/124294.html (you have to scroll down a bit to find it.) The Secret is also just a distillation of the same kind of thoughts. My problem with it, and as I understand Deepak, his problem with it, is that it distills things down TOO far. It can easily be misconstrued as a “just think happy thoughts and you too can have that new BMW.” Although the authors do state occasionally this isn’t the case, they spend a lot of time talking like it is the case. If you watch the DVD of The Secret it is just goofy/sickening to watch the whole DaVinci Code production about the big conspiracy theory of keeping The Secret secret. Nonsense. Deepak has been slammed for making a profit (which I don’t have a problem with in general), The Secret just seems sooooo into the whole consumer-manic American dream, the links to “buy more Secret teachings” etc. just left a bad taste in my mouth.
HOWEVER, there are similarities between Chopra’s works and The Secret and if you read him at the link given above, he states he agrees with much of what is said. It was difficult to hear over the cross-chatter on Maher’s show but Deepak also stated his concern with the “over simplification” (my phrase) presented in The Secret. Again he discusses this on the linked article.
Frankly, as you may have gathered, I prefer Chopra to The Secret. I thought his choice in eyewear a bit questionable
But even though I don’t count myself a fan of The Secret I think it serves a valuable purpose. If that is the message and presentation that gets one person to think outside of the normal American/Western box–then YIPPEE! Hpefully once that mind has opened it will seek guidance in other related works, ones with more depth.
Being spiritual doesn’t mean checking your brain at the door. Disagreeing with some of a book doesn’t make one jealous or cynical or negative. It means one is discerning. In the end, Deepak has his opinion. I have mine. Everyone has their own. You learn not to be attached and too precious with them.