Book Review: The Third Jesus by Deepak Chopra, M.D.

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Saturday, June 21, 2008

Book Review: " The Third Jesus " by Deepak Chopra, M.D.

 

Without any doubt, this is an important read for anyone on the

spiritual path---beginner to more seasoned seeker! It also is a must

read for those on the path looking for answers about the " ways " of

the path, as circuitously as it unfolds in our lives.

 

I don't know why it took me so long to get around to reading Chopra's

Third Jesus. Let's just say that I thought it would be just

another " book " that Chopra wrote to keep him busy in his spare time.

Far from it! And... I should have known better!

 

After reading the Third Jesus, I am now convinced beyond doubt about

the true integrity of people like Chopra and Wayne Dyer. Not that I

ever doubted them, but come on, how many " books " do you have in you!?

Chopra has written 50, and Dyer has 30 books.

 

Now that I'm finished " Third Jesus, " but still using it as

a " companion " on most days and am also making my way slowly, day by

day, through Dyer's " Change Your Thoughts, Change Your Life: Living

the Wisdom of the Tao, " I easily can say that Chopra and Dyer have

many more books left in them. I'm glad! Chopra's " Third Jesus " is a

gift!

 

Chopra undertakes a very careful study of Jesus' words and actions

and translates them for us in the Third Jesus. What I especially like

about this book is that Chopra does not assume all his readers are at

the same level of spiritual development. More importantly, he does

acknowledge a path or spiritual " unfolding " process, and that some

uncover more about their essence before others. As a matter of fact,

Chopra takes pains in continuously stating, " depending on your

spiritual awareness or where you are on the spiritual path! "

 

God Consciousness, Chopra knows, is not something people come to

easily. Throughout this book, he takes a very compassionate approach

to those who are not even aware of God " consciousness, " yet he

appeals to those who are seasoned on their journey.

 

The last chapter of Third Jesus, " Where the Soul Never Dies, " will be

especially appealing to the more seasoned seekers and those who have

awakened to more and more of their divine essence. In this chapter

Chopra talks about how movement and God Consciousness can be

measured. This is a huge offering!

 

Acknowledging that God Consciousness is next to impossible to

quantify, Chopra tries to slay this dragon by offering a simulated

situation where people would push a red button to indicate when they

were in God Consciousness awareness: those having little or no

awareness would have little contact with the red button; those who

have a deeper awareness and know when they are in the Presence would

have more frequent connections...until those who are in " Total

Presence Consciousness " would keep their hands continuously on the

red button.

 

" At a certain point, wholeness prevails. There is no more going in

and out of God, coming to God and moving away. The experience of God

turns into a constant for one reason alone: " I " and " God " become one

and the same. "

 

But let's step back to the beginning of the book.

 

Here, Chopra explains that there are three concepts of Jesus: the

historical Jesus, who is the rabbi; the second Jesus, who was built

up by the theologians and who shifts " with the tide of human

affairs, " and the third Jesus: the one who taught his followers how

to " reach God-consciousness. "

 

This Third Jesus is the one Chopra likes most, and with this third

persona, he believes that Jesus was truly, " as he proclaimed, a

savior. Not the savior, not the one and only Son of God. Rather,

Jesus embodied the highest form of enlightenment. "

 

Chopra proclaims about this Third Jesus, " Jesus intended to save the

world by showing others the path to God consciousness! "

 

He evens states that the New Testament interpretation of Jesus by

orthodox Christianity is a misinterpretation of Jesus by followers

who wrote this section decades after he walked the earth. The idea of

the " Second Coming, " he states, " has been especially destructive to

Jesus' intentions, because it postpones what needs to happen now. The

Third Coming---finding God consciousness through your own efforts---

happens in the present. "

 

And he sets out to demonstrate it.

 

In the first section, Chopra lays out Jesus, the rabbi, pointing out

early on that " God-consciousness " does not solely belong to

Christians through Jesus' message. " Consciousness is universal, and

if there is such a thing as God consciousness, no one can be excluded

from it. "

 

Stating that Jesus said, " You are the light of the world, " Chopra

then lays out the teachings of Jesus in nine areas: meditation,

contemplation, revelation, prayer, grace, love, faith, salvation, and

unity.

 

In meditation, Chopra explains that Jesus' constant reference to the

light meant that " light exists inside everyone. When we go inside to

find out who we are, we encounter the light and God at the same

time. " For each section, Chopra continues to explain how the " light "

that you are connects to God and all living creatures.

 

He continues to explain each, even as he offers ways in which we can

enhance each of the nine areas in our own lives, explaining it from

what he saw as Jesus' perspective.

 

As the rabbi, Jesus' intention was to lead everyone to their

own " heaven. " Chopra delineates three ways: the path of devotion,

based on prayer, constant worship and love of Christ; the path of

service, based on charity, altruism and humility; and the path of

contemplation, the way of the monastic, reclusive and impoverished.

 

In Part Two, The Gospel of Enlightenment, Chopra, who as a youngster

in India, attended Catholic school, shows his absorption of the

Scriptures. Under 10 subject headings, Chopra literally takes many

well-known pieces of scripture under the microscope.

 

But before beginning the examinations, Chopra explained that " Jesus'

vision was so breathtaking that it inspired new religion, but without

the lens of higher consciousness, these teachings seem to be mere

fantasy, a distant hope that will be fulfilled, if ever, only in

heaven.

 

" Christians want to feel that their religion is unique, which is

certainly achieved by claiming the one and only son of God. But by

the same token, they risk being left out of the great human project,

which began centuries before Christ and continues to this day. This

is the project of transcending the physical world to reach the realm

of the soul. "

 

He then launched into the 10 sections:Love and Grace, Faith,

Revelation and Redemption, Jesus and the Self, Meditation,

Contemplation, Prayer, Karma---reaping and sowing, The World as

Illusion and Unity.

 

Each section has extensive biblical references and their

interpretations, based on Chopra's view of this second Jesus...but

through " spiritual and universal eyes, " not merely through the eyes

of Theology. Being ever respectful to the three Jesus paths, Chopra

also in this section, offers readers a way to utilize each of the

nine ways, outlined in Section One, they can uncover Jesus' lessons

for themselves. Once you get past this section, you'll have a full

and thorough understanding of many key biblical passages and Jesus'

intended message.

 

Part Three, Taking Jesus as Your Teacher, is the place for serious

seekers on the path and the one you'll want to use as a DAILY

companion on your journey. Here, Chopra offers 15 steps to God

Consciousness with Lessons and Exercises, using Jesus' teachings:

 

1.The kingdom of heaven is within you.

2. Be in the world but not of it.

3. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.

4. Ask and you will receive

5. Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass

against us.

6. Be still and know that I am God.

7. As you sow, so shall you reap.

8. Resist not evil.

9. In my father's house are many mansions.

10. You must be born from above.

11. You are the light of the world.

12. So do not worry about tomorrow.

13. Abide in me, as I abide in you.

14. For where two or three are gathered in my name, I am among them.

15. What does it profit a man to gain the whole world and lose his

soul.

 

The last two chapters are pure rewards for the spiritual seeker, as

here Chopra validates your process in " How The Path Opens, " enabling

you to know with confidence that you have not been hallucinating

about any of your internal experiences or the guidance you've

received.

 

" Where the Soul Never Dies " helps seekers fully understand Jesus'

message of Unity (impersonal, powerful, deathless, all knowing,

creative and loving) and how " the Father and I are One " manifests in

our lives.

 

At the end of Third Jesus, you want to find Chopra and give him a

huge HUG! You want to say, " thank you so much for clarifying every

step. Thank you for finally sharing the truth with us about Jesus,

his messages, his intentions and love for us. "

 

Thank you, Deepak Chopra!

 

Namaste',

 

Che'

 

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