Deepak Chopra: "Arrogant unilateralism will create further resentment"

The current U.S.-Iraq crisis is an opportunity to look at the real issues of our time, Deepak Chopra says in this dialogue with Tierramérica. He warns that war is not compatible with sustainable development and suggests that the world needs to find more creative solutions to its problems.

Deepak Chopra is among the most famous practitioners of alternative medicine in the United States, where this niche market is worth 25 billion dollars. Arriving at his luxurious "spa" in Carlsbad, in the western state of California are business executives and movie stars anxious to find spiritual and physical equilibrium.

An endocrinologist by training, with studies in the United States and India, Chopra is a celebrity. Many of his followers consider him a spiritual leader and read his many books with fervor. Translated into 25 languages, his writings sell millions. "Grow Younger, Live Longer" is his latest title.

Chopra is also a pacifist. He is a founder of the Global Strategic Alliance for a New Humanity (GSA), which promotes action against armamentism and war.

In an exclusive dialogue with Tierramérica, Chopra, from his home in California, criticizes "the arrogant unilateralism" of the United States and calls for finding creative solutions for handling violence, economic inequalities, ecological devastation and unsustainable consumption.

Q: There is a global feeling of uncertainty and nervousness, in what many see as the antechamber to the US-Iraq war. What is your state of mind today?
A: The global feeling of uncertainty in the midst of a possible United States and Iraq war could be a creative opportunity for world leaders to look at the real issues of our time. Nearly half the world lives on less than two dollars per day. The globalization of the world economy is creating a widening gap between the "haves and have-nots". The five permanent members of the United Nations Security Council are responsible for the manufacture, sale and trade of 90 percent of the weapons in the world, including the weapons of mass destruction. The United States and some other western countries continue to act unilaterally. The United States has opposed the comprehensive test ban treaty, and continues to oppose the strengthening of the biological and toxic weapons convention. It has refused to allow UN inspection of its own weapons of mass destruction. It has withdrawn from the Kyoto Protocol (on climate change). It has criticized the land mine treaty. It has refused to sign an international treaty on the rights of the child. Such arrogant unilateralism will only create further resentment in a world which looks at 4.5 percent of the global population (the United States) trying to dominate the remaining 95.5 percent the world’s people. My state of mind today is one of sobriety and a desire for a deeper understanding of the root causes of violence. We need to create a critical mass of peace consciousness in the world.

Q: Is war compatible with sustainable development?
A: No, it is not. It is ironic that countries with military power feel pride and prestige at their might. How can civilized nations take pride in these disreputable activities whose end product is death and destruction? As a collective world body, we must come up with creative solutions to address violence, economic disparities, ecological devastation, and unsustainable consumption

Q: After the September 11 terrorist attacks in the United States, you wrote "Forgiveness: 100 Reflections". What did you refer to in this book that you have not written about before?
A: Crisis is an opportunity to look at deeper issues. The September 11 terrorist attacks were a symptom of a deeper wound. We have to look at our interconnectedness and interdependence in all areas of life. We have to share in not only our successes and our knowledge but also in our suffering. When there is shared suffering, compassion is born. Where there is compassion, there is love. Where there is love, there is an opportunity for healing.

Q: The current line of thought you share keeps a strong bond with nature, something that western society seems to have lost. Do you think it is recoverable?
A: I think every human being feels a sense of connection and a strong bond with nature. It is the womb of creation. This bond can be renewed by bringing peoples' awareness to the beauty of our planet and by reminding them that the environment is our extended body. It is the responsibility of the communications media to not only entertain but also to educate.

Q: There are some groups that criticize you for "commercializing spirituality". How would you respond to them?
A: I do not feel it is necessary for me to be defensive about being successful. Spirituality in the tradition I come from has four goals: material success; practicing your dharma, in that you have a contribution to make to the well being of the world; nurturing relationships; and seeking enlightenment, that state of consciousness where we experience our universality and our common bond of love. I have attempted to accomplish these goals in my life. What people think of me is their business and not mine.

To learn more about Deepak Chopra, visit www.chopra.com.