The Seven Spiritual Laws Of Success

By Deepak Chopra

     Success in life could be defined as the continued expansion of happiness and the progressive realization of worthy goals.  Success is the ability to fulfill your desires with effortless ease.  Success is a journey, not a destination.  Material abundance, in all its expressions, happens to be one of those things that make the journey more enjoyable.  But success also includes good health, energy and enthusiasm for life, fulfilling relationships, creative freedom, emotional and psychological stability, a sense of well-being, and peace of mind.

     Even with the experience of all these things, we will remain unfulfilled unless we nurture the seeds of divinity inside us.  True success is the unfolding of the divinity within us.  It is the perception of divinity wherever we go, in whatever we perceive – in the eyes of a child, in the beauty of a flower, in the flight of a bird.  When we begin to experience our life as the miraculous expression of divinity – not occasionally, but all the time – then we will know the true meaning of success.

     Before defining the seven spiritual laws, let us understand the concept of law.  Law is the process by which the unmanifest becomes the manifest; it's the process by which the observer becomes the observed; it's the process by which the seer becomes the scenery; it's the process through which the dreamer manifests the dream.

   All of creation, everything that exists in the physical world, is the result of the unmanifest transforming itself into the manifest.  Anything and everything that we can perceive through our senses is the transformation of the unmanifest, unknown, and invisible into the manifest, known, and visible.

   The physical universe is nothing other than the Self curving back within Itself to experience Itself as spirit, mind, and physical matter.  All processes of creation are processes through which the Self or divinity expresses Itself.  Consciousness in motion expresses itself as the objects of the universe in the eternal dance of life.

   The source of all creation is divinity (or the spirit); the process of creation is divinity in motion (or the mind); and the object of creation is the physical universe (which includes the physical xbody).  These three components of reality – spirit, mind, and body, or observer, the process of observing, and the observed – are essentially the same thing.  They all come from the same place: the field of pure potentiality which is purely unmanifest.

     The physical laws of the universe are actually this whole process of divinity in motion, or consciousness in motion.  When we understand these laws and apply them in our lives, anything we want can be created, because the same laws that nature uses to create a forest, or a galaxy, or a star, or a human body can also bring about the fulfillment of our deepest desires.

1 -- The Law Of Pure Potentiality

     The source of all creation is pure consciousness…pure potentiality seeking expression from the unmanifest to the manifest.  And when we realize that our true Self is one of pure potentiality, we align with the power that manifests everything in the universe.

     The Law of Pure Potentiality could also be called the Law of Unity, because underlying the infinite diversity of life is the unity of one all-pervasive spirit.  There is no separation between you and this field of energy.  The field of pure potentiality is your own Self.  And the more you experience your true nature, the closer you are to the field of pure potentiality.

     The experience of the Self, or "self-referral," means that our internal reference point is our own spirit, and not the objects of our experience.  The opposite of self-referral is xobject-referral.  In object-referral we are always influenced by objects outside the Self, which include situations, circumstances, people, and things.  In object-referral we are constantly seeking the approval of others.  Our thinking and our behavior are always in anticipation of a response.  It is therefore fear-based.

     In object-referral we also feel an intense need to control things.  We feel an intense need for external power.  The need for approval, the need to control things, and the need for external power are needs that are based on fear.  This kind of power is not the power of pure potentiality, or the power of the Self, or real power.  When we experience the power of Self, there is an absence of fear, there is no compulsion to control, and no struggle for approval or external power.

     In object-referral, your internal reference point is your ego.  The ego, however, is not who you really are.  The ego is your self-image; it is your social mask; it is the role you are playing.  Your social mask thrives on approval.  It wants to control, and it is sustained by power, because it lives in fear.

     Your true Self, which is your spirit, your soul, is completely free of those things.  It is immune to criticism, it is unfearful of any challenge, and it feels beneath no one, and yet, it is also humble and feels superior to no one, because it recognizes that everyone else is the same Self, the same spirit in different disguises.

     In self-referral, you experience your true being, which is unfearful of any challenge, has respect for all people, and feels beneath no one.  Self-power is therefore true power.

     Power based on object-referral, however, is false power.  Being ego-based power, it lasts only as long as the object of reference is there.  As soon as the title, the job, the money go away, so does the power.

     Self-power is permanent because it is based on the knowledge of the Self.  And there are certain characteristics of self-power.  It draws people to you, and it also draws things that you want to you.  It magnetizes people, situations, and circumstances to support your desires.  This is also called support from the laws of nature.  It is the support of divinity; it is the support that comes from being in the state of grace.  Your power is such that you enjoy a bond with people, and the people enjoy a bond with you.  Your power is that of bonding – a bonding that comes from true love.

   The way to access the field of pure potentiality is through the daily practice of silence, meditation, and non-judgment.  Spending time in nature will also give you access to the qualities inherent in the field: infinite creativity, freedom, and bliss.

      Practicing silence means making a commitment to take a certain amount of time to simply Be.  This should be done for a minimum of one hour per day and must include withdrawing from television, radio, speech and reading.  If you never give yourself the opportunity to experience silence, this creates turbulence in your internal dialogue.

   When you start this practice, your internal dialogue will initially become even more turbulent.  You will feel an intense need to say things.  As you stay with the experience your internal dialogue begins to quiet down..  And soon the silence becomes profound.  After a while the mind gives up and you begin to experience the stillness of the field of pure potentiality.

   Through meditation you will learn to experience the field of pure silence and pure awareness.  Everyone should meditate for 30 minutes both in the morning and the evening.  In meditation you enter the field of infinite correlation, the field of infinite organizing power, the ultimate ground of creation where everything is inseparable connected with everything else.  In stillness lies your connection to the field of pure potentiality that can orchestrate an infinity of details for you.

     Imagine throwing a little stone into a still pond and watching it ripple.  That's exactly what you do when you go into the field of pure silence and introduce your intention.  In this silence, even the faintest intention will ripple across the underlying ground of universal consciousness, which connects everything with everything else.  But, if you do not experience stillness in consciousness, if your mind is like a turbulent ocean, you could throw the Empire State Building into it, and you wouldn't notice a thing.  In the Bible is the expression, "Be still, and know that I am God."  This can only be accomplished through meditation.

     Another way to access the field of pure potentiality is through the practice of non-judgement.  Judgement is the constant evaluation of things as right or wrong, good or bad.  When you are constantly evaluating, classifying, labeling, analyzing, you create a lot of turbulence in your internal dialogue.  This turbulence constricts the flow of energy between you and the field of pure potentiality.  You literally squeeze the "gap" between thoughts.

     The silent space between your thoughts is your connection to the field of pure potentiality.  It is that state of pure awareness, that inner stillness that connects you to true power.  And when you squeeze the gap, you squeeze your connection to the field of pure potentiality and infinite creativity.

     Non-judgement creates silence in your mind.  Start each day with the statement, "Today I shall judge nothing that occurs."  Repeat it each time during the day that you catch yourself judging.

     The forth component to this practice is regularly spending time in direct communion with nature.  This enables you to sense the harmonious interaction of all the elements and forces of life, and gives you a sense of unity with all of life which will also help you access the field of pure potentiality.

     Your true essence lies beyond the ego.  It is fearless; it is free; it is immune to criticism; it does not fear any challenge.  It is beneath no one, superior to no one, and full of magic, mystery, and enchantment.

     As you gain more and more access to your true nature, you will also spontaneously receive creative thoughts, because the field of pure potentiality is also the field of infinite creativity and pure knowledge.

     You must go beyond the turbulence of your internal dialogue to connect with the abundant, affluent, infinite, creative mind.  And then you create the possibility of dynamic activity while at the same time carrying the stillness of the eternal, unbounded, creative mind.  This combination of silent, unbounded, infinite mind along with dynamic, bounded, individual mind is the perfect balance of stillness and movement simultaneously that can create whatever you want.  This coexistence of opposites – stillness and dynamism at the same time – makes you independent of situations, circumstances, people, and things.

     Stillness alone is the potentiality for creativity; movement alone is creativity restricted to a certain aspect of its expression. But the combination of movement and stillness enables you to unleash your creativity in all directions – wherever the power of your attention takes you.

2 – The Law Of Giving

     The universe operates through dynamic exchange…giving and receiving are different aspects of the flow of energy in the universe.  And in our willingness to give that which we seek, we keep the abundance of the universe circulating in our lives.

   This law could also be called the Law of Giving and Receiving, because the universe operates through dynamic exchange.

     The word affluence comes from the root work "affluere," which means "to flow to."  The word currency comes from the Latin word "currere" which means "to run" or to flow.  If we stop the circulation of money – if our only intention is to hold on to our money and hoard it, we will stop its circulation back into our lives as well.  In order to keep that energy coming to us, we have to keep the energy circulating.  Like a river, money must keep flowing, otherwise it begins to stagnate, to clog, to suffocate and strangle its very own life force.  Circulation keeps it alive and vital.

     Giving engenders receiving, and receiving engenders giving.  What goes up must come down; what goes out must come back.  In reality, receiving is the same thing as giving, because giving and receiving are different aspects of the flow of energy in the universe.  And if you stop the flow of either, you interfere with nature's intelligence.

     The more you give, the more you will receive, because you will keep the abundance of the universe circulating in your life.  If, though the act of giving, you feel you have lost something, then the gift is not truly given and will not cause increase.  If you give grudgingly, there is no energy behind that giving.  The intention should always be to create happiness for the giver and receiver, because happiness is life-supporting and life-sustaining and therefore generates increase.  The act of giving has to be joyful – the frame of mind has to be one in which you feel joy in the very act of giving.  Then the energy behind the giving increases many times over.

     Practicing the Law of Giving is actually very simple: if you want joy, give joy to others; if you want love, learn to give love; if you want attention and appreciation, learn to give attention and appreciation; if you want material affluence, help others to become materially affluent.  In fact, the easiest way to get what you want is to help others get what they want.  This principle works equally well for individuals, corporations, societies, and nations.  If you want to be blessed with all the good things in life, learn to silently bless everyone with all the good things in life.

   The best way to start the whole process of circulation is to make a decision that any time you come into contact with anyone, you will give them something.  It doesn't have to be in the form of material things; it could be a compliment, or a prayer.  The most powerful forms of giving are non-material.  The gifts of caring, attention, affections, appreciation, and love are some of the most precious gifts you can give, and they don't cost you anything.

     When you meet someone, silently send them a blessing, wishing them happiness, joy, and laughter.  This kind of silent giving is very powerful. 

     Make a decision to give wherever you go, to whomever you see.  As long as you're giving, you will be receiving.  The more you give, the more confidence you will gain in the miraculous effects of this law.  And as you receive more, your ability to give more will also increase. 

     Receive graciously and gratefully.  Receive the gifts of nature: sunlight, the sound of birds singing, the spring showers or the first snow of winter.  Also be open to receiving from others, whether it be in the form of a material gift, money, a compliment, or a prayer.

     Seek first for joy, love, laughter, peace, harmony, and knowledge – not only for yourself, but for others – all else will come to you spontaneously.

3 – The Law Of "Karma" or Cause And Effect

     Every action generates a force of energy that returns to us in like kind…what we sow is what we reap.  And when we choose actions that bring happiness and success to others, the fruit of our karma is happiness and success.  Our thoughts, our words, and deeds are the threads of the net which we throw around ourselves.

     If we want to create happiness in our lives employ conscious choice-making.  We are infinite choice-makers.  Some of these choices are mad consciously, while others are made unconsciously.  The best way to maximize the use of karmic law is to become consciously aware of the choices we make in every moment.

     Everything that is happening at this moment is a result of the choices you've made in the past.  Unfortunately, a lot of us make choices unconsciously, and therefore we don't think they are choices – and yet, they are.  Most of us have become bundles of conditioned reflexes that are constantly being triggered by people and circumstances into predictable outcomes of behavior.  We forget that these are still choices that we are making in every moment of our existence.  We are simply making these choices unconsciously,

     If you consciously witness the choices you are making as you make those choices, then in just this act of witnessing, you take the whole process from the unconscious realm into the conscious realm.  This procedure of conscious choice making and witnessing is very empowering.  The best way to prepare for any moment in the future is to be fully conscious in the present.

     Whenever you make a choice, ask yourself two things: First of all, "What are the consequences of this choice?"  In your heart you will immediately know what these are.  Secondly, "Will this choice that I'm making now bring happiness to me and to those around me?"  If the answer is no, if that choice brings distress either to you or to those around you, then don't make that choice.  It's as simple as that.  The right choice is the one that nourishes you and everyone else who is influenced by that action.

     You can use the Law of Karma to create money and affluence, and the flow of all good things to you, any time you want.  But first, you must become consciously aware that your future is generated by the choices you are making in every moment of your life.  If you do this on a regular basis, then you are making full use of the Law of Karma.  The more you bring your choices into the level of your conscious awareness, the more you will make those choices which are spontaneously correct – both for you and those around you.

     All actions are karmic episodes.  Action generates memory, and memory has the ability or the potentiality to generate desire.  And desire generates action again.  The operational software of your soul is karma, memory, and desire.  Your soul is a bundle of consciousness that has the seeds of karma, memory, and desire.  By becoming conscious of these seeds of  manifestation, you become a conscious generator of reality. By becoming a conscious choice-maker, you begin to generate actions that are evolutionary for you and for those that are around you.

   As long as karma is evolutionary – for both the Self and everyone affected by the Self – then the fruit of karma will be happiness and success.

4 – The Law Of Least Effort

     Nature's intelligence functions with effortless ease…with carefreeness, harmony, and love.  And when we harness the forces of harmony, joy, and love, we create success and good fortune with effortless ease.

     Nature's intelligence functions effortlessly, frictionlessly, spontaneously.  It is non-linear; it is intuitive, holistic, and nourishing.  And when you are in harmony with nature, when you are established in the knowledge of your true Self, you can make use of the Law of Least Effort.

     Least effort is expended when your actions are motivated by love, because nature is held together by the energy of love.  When you seek power and control over other people, you waste energy.  When you seek money or power for the sake of the ego, you spend energy chasing the illusion of happiness instead of enjoying happiness in the moment.  When you seek money for personal gain only, you cut off the flow of energy to yourself, and interfere with the expression of nature's intelligence.  But when your actions are motivated by love, there is no waste of energy.  When your actions are motivated by love, your energy multiplies and accumulates – and the surplus energy you gather and enjoy can be channeled to create anything that you want, including unlimited wealth.

     When you know how to generate, store, and expend energy in an efficient way, then you can create any amount of wealth.  Attention to the ego consumes the greatest amount of energy.  When your internal reference point is the ego, when you seek power and control over other people or seek approval from others, you spend energy in a wasteful way.

     When that energy is freed up, it can be rechanneled and used to create anything that you want.  When your internal reference point is your spirit, when you are immune to criticism and unfearful of any challenge, you can harness the power of love, and use energy creatively for the experience of affluence and evolution.

     In The Art of Dreaming, Don Juan tells Carlos Castaneda, "…most of our energy goes into upholding our importance…If we were capable of losing some of that importance, two extraordinary things would happen to us.  One, we would free our energy from trying to maintain the illusory idea of our grandeur; and two, we would provide ourselves with enough energy to…catch a glimpse of the actual grandeur of the universe."

     There are three components to the Law of Least Effort – three things you can do to put this principle of "do less and accomplish more" into action.  The first component is acceptance.  Understand that every moment is as it should be.  This moment – the one you're experiencing right now – it the culmination of all the moments you have experienced in the past.  This moment is as it is because the entire universe is as it is.

     When you struggle against this moment, you're actually struggling against the entire universe, which is fruitless.  You accept things as they are, not as you wish they were in this moment.  You can wish for things in the future to be different, but in this moment you have to accept things as they are.

     When you feel frustrated or upset by a person or situation, remember that you are not reacting to the person or the situation, but to your feelings about the person or situation.  These are your feelings, and your feelings are not someone else's fault.  Take responsibility for how you feel.  Recognize that you have the power to change how you feel.

     The second component of the Law of Least Effort: responsibility.  Responsibility means not blaming anyone or anything for you situation, including yourself.  Having accepted this circumstance, this event, this problem, responsibility then means the ability to have a creative response to the situation as it is now.  All problems contain the seeds of opportunity, and this awareness allows you to take the moment and transform it to a better situation or thing.

     Whenever confronted by a tyrant, tormentor, teacher, friend or foe (they all mean the same thing) remind yourself, "This moment is as it should be."  Whatever relationships you have attracted in you life at this moment are precisely the ones you need in you life at this moment.  There is a hidden meaning behind all events, and this hidden meaning is serving your own evolution.

     The third component of the Law of Least Effort is defenselessness, which means that your awareness is established in defenselessness, and you have relinquished the need to convince or persuade others of your point of view.  Many of us waste enormous amounts of energy defending our points of view.

     When you become defensive, blame others, and do not accept and surrender to the moment, you life meets resistance.  Any time you encounter resistance, recognize that if you force the situation, the resistance will only increase.  Be flexible.

     Completely desist from defending your point of view.  When you have no point to defend, you do not allow the birth of an argument.  If you do this consistently – if you stop fighting and resisting – you will fully experience the present, which is a gift.

     If you embrace the present and become on with it, you will experience a fire, a sparkle of ecstasy throbbing in every living sentient being.  As you begin to experience this exultation of spirit in everything that is alive, joy will be born within you, and you will drop the terrible burdens and encumbrances of defensiveness, resentment, and hurtfulness.  Only then will you become lighthearted, carefree, joyous, and free.

     Make a commitment to follow the path of no resistance.  This is the path through which nature's intelligence unfolds spontaneously, without friction or effort.  When you have the exquisite combination of acceptance, responsibility, and defenselessness, you will experience life flowing with effortless ease.

     When you remain open to all points of view – not rigidly attached to only one – your dreams and desires will flow with nature's desires.  Then you can release your intentions, without attachment, and just wait for the appropriate season for your desires to blossom into reality.  You can be sure that when the season it right, your desires will manifest.  This is the Law of Least Effort.

5 – The Law Of Intention And Desire

     Inherent in every intention and desire is the mechanics for its fulfillment…intention and desire in the field of pure potentiality have infinite organizing power.  And when we introduce an intention in the fertile ground of pure potentiality, we put this infinite organizing power to work for us.

     The whole universe, in its essential nature, is the movement of energy and information.  The only difference between you and a tree is the informational and energy content of your respective bodies.

     On the material level, both you and the tree are made up of the same recycled elements: mostly carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, nitrogen, and other elements in minute amounts.  The difference between you and a tree is not these elements.  In fact, you and the tree are constantly exchanging your carbon and oxygen with each other.  The real difference between the two of you is in the energy and in the information.  We have a nervous system that is capable of becoming aware of the energy and informational content of that localized field that gives rise to our physical xbody.

     We experience this field subjectively as our own thoughts, feelings, emotions, desires, memories, instincts, drives, and beliefs.  This same field is experienced objectively as the physical body – and through the physical body, we experience this field as the world. But it's all the same stuff.  That is why the ancient seer exclaimed, "I am that, you are that, all this is that, and that's all there is."

     Your body is not separate from the body of the universe, because at quantum mechanical levels there are no well-defined edges.  You are like a wiggle, a wave, a localized disturbance in the larger quantum field.  The larger quantum field – the universe – is your extended xbody.

     Not only is the human nervous system capable of becoming aware of the information and energy of its own quantum field, but because human consciousness is infinitely flexible through this wonderful nervous system, you are able to consciously change the informational content that gives rise to your physical xbody.  You can consciously change the energy and informational content of your own quantum mechanical body, and therefore influence the energy and informational content of your extended body – your environment, your world – and cause things to manifest in it.

     This conscious change is brought about by the two qualities inherent in consciousness: attention and intention.  Attention energizes, and intention transforms.  Whatever you put your attention on will grow stronger in your life.  Whatever you take you attention away from will wither, disintegrate, and disappear.  Intention, on the other hand, triggers transformation of energy and information.  Intention organizes its own fulfillment.

     The quality of intention on the object of attention will orchestrate an infinity of space-time events to bring about the outcome intended, provided one follows the other spiritual laws of success.  This is because intention in the fertile ground of attention has infinite organizing power.  Infinite organizing power means the power to organize an infinity of space-time events, all at the same time.  We see the expression of this infinite organizing power in everything that is alive.

     Intent in the human species is not fixed or locked into rigid network of energy and information.  It has infinite flexibility.  As long as you do not violate the other laws of nature, through your intent you can literally command the laws of nature to fulfill your dreams and desires.

     You can go to the ultimate source of creation and introduce an intention, and just by introducing the intention, you activate the field of infinite correlation.  Intention lay the groundwork for the effortless, spontaneous flow of pure potentiality seeking expression from the unmanifest to the manifest.  The only caution is that you use your intent for the benefit of mankind.

     Intention is the real power behind desire.  Intent alone is very powerful, because intent is desire without attachment to the outcome.  Desire alone is weak, because desire in most people is attention with attachment.  Intent is desire with strict adherence to all the other laws, but particularly the Law of Detachment.

     Intention combined with detachment leads to life-centered, present-moment awareness, it is most effective.  Your intent is for the future, but your attention is in the present.  As long as your attention is in the present, then your intent for the future will manifest, because the future is created in the present.  You must accept the present as is.  Accept the present and intend the future.  The future is something you can always create through detached intention, but you should never struggle against the present.

     The past, present, and future are all properties of consciousness.  The past is recollection, memory; the future is anticipation; the present is awareness.  Therefore time is the movement of thought.  Both past and future are born in the imagination; only the present, which is awareness, is real and eternal.  It is the potentiality for space-time, matter, and energy.  It is an eternal field of possibilities experiencing itself as abstract forces, whether they be light, heat, electricity, magnetism, or gravity.  These forces are neither in the past nor in the future.  They just are.

     Our interpretation of these abstract forces gives us the experience of concrete phenomena and form.  Remembered interpretations of abstract forces create the experience of the past, anticipatory interpretations of the same abstract forces create the future.  They are qualities of attention in consciousness.  When these qualities are freed from the burden of the past, then action in the present becomes the fertile ground for the creation of the future.

     Intention, grounded in this detached freedom of the present, serves as the catalyst for the right mix of matter, energy, and space-time events to create whatever it is that you desire.

     If you have life-centered, present –moment awareness, then the imaginary obstacles – which are more than ninety percent of perceived obstacles – disintegrate and disappear.  The remaining ten percent of perceived obstacles can be transmuted into opportunities through one-pointed intention.

     One-pointed intention is that quality of attention that is unbending in its fixity of purpose.  One-pointed intention means holding your attention to the intended outcome with such unbending purpose that you absolutely refuse to allow obstacles to consume and dissipate the focused quality of your attentions.  There is a total and complete exclusion of all obstacles from your consciousness.  You are able to maintain an unshakable serenity while being committed to your goal with intense passion.  This is the power of detached awareness and one-pointed, focused intention simultaneously.

     Learn to harness the power of intention, and you can create anything you desire.  You can still get results through effort and through trying, but at a cost.  The cost is stress, heart attacks, and the compromised function of your immune system.  It is much better to execute the following five steps in the Law of Intention and Desire.  When you follow these five steps for fulfilling your desires, intention generates its own power:

(1)  Slip into the gap.  This means to center yourself in that silent space between

      thoughts, to go into the silence – that level of Being which is your essential state.

(2)  Established in that state of Being, release your intentions and desires.  When you are

      actually in the gap, there's no thought, there's no intention, but as you come out of the

      gap – at that junction between the gap and a thought – you introduce the intention.  If

      you have a series of goals, you can write them down, and have your intention focused

      on them before you go into the gap.  If you want a successful career, for example, you

      go into the gap with that intention, and the intention will already be there as a faint  

      flicker in your awareness.  Releasing your intentions and desires in the gap means

      planting them in the fertile ground of pure potentiality, and expecting them to bloom

      when the season is right.  You do not want to dig up the seeds of your desires to see if

      they are growing, or get rigidly attached to the way in which they will unfold.  You

      simply want to release them. 

(3)  Remain in the state of self-referral.  This means remain established in the awareness

      of your true Self – your spirit, your connection to the field of pure potentiality.  It also

      means not to look at yourself through the eyes of the world, or allow yourself to be

      influenced by the opinions and criticisms of others.  A helpful way to maintain that

      state of self-referral is to keep your desires to yourself; do not share them with anyone

      else unless they share the exact same desires that you have and are closely bonded

      with you.

(4)  Relinquish your attachment to the outcome.  This means giving up your rigid

      attachment to a specific result and living in the wisdom of uncertainty.  It means

      enjoying every moment in the journey of your life, even if you don't know the

      outcome.

(5)  Let the universe handle the details.  Your intentions and desires, when released in the

      gap, have infinite organizing power.  Thrust that infinite organizing power of

      intention to orchestrate all the details for you.

Remember that your true nature is one of pure spirit.  Carry the consciousness of your spirit wherever you go, gently release your desires, and the universe will handle the details for you.

6 – The Law Of Detachment

     In detachment lies the wisdom of uncertainty…in the wisdom of uncertainty lies the freedom from our past, from the known, which is the prison of past conditioning.  And in our willingness to step into the unknown, the field of all possibilities, we surrender ourselves to the creative mind that orchestrates the dance of the universe.

     Like two golden birds perched on the selfsame tree, intimate friend, the ego and the Self dwell in the same xbody.  The former east the sweet and sour fruits of the tree of life, while the latter looks on in detachment. ~~The Mundaka Upanshad

     The Law of Detachment says that in order to acquire anything in the physical universe, you have to relinquish your attachment to it.  You don't give up the intention, and you don't give up the desire.  You give up your attachment to the result.

     The moment you relinquish your attachment to the result, combining one-pointed intention with detachment at the same time, you will have that which you desire.  Anything you want can be acquired through detachment, because detachment is based on the unquestioning belief in the power of your true Self.

     Attachment, on the other hand, is based on fear and insecurity – and the need for security is based on not knowing the true Self.  The source of wealth, of abundance, or of anything in the physical world is the Self; it is the consciousness that know how to fulfill every need.  Everything else is a symbol: cars, houses, bank accounts, etc. Symbols are transitory; they come and go.  Chasing symbols is like settling for the map instead of the territory.  It creates anxiety; it ends up making you feel hollow and empty inside, because you exchange your Self for the symbols of your Self.

     Attachment comes from poverty consciousness, because attachment is always to symbols.  Detachment is synonymous with wealth consciousness, because with detachment there is freedom to create.  Only from detached involvement can one have joy and laughter.  Then the symbols of wealth are created spontaneously and effortlessly.  Without detachment we are prisoners of helplessness, hopelessness, mundane needs, trivial concerns, quiet desperation, and seriousness – the distinctive features of everyday mediocre existence and poverty consciousness.

     True wealth consciousness is the ability to have anything you want, anytime you want, and with least effort.  To be grounded in this experience you have to be grounded in the wisdom of uncertainty.  In this uncertainty you will find the freedom to create anything you want.

     People are constantly seeking security.  Attachment to money is a sign of insecurity.  Some people think that they will feel secure when they get enough money, but it never happens – never happens.

   Those who seek security chase if for a lifetime without ever finding it.  It remains elusive and temporary, because security can never come from money alone.  Attachment to money will always create insecurity no mater how much money you have.

     The search for security is an illusion. The solution to this whole dilemma lies in the wisdom of insecurity, or the wisdom of uncertainty.  The search for security and certainty is actually an attachment to the known, which is our past.  The known is nothing other than the prison of past conditioning.  There's no evolution in that and when there is no evolution, there is stagnation, entropy, disorder, and decay.

     Uncertainty is the fertile ground of pure creativity and freedom.  Uncertainty means stepping into the unknown in every moment of our existence.  The unknown is the field of all possibilities, ever fresh, ever new, always open to the creation of new manifestations.  Without uncertainty and the unknown, life is just the stale repetition of outworn memories.  You become the victim of the past, and your tormentor today is your self left over from yesterday.

     Every day you can look for the excitement of what may occur in the field of all possibilities.  When you experience uncertainty, you are on the right path – so don't give it up.  You don't need to have a complete and rigid idea of what you'll be doing next week or next year, because if you have a very clear idea of what's going to happen and you get rigidly attached to it, then you shut out a whole range of possibilities.

     The Law of Detachment does not interfere with the Law of Intention and Desire – with goal-setting.  You still have the intention of going in a certain direction, you still have a goal. However, between point A and point B there are infinite possibilities.  With uncertainty factored in, you might change direction in any moment if you find a higher ideal, or if you find something more exciting.  You are also less likely to force solutions on problems, which enable you to stay alert to opportunities.

     When you force solutions on problems, you only create new problems.  But when you put your attention on the uncertainty, and you witness the uncertainty while you expectantly wait for the solution to emerge out of the chaos and the confusion, then what emerges is something very fabulous and exciting.

     This state of alertness – your preparedness in the present, in the field of uncertainty – meets with your goal and your intention and allow you to seize the opportunity.  And opportunity is contained within every problem that you have in your life.  Every problem is the seed of an opportunity for some greater benefit.  Once you have that perception, you open up to a whole range of possibilities – and this keeps the mystery, the wonder, the excitement, the adventure alive.

     Good luck is nothing but preparedness and opportunity coming together.  When the two are mixed together with an alert witnessing of the chaos, a solution emerges that will be of evolutionary benefit to you and to all those that you come into contact with.

7 – The Law Of "Dharma" or Purpose In Life

     Everyone has a purpose in life…a unique gift of special talent to give to others.  And when we blend this unique talent with service to others, we experience the ecstasy and exultation of our own spirit, which is the ultimate goal of all goals.

     Daharma is a Sanskrit word that means "purpose in life."  The field of pure potentiality is divinity in its essence, and the divine takes human form to fulfill a purpose.

     There are three components to the Law of Dharma.  The first component says that each of us is here to discover our true Self, to find out on our own that our true Self is spiritual, that essentially we are spiritual beings that have taken manifestation in physical form.  We're not human beings that have occasional spiritual experiences – it's the other way around: we're spiritual beings that have occasional human experiences.

     Each of us is here to discover our higher self or our spiritual self.  That's the first fulfillment of the Law of Dharma.  We must find out for ourselves that inside us is a god or goddess in embryo that wants to be born so that we can express our divinity.

     The second component of the Law of Dharma is to express our unique talents.  Everyone has a talent that is unique in its expression, so unique that there's no one else alive on this planet that has that talent, or that expressions of that talent.  This means that there's one thing you can do, and one way of doing it, that is better than anyone else on this entire planet.  When you're doing that one thing, you lose track of time.  When you're expressing that one unique talent that you possess – or more than one unique talent in many cases – the expression of that talent takes you into timeless awareness.

     The third componet of the Law of Dharma is service to humanity – to serve your fellow human beings and to ask yourself the questions, "How can I help?  How can I help all those that I come into contact with?"  When you combine the ability to express your unique talent with the service to humanity, then you make full use of the Law of Dharma.  And coupled with the experience of your own spirituality, the field of pure potentiality, there is no way you will not have access to unlimited abundance, because that is the real way abundance is achieved.

     The questions, "What's in it for me?" is the internal dialogue of the ego.  Asking, "How can I help?" is the internal dialogue of the spirit.  The spirit is that domain of your awareness where you experience your universality.  In just shifting your internal dialogue from "What's in it for me?" to "How can I help?" you automatically go beyond the ego into the domain of your spirit.  While meditation is the most useful way of entering the domain of spirit, simply shifting your internal dialogue to "How can I help?" will also access the spirit, that domain of your awareness where you experience your universality.

     If you want to make maximum use of the Law of Dharma, then you have to make several commitments.

     The first commitment is I am going to seek my higher self, which is beyond my ego, through spiritual practice.

     The second commitment is: I am going to discover my unique talents, and finding my unique talents, I am going to enjoy myself, because the process of enjoyment occurs when I go into timeless awareness.  That's when I am in a state of bliss.

     The third commitment is: I am going to ask myself how I am best suited to serve humanity.  I am going to answer that question and then put it into practice.  I am going to use my unique talents to serve the needs of my fellow human beings – I will match those needs to my desire to help and serve others.

     Make a list of the answers to these two questions: Ask yourself, if money was no concern and you had all the time and money in the world, what would you do?  If you would still do what you currently do, then you are in dharma, because you have passion for what you do – you are expressing your unique talents.  Then ask yourself: How am I best suited to serve humanity?  Answer that question, and put it into practice.

     Discover your divinity, find your unique talent, serve humanity with it, and you can generate all the wealth that you want.  Wealth will spontaneously flow from the unmanifest into the manifest.  You will begin to experience your life as miraculous expression of divinity.  You will know true joy and the true meaning of success – the ecstasy and exultation of your own spirit.

Summary And Conclusion

     The seven spiritual laws of success are powerful principles that will enable you to attain self-mastery.  Practice these laws and you will see your life become more joyful and abundant in every way.  These are the spiritual laws of life that make living worthwhile.

     There is a natural sequence for the application of these laws in your daily life.  The Law of Pure Potentiality is experienced through silence, through meditation, through non-judgement, through communion with nature, but it is activated by the Law of Giving.  The principle here is to learn to give that which you seek.  That's how you activate the Law of Pure Potentiality.  If you seek affluence, give affluence; if you seek money, give money; if you seek love, appreciation, and affection, then learn to give love, appreciation, and affection.

     Through your actions in the Law of Giving you activate the Law of Karma.  You create good karma, and good karma makes everything in life easy.  You notice that you don't have to expend a lot of effort to fulfill your desires, which automatically leads to an understanding of the Law of Least Effort.  When everything is easy and effortless, and your desires keep getting fulfilled, you spontaneously begin to understand the Law of Intentions and Desire.  Fulfilling your desires with effortless ease makes it easy for you to practice the Law of Detachment.

     Finally, as you begin to understand all the above laws, you begin to focus on your true purpose in life, which leads to the Law of Dharma.  Through the use of this law, by expressing your unique talents and fulfilling the needs of your fellow humans, you begin to create whatever you want, whenever you want it.  You become carefree and joyful, and your life becomes an expression of unbounded love.

     We are travelers on a cosmic journey – stardust, swirling and dancing in the eddies and whirlpools of infinity.  Life is eternal. But the expressions of life are ephemeral, momentary, transient.

     We have stopped for a moment to encounter each other, to meet, to love, to share.  This is a precious moment, but it is transient.  It is a little parenthesis in eternity.  If we share with caring, lightheartedness, and love, we will create abundance and joy for each other.  And then this moment will have been worthwhile.

This is a summary of Deepak Chopra's book The Seven Spiritual Laws Of Success.  It is copublished by Amber-Allen Publishing & New World Library.  ISBN 1-878424-11-4 

Dr. Chopra has also written: Creating Affluence, The Way of the Wizard, Ageless Body-Timeless Mind, Journey Into Healing, Restful Sleep, Perfect Weight, Perfect Health, Perfect Digestion, Unconditional Life, Quantum Healing, Creating Health, and Return of the Rishi.

He also offers many audio and video tapes.

http://www.chopra.com