A “Book Review”: ‘THE THIRD JESUS’ (by Dr Deepak Chopra) – Part One

Article Title: A “Book Review”: ‘THE THIRD JESUS’ (by Dr Deepak Chopra) – Part One
Submitted by Craig Lock
Key words (Tags): Deepak Chopra, Jesus, Jesus Christ, Christianity, spirituality, spiritual growth, enlightenment, inspiration
Web sites: www.deepakchopra.com and www.rbooks.co.uk
The submitter’s blog (with extracts from his various writings: articles, books and new manuscripts) is at http://en.search.wordpress.com/?q=%22craig+lock%22 and http://craiglock.wordpress.com

Other Articles by the submitter are available at: http://www.selfgrowth.com/articles/user/15565 and http://www.ideamarketers.com/library/profile.cfm?writerid=981rn(Personal growth, self help, writing, internet marketing, 'spiritual writings' (how 'airey-fairey'), words of inspiration and money management (how boring now, craig!)

Publishing Guidelines:

I’m sharing these these thoughts, these writings by Dr Deepak Chopra with the world in a ‘spirit of enlightenment’, as in sharing I learn myself). So this article (as with all my articles) may be published, electronically or in print (with acknowledgment to the author, thanks).
“We share what we know, so that we all may grow.”
*
Sharing some Thoughts (Spiritual) on Jesus from ‘THE THIRD JESUS’ by Dr Deepak Chopra

“We are not human beings having a spiritual experience. We are spiritual beings having a human experience.”
- Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

Submitters’s Note:
Craig is studying the teachings of different religions, as he researches and writes his latest novels ‘A New Dawn’ and ‘From Seeds of Hate to the Bonds of Love’, which are set in the Middle East and his latest “labour of love” ‘ The Real, The True Jesus… the One That I Really Know!)’.
This article (in point form) was based on notes and some short extracts I’ve taken directly from Dr Deepak Chopra’s fascinating and thought-provoking new book, ‘The Third Jesus’, whilst studying the link between the human mind and spirituality. As I take notes, contemplate and share these most revealing thoughts from Dr Chopra, I learn more about my own spiritual jou
ey. So am sharing this piece from Part One ( “a great enlightening read”) in the spirit of hopefully stimulating thinking and discussion on the life and mission of Jesus from Chopra’s writings and beliefs along the ‘spiritual jou
ey’. I recommend that you read this book, if you are interested in spiritual (or “airey-fairey” as my very “down-to-earth”, practical friends call this subject matter) matters. (Incidentally, I do ‘try to test’, further explore and apply these principles in ‘real life’ and they DO work). Hope sharing this short extract, these ‘ete
al truths’ from an excellent book may be of interest, uplifting… and perhaps even inspirational to you too. Enjoy…
* * ‘THE THIRD JESUS’ by Deepak Chopra: How to Find Truth and Love in Today’s World
Published in the UK in 2008 by Rider, an imprint of Ebury Publishing www.rbooks.co.uk

THE WORD
“Deepak Chopra explores what we call the ‘Christ-consciousness’, which can be identified neither with the Jesus of history, nor with the Jesus of the creeds, the doctrines, and the dogmas of the ecclesiastical institution. This ‘third Jesus’ can be seen only when we move into a new human awareness that will carry us beyond tribe and prejudice and even beyond our religious systems.”
- John Shelby Spong, retired bishop of Newark and author of ‘Jesus for the Non-Religious’

“The story of ‘The Third Jesus’ is based on the science of all great religions. The knowledge that God dwells within each of us is realised, when we enter into Christ-consciousness. His voice reaffirms the science that is the basis of all religions and echoes the truth in the human spirit.”
- Russell Simmons

INTRODUCTION
“Jesus wanted to inspire a world rebo
in God. His name for the soul is the Kingdom of God and he clearly intended for it to descend to earth. (‘On earth let it be as it is in Heaven’)
Jesus’s radical vision needs to be renewed. Spirit, like water, remains fresh only if it flows.”
*
PART ONE
“The living Jesus was a man of baffling contradictions: extremely humble, yet with such exalting claims about who he was… so extraordinarily human, yet at the same time divine. He taught his followers how to reach God-consciousness. The third Jesus offers a direct relationship, that is personal and present. Conventional faith is the same as belief in the impossible (such as Jesus walking on water); but there is another faith that gives us the ability to reach into the unknown and achieve transformation. Jesus thought timelessly and rose to the highest level of enlightenment (and consciousness).

‘You are the light of the world. Let your light shine before all men.’
Jesus was the very model of his teachings. Buddha said, “Whoever sees me sees the teaching”, and the same is true of Jesus. He lived in Christ-consciousness, and his teaching drew directly out of his own state of awareness. Jesus can show us the way to enlightenment. If there is such a thing as God-consciousness, no-one can be excluded from it.
What makes Jesus so difficult for us to grasp is that he never veers away from the purity of the light. He has no choice. God consciousness creates its own reality. Surrender (fully) to God, the Father, proved to be Jesus’s ultimate weapon.
*
The Gnostic Gospels:
The Gnostics chafed at church authority, believing it was up to each Christian to find God through personal knowledge of him and thus to attain enlightenment. They preferred to walk an individual path guided by revelation. The Gnostics felt that enlightenment, not salvation in Heaven was Jesus’s mission. (My comment/question: What about both??). The Gospel of Truth accuses conventional Christians of missing the whole point of Jesus, falling into blind worship, instead of trying to seek enlightenment. Individual experience dominated over written doctrine.” (My comment: One has to experience the presence, the spirit of Jesus in a life… and this comes through asking)
* *
CHAPTER TWO: THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS WITHIN

“Reaching the Kingdom of God means arriving at a higher level of consciousness… and Jesus said that the Kingdom of God was within everyone. He serves as the model for this path by inner communion with God. Jesus is the human face of God.
Your devotion, service and contemplation are directed towards the higher self or soul. The seed is his teaching; the waste ground is a mind unprepared to receive the truth. We turn to Jesus, because he understands the territory of the unknown, the source not only of a messiah, but of the soul itself.”
- Dr Deepak Chopra

Shared (with thanks) by “not so goody-goody airey fairey spiritual” craig (“Information and Inspiration Distributor, Incorrigible Encourager and People-builder”)

“People fight and die for religion but they seldom live for religion.” - former Indian Prime Minister, Jahrulal Nehru

“Let your light so shine that they may see your good works and glorify your Father which is in heaven.” (Matt 5:16)

“You are the light of the world; a city cannot be hidden, if it is built on a mountain top. A lamp is not lighted to be put away under a bushel measure; it is put on the lamp stand, to give light to all the people of the house; and your light must shine so brightly before men.” (Matt 5,14-16. Knox).

“Let the light of your BEING shine brightly; so revealing Who You Really Are. Be a Bringer of the Light, which emanates from our soul, God, our Creator, the Source, the Essence of Life (and Ground of our very Being). Therefore, it can do more than illuminate your own path.YOUR spirit will help makes the lives of others easier by illuminating others paths. For this light is our humanity, the spirit of God, truth, wisdom, beauty and especially love…and it lies within each one of us. Through your actions and your being, let your light, YOUR spirit truly shine brightly on the world, like the radiance emitted by a candle at midnight.” - craig (as adapted from and inspired by Neale Donald Walsh in ‘Conversations with God Book 3’).

“Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, ‘who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous?’
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking;
so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God that is within us.
It is not just in some of us; it is in everyone.
And as we let our own light shine,
we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our own fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.”
- Marianne Williamson
I love these inspiring and uplifting words from Marianne Williamson as used by Nelson Mandela in his inaugeration speech as State President at South Africa’s first Democratic Election in 1994.
“Deep within us there is a flame that burns, and that flame is the spark of God. In some it burns brightly, in others it is barely distinguishable; but always it burns…and with love and acceptance the flame gets higher and brighter. We can help others to kindle this flame by seeing the good in them, even if they don’t see it themselves.” - anon

“Together, one mind, one life at a time, let’s see how many people we can impact, encourage, empower, uplift and perhaps even inspire to reach their fullest potentials. Change YOUR world and you help change THE world… for the better.”
End of Part One
(Part Two to follow)
THIS PIECE MAY BE FREELY PUBLISHED (with acknowledgment to Dr Deepak Chopra, please)

“Your beliefs become your thoughts,
Your thoughts become your words,
Your words become your actions,
Your actions become your habits,
Your habits become your values,
Your values become your destiny.”
- Mohandas (Mahatma) Gandhi

We are what we think. All that we are arises with our thoughts. With our thoughts, we make our world.” - the Buddha
“God is a mystery, the ‘mystery of life’, a Creative Presence, Who/That allows me to be who I really want to be and become.”
“God, the Essence of Life, is the great mystery in the vast unknown; yet He(??) is understandable.”