Deepak Chopra’s Quotes On Dharma & Your Purpose In Life
Deepak Chopra is possibly the most famous name in the New Age movements. This wasn’t by accident. He is one of the most prolific authors out there when it comes to spirituality, health, and wellness. Some of his classics are Quantum Health and Perfect Health, but you will find value wherever you land in his bibliography. While most of his writings cover health and wellness, as well as alternative medicine, I think some of his most valuable teachings are on following passions and finding your place in the world. Take this quote, for example:
“There are no extra pieces in the universe. Everyone is here because he or she has a place to fill, and every piece must fit itself into the big jigsaw puzzle.”
Here, Chopra is hinting at the concept of Dharma. Dharma is the first-cousin to Karma, the spiritual belief that the intent and actions an individual makes directly influence the future of that individual. Dharma is similar but instead refers to one’s duty in life. It is, in effect, your purpose.
I believe that finding your Dharma, or your purpose in life, is a step towards happiness. More so, it is your duty to the world to find your role. To find your Dharma and your place in the world is to serve humanity. Deepak Chopra’s view on it is so reverential that he places it 7th and last in his Seven Spiritual Laws of Success.
But how do you find your Dharma? Where do you fit into the rich tapestry of reality? Dharma is the essence of you, and living a Dharmic life means that you are living the best of you. In millennial terms, it means that you are living your best life.
The first thing to do is to quiet your mind and take the pressure off. We are about to ask ourselves four extremely broad questions. When asking such gigantic questions, we need to be able to sit and meditate. The brain is excellent at coming up with answers quickly and jumping to conclusions. It has to be — the brain is our survival mechanism and working quickly can allow us to jump out of the way of an oncoming car, or remove our hand from a hot stove without thinking. But for these purposes, we don’t want the quick answer — we want the deeper answers which may be harder to find. So, before starting, meditate and quiet the mind.
The first thing to ask yourself is what do you want in life? What is it that you desire? Ask yourself, and listen to the answers that come back to you with an open mind. You may be surprised — but you shouldn’t judge what answers come out of this. Look beyond what you want specifically, and look into what you want generally. Often, our answers are representations or metaphors. It may seem that what you want is a big house or a sports car — but looking beyond that, perhaps what you want is a life free of the stress of money?
Secondly, meditate on what you are good at. What are the unique talents that make you who you are? With our constant voices of self-criticism, this can be hard. Be kind — let the answers come honestly. And once again, don’t judge those answers. Arrogance is never a good trait, but knowing what you are good at is not arrogance — it’s a form of honesty. Try making a list of your talents. They can be big or small. Unique talents can range from having the foresight to run a fortune 500 company, to being good with puns. Whatever it is, write it down.
Now think on what brings you joy. A great way to do this is to list off your favorite memories, and think about what was the driving force behind these. Was it graduating from College? Then perhaps the thing that makes you happy is a sense of academic achievement. Perhaps it was going out for a meal with your family, in which case the driving force behind it might be the joy of seeing the smiling faces of your loved ones.
Lastly, ask yourself how you can serve humanity. This is perhaps the most important piece of the puzzle, which is why it’s last in the series of questions. How can you help? Try to think about the previous things you have listed. Is there a way in which the things that you want, the things you are good at, and the things that bring you joy can also serve the world? This is your Dharma.
It’s important not to push this. You don’t need an answer today. Most people who find their Dharma go through many years of not knowing before it becomes clear. It is highly likely that your Dharma won’t be obvious, initially. But making an effort to find it by honestly asking these four questions is a sure way of taking a step to finding your purpose. The questions can seem completely unrelated, and even in opposition to one another. But Deepak Chopra said it best:
“When you expand your awareness, seemingly random events will be seen to fit into a larger purpose.”
So expand your awareness. Quiet the mind. And ask yourself — what is my Dharma?
Jon Straub is a health and wellness coach in NYC. He is on a mission to elevate the effectiveness of world-changing leaders through the food they eat and the way they live.
