Most commentators took the shoe-throwing incident that happened over the weekend as a bit of grotesque political slapstick. The Iraqi television reporter who threw his shoes at President Bush apparently considered himself a martyr, according to a note he passed to a colleague on the spot. No doubt he anticipated some extremely cruel reprisal for his symbolic protest. It’s up in the air what will happen to Muntadar al-Zeidi. The fact that he became an instant hero in the Arab street carries small significance in the West, since that tinder box doesn’t need even a spark to ignite it.

It's a golden time to have an opinion. Broadcasting your personal viewpoint to the world has never been easier. The chances of fame, if only momentary, are the same for millions of bloggers. The risk of retribution is basically nil. Therefore, a new democracy has arisen, the democracy of "You want to know what I think?" It used to be that a cat could look at a king. Now the cat can post on the Web every tidbit of court gossip, and the king can do absolutely nothing about it.

Once we recognize that the world is a projection of our consciousness then we also recognize that the only way to change the world in a meaningful way is to bring about a shift in our own consciousness. The world is a mirror in every moment, in every situation, in every circumstance, and in every relationship. Each of us inhabits a private world although our private world is enmeshed with each other to create a consensual reality.

With the best heart in the world, can we look around and say that human rights are “inalienable?”  I had a wrong definition in my head before I Googled the word.  I thought “inalienable” meant that our rights came naturally, not to be taken away from us.  Isn’t that what life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness have in common — they came to us at birth? But The Declaration of Independence has a different meaning in mind.

Inalienable: something that may not be sold, transferred, or assigned to another.

Dear Friends,

The Wall Street Journal recently published an article critical on some comments that I made on CNN and at the same time made some derogatory and personal attacks. Both I and my son, Gotham Chopra, responded and Wall Street Journal has agreed to publish our responses this Friday. In the meanwhile, we are posting our responses  here and on  Huffington Post. Here is mine:

To the Editors,

Deepak Chopra on why Mumbai attacks happened and preventing future violence.

(CNN) — The Indian city of Mumbai exploded into chaos early Thursday morning as gunmen launched a series of attacks across the country’s commercial capital, killing scores of people and taking hostages in two luxury hotels frequented by Westerners. Deepak Chopra says extremists could be reacting to Barack Obama’s gestures toward Muslims.

CNN’s Larry King spoke with author Deepak Chopra about the situation.

Larry King: Let’s go to Dr. Deepak Chopra, the physician, philosopher. His new book is “Jesus: A Story of Enlightenment.”

Where were you born in India, Deepak?

Since Barack Obama ran to bring hope in a time of change, I'd like to see him extend that to how he worships. Presidents are forced to attend church as an empty ritual. A cynic would say that if they wanted to worship the way that 70% of American males do, they should attend the church of televised football and golf. Other honest alternatives would be the worship of ambition, money, and political revenge, wherever those dogmas happen to be preached. To overcome such cynicism, and to end the masquerade of public piety, soon-to-be President Obama might consider the following innovations:

When a box turtle is crossing the road and it hears a car coming, it reacts by drawing in its head and feet, contracting for protection. Evolution has kept turtles alive for hundreds of millions of years that way. What works as a natural defense isn’t much use, though, when a Yukon or Explorer is barreling toward you. There are times when contracting inward is the very worst thing you can do.

That’s true now in the recession that economists see barreling toward us — the road noise has gotten alarmingly loud already. But as the economy contracts, we must resist our natural reflex to contract with it. Instead, we need to do the opposite. Expansion is the best way to survive any crisis.

How do I meditate when I’m exhausted 5 days a week? I have started a new job in a role I wanted, at a company I wanted to work for.  Thing is, besides for a half hour lunch break where one just has time to eat, I work non-stop until clock-out at 5pm. Its not feasible to relax and find a state of Zen at work because there are always 100 things to do within a tight deadline. When I reach home, I pretty much eat then sleep, resting for the next day to come. BTW I exercise regularly and my vital signs are excellent.