#8220;Realizing that the interest in the rearing of children in America is intense and that in many cases the end products are unsatisfactory—to parents, to teachers, to employers, to thinkers—Chopra sets his mind to analyzing the spiritual aspects of child rearing—or lack of them. His conclusions are fascinating.” —Benjamin Spock, M.D.

From the Trade Paperback edition.

Autorentext
Deepak Chopra’s books have become international bestsellers. Dr. Chopra is founder of The Chopra Center in Carlsbad, California. Visit his website at www.chopra.com.

Zusammenfassung
The Seven Spiritual Laws of Success was a phenomenally successful book--more than 1,600,000 copies were sold--and as copies were passed between friends and loved ones, it touched millions more lives. Its author, Deepak Chopra, received thousands of letters from readers, many of whom expressed the desire to convey those same principles to their children, along with questions about how to do so.

This book, The Seven Spiritual Laws for Parents, is Dr. Chopra's answer to those letters and to parents around the world who wish to raise children with values that satisfy spiritual needs as well as create the experience of abundance. After a general discussion of parenting and the gift of spirit, this book explores specific ways to practice the Seven Spiritual Laws as a family, how to convey these laws to children depending on their ages, and how to embody them in age-specific activities each day, beginning on Sundays with the Law of Pure Potentiality.

The Seven Spiritual Laws for Parents moves us beyond private triumphs and failures to experience the spiritual nature of communion with family, to share with those closest to us the infinite riches of innocence and love.

From the Hardcover edition.

Leseprobe
After all, what is God? An eternal Child playing an eternal game in the eternal garden. —Sri Aurobindo

The deepest desire in a parent's heart is to see one's child achieve success in life, yet how many of us realize that the most direct way to success is through spirit? In our society we don't usually make that connection--quite the opposite. We teach our children how to survive, how to behave in order to earn our approval, how to defend themselves, how to compete, how to persist against disappointment, obstacles, and setbacks. Although believing in God is often considered a good thing, spirit has traditionally been set apart from success in daily life. This is a mistake, and it has had a profound effect on all our lives, from childhood on.

Many people assume without question that success is essentially material, that it can be measured in money, prestige, or an abundance of possessions. These can certainly play a role, but having such things is no guarantee of success. The success we want our children to achieve has to be defined in many nonmaterial ways as well. It should include the ability to love and have compassion, the capacity to feel joy and spread it to others, the security of knowing that one's life serves a purpose, and finally, a sense of connection to the creative power of the universe. All of these constitute the spiritual dimension of success, the dimension that brings inner fulfillment.

If the meaning of your life unfolds to you every day, in simplicity and wonder, you have achieved success--which means, in a profound way, that every baby is born a success. Every child's ability to feel wonder in the face of everyday existence is the surest proof we have that Nature wants us to be successful. It is in our own nature to respond to life with joy. The seeds of God are inside us. When we make the journey of spirit, we water these divine seeds. The good life merely reflects our inner intention. In time the flowers of God bloom within and around us, and we begin to witness and know the miracle of the divine wherever we go.

Our responsibility as parents is therefore to place our children firmly on the journey of spirit. This is the best thing we can do to ensure their success in life, better than giving them money, a secure home, or even love and affection. I ask you to consider this spiritual notion of parenting, different though it may be from how you see your role now.

To bring about this new way of parenting we need practical principles to teach our children. The principles I have in mind were introduced in my earlier book as the Seven Spiritual Laws of Success. In order to bring about a connection with spirit, a knowledge of spiritual law is essential. When we practice spiritual laws, we put ourselves in harmony with Nature. Any other way of living leads to strain and struggle. Success achieved on the basis of struggle may bring good things to us, but the inner fulfillment we seek from these things will be lacking.

In adult language the Seven Spiritual Laws are stated as follows:

First Law: The Law of Pure Potentiality
The source of all creation is pure consciousness . . . pure potentiality seeking expression from the unmanifest to the manifest.

Second Law: The Law of Giving
In our willingness to give that which we seek, we keep the abundance of the universe circulating in our lives.

Third Law: The Law of "Karma"
When we choose actions that bring happiness and success to others, the fruit of our karma is happiness and success.

Fourth Law: The Law of Least Effort
Nature's intelligence functions with effortless ease . . . with carefreeness, harmony, and love. When we harness these forces, we create success with the same effortless ease.

Fifth Law: The Law of Intention and Desire
Inherent in every intention and desire is the mechanics for their fulfillment . . . in the field of pure potentiality, intention and desire have infinite organizing power.

Sixth Law: The Law of Detachment
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.

Seventh Law: The Law of "Dharma"
When we blend our unique talent with service to others, we experience the ecstasy and exultation of our own spirit, which is the ultimate goal of all goals.

Whether you call these "laws" or "principles" is not important. They are laws inasmuch as they govern the unfolding of spirit as it moves from the invisible world of the soul to the visible world of matter. They are principles inasmuch as we can take them to heart and apply them the same way we would apply a principle like telling the truth or being fair.

Why do we need such principles? Why not simply teach our children to love God and be good?

The answer is that the Seven Spiritual Laws put a person in touch with the mechanics of Nature. When you consciously align your life with spiritual law, you are asking the universe to support you with success and abundance. This is the key to becoming aware of your own Being and using its infinite power. The earlier someone is taught how to live in the most effortless, harmonious, and creative way, the more likely it is that all of life will bring success. This is what we are asked to pass on to our children, and if we can do it, nothing brings more joy and pride.

Every spiritual tradition contains some version of these seven laws, but they emerge in their purest form from the ancient Vedic tradition of India, which articulated them more than five thousand years ago. The Seven Spiritual Laws serve one vision, as follows:

Human beings are made of body, mind, and spirit. Of these, spirit is primary, for it connects us to the source of everything, the eternal field of consciousness. The more connected we are, the more we will enjoy the abundance of the universe, which has been organized to fulfill our wishes and desires. Only in a state of disconnection do we …