c l a r i t y ,   l o v e ,  a n d   t r a n s c e n d e n c e

(Notes from the Chopra Center Archives, reproduced in part with kind permission.)

Clarity

Consider the word clarity. In doing so, these words also come to mind: "clear, transparent, translucent, seamless, understood, illuminated, same inside as it is out side, single-mindedness of purpose...integrity of thought, word, and deed...purity.

As we accept our shadow self, the simplicity of grace will naturally emerge; and by being the attributes that we seek to attain, things naturally become more clear. For example, if you are seeking more love in your life, let every moment be about being love. Not a complaint about not having it, but standing in the courage to really BE LOVE — regardless of the circumstance.

So, with clarity of purpose, and an ability to observe ourselves as we interact in our lives, even the most difficult situations regarding health, relationships, career, and general well-being become another opportunity to accept what is and provides the strength and connection to spirit required to maintain it" (Chopra, 2005).

Love

"When we interact with other people, we are free to feel anything — from deepest hatred to deepest love. We may be attracted or repelled, seduced or repulsed, feel rejected or accepted. But at the level of the Self, we always meet another person in love. The person you love reflects your share of universal love. If you learn to look deep enough, you will see that your reality is only love.

We have a decision to interpret each moment as a choice between a grievance or a miracle. When we choose miracles we surround ourselves with love and actually bathe our souls in it. When we chose grievances, we prevent the innocent flow of love through and outside of our very being.

Whether your expression of love is physical, spiritual, emotional, or takes some other form, remember the energy born of love is creative. It makes everything it touches new. To see how passionate you are, look around and see what you have created" (Chopra, 2005). 

Transcendence

"Transcendence is defined as extending or lying beyond the limits of ordinary perception. This does not mean it is foreign or alien to our bodies or minds. In fact, the understanding of transcendence may be the most common bond that all of us around the globe and throughout time actually share — beyond skin color, politics, language, or religion.

More than a decade ago, Vaclav Havel, then President of the Czech Republic said "It logically follows that, in today's multicultural world, the truly reliable path to coexistence, to peaceful coexistence and creative cooperation, must start from what is at the root of all cultures and what lies infinitely deeper in human hearts and minds than political opinion, convictions, antipathies, or sympathies — it must be rooted in self-transcendence."

Essentially, balance feeds transcendence and transcendent behavior leads to balance. Each moment of our lives, is filled with one form or another of choice, opportunity, or distraction. The choice to live a balanced life occurs in each one of these moments. The choice between mindless media or mindful meditation, the choice between observing yourself in a situation or convincing yourself that you are a result of the situation, the choice of object referral or self referral.

For thousands of years the great Vedic seers have proclaimed that the purpose of attending to the body is to support the state of being known as enlightenment. In this state, our internal reference point shifts from ego to spirit, and we recognize that the knower, the process of knowing, and that which is known are one and the same. The boundaries of time and space become fluid as we remember ourselves as unbounded beings temporarily masquerading as individuals. This state of wholeness is the basis of a balanced, healthy life" (Chopra, 2004).

Source: Deepak Chopra, M.D. Chopra Center - archives: October, 2004.  January, 2005.  February, 2005.