Peace Is the Way: Bringing War and Violence to an End

by Deepak Chopra

Book Overview

Deepak Chopra's new book takes its title from a famous quotation: 'There is no way to peace. Peace is the way.' Mere variations on the theme of conflict will never get us where we want to go. We must... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0307236072
• ISBN13: 9780307236074
• Release Date: January 2005
• Publisher: Harmony
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 1.35 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.1" x 6.6" x 9.7"

Customer Reviews

Some very interesting observations about peace

This book makes many excellent points about peace. Its theme is on what you can do to help, rather than on how you can allow apathy, revenge, fear, bias, or false hope to make you part of the problem. In negotiations, the author recommends showing respect for the other side, recognizing perceived injustice, believing in forgiveness, bonding at the emotional level, recognizing values that are opposed to you own, desisting in belligerent actions, avoiding ideological talk, and avoiding passing judgment (and especially in making others out to be Wrong). And, most important, confronting the underlying factor of fear, the single most important element in conflicts. While I don't always agree with Chopra, I think these points are always worth considering. Chopra also discusses the role of religion. He says that religion must place responsibility for violence in the mind of every person. That it must stop judging others negatively for being outside the faith, it must stop defending war, it must stop claiming to be the only True Path, it must give up its arrogance and claim to authority, it must renounce its covert greed and desire for power, and it must discover how to return love to its place of primacy. Again, I think that while he is demanding quite a bit here, we all ought to think about this. The author also discusses how terrorists are created. His seven step recipe: group pressure, secrecy, an atmosphere of fear, a hierarchy that demands obedience, a nearby authority that makes cruelty a duty, permission to disregard morality, and no threat of punishment for evil deeds. Chopra notes that many very sweet people actually enable violence by refusing to oppose it. There are numerous reasons for this but a key is false hope. That enables victimhood, it serves as a mask for denial that there is a problem, it papers over conflicts, and it causes many people to suffer in silence. One example of this is the hope many of us had for peace in the Levant when Rabin shook hands with Arafat. But as Chopra points out, nothing positive happened from this pretence of friendship. "Conflicts are not resolved when two parties walk away with residual animosity." I may not fully agree with Chopra here, but I think he's on the right track. The author says that in the short run, we see Islamist terrorists boasting that their violence has helped get their coreligionists to "rise up" against some presumed oppressor. But he explains that the truth is that "governments everywhere are rising up against" the Islamists. And he gives Beslan as an example. Here he gives us some friendly advice. We may be tempted to call support for terror "evil." That's not always the best idea. Many people do support terror and most do not think they themselves are evil. We won't be very convincing if we call them evil. Instead, Chopra encourages to speak to these people, but change the subject from "evil" to "chaos." While it may be difficult to see which side is ev

A very powerful, thought-provoking book!

I rate this book by Dr. Chopra, 5 stars without any hesitation. This is a very powerful, insightful and "peaceful" book. At the same time, Dr. Chopra truly "tells it like it is" in this book, which seems to be somewhat of a departure for him. I mean, he says what is on his mind here and he says it quite succinctly. I was somewhat surprised by that here. But this is an excellent book, one well worth the investment of time and money (as are Dr. Chopra's other books). It will leave you, or should I say, YOU will leave IT, a changed person indeed. A more peaceful one too! Peace! Namaste!

Peace is really the only way.

It's no news that the world is in terrible turmoil right now. I honestly don't know if things are getting worse, or they are just continuing in different parts of the world. But one thing I do know is that whatever happens affects all of us. We are all connected. We can't separate ourselves from what goes on in some distant country. I recently saw the movie "Hotel Rwanda" and it really brought to light some of the basic human emotions that we all share. Peace is a huge concept, and of course it is something we all want, something we strive for. World peace, community peace, inner peace, it's all connected. We all have to do our part to make it happen. Deepak Chopra has written a beautiful new book called "Peace is the Way." I love the way Deepak writes because he expresses so well what is really important. It's so clear. I'd love it if this book could be in every classroom. We need to learn to get along! And some of these basic lessons can be learned in school. Peace is a possibility. A definite possibility.

Looking inside to start peace

I have not written a review before, although I read a great deal. I am now at page 42 and am compelled to write. I have immense respect for this book because it forces you to look inside yourself to where peace should begin. I like being challenged in this way and I look forward to reading the rest of this book. I hope you enjoy it too.

Jumping for Joy at Chopra's Vision of Peace

In Peace is the Way, Deepak Chopra says, "You will know when your are living the way of peace when three things are present: Seva: Your actions harm no one and benefit everyone. Simran: You remember your true nature and your purpose for being here. Satsang: You belong in the community of peace and wisdom."I have read a number of Deepak Chopra's books, but none have evoked the intense joy that I felt while reading Peace is the Way. I heard about the book the day before it came out, and was probably one of the first to purchase a copy. The quote above is from page eight. By page twenty I was wanting to jump with joy. By page 118, I was inwardly shouting, "Yes!"Chopra outlines the thought processes and belief systems that keep war within our experience. Yet throughout the book, he shows that there is another way, the way of peace in one heart at a time, my heart, and your heart. Stopping war seems like an impossible task from such small beginnings, but Chopra reminds us on page nineteen that Christianity started with just thirteen people. Not only does Chopra show us the flaws in our war supporting beliefs, he gently leads us through new ways of thinking, encouraging us to open ourselves to Consciousness, to that which is beyond the duality of good and evil, "us" and "them".Peace is the Way is a controversial book. It will make people uncomfortable, and some will blame Chopra instead of realizing the discomfort is within themselves. I am thinking of the last time I had my piano tuned. It was noticeably off key, but I had grown accustomed to the sound. The piano tuner began with one firm A, pounding out that beacon of true vibration over and over as he tightened the strings one by one, drawing me and my entire house into discord and discomfort until finally all was in harmony. Deepak Chopra's book is like that, vibrating the tone of peace so strongly that we feel the discord in our world and in our hearts, and one by one we are drawn into harmony. You will be touched by this book. You may be angry. You may weep at the stories he tells. You may, like me, be filled with joy at the vision of a peace which is not accomplished through blood shed. You will definitely be changed. Chopra concludes with the words: "Right now there are 21.3 million soldiers serving in armies around the world. Can't we recruit a peace brigade ten times larger? A hundred times larger? The effort begins now, with you."