Pain is not the same as suffering. Left to itself, the body discharges pain spontaneously, letting go of it the moment that the underlying cause is healed. Suffering is pain that we hold on to. It comes from the mindโs mysterious instinct to believe that pain is good, or that it cannot be escaped, or that the person deserves it.
Deepak ChopraI think the Bhagavad Gita is about both the forces of light and the forces of darkness that exist within our own self, within our own soul; that our deepest nature is one of ambiguity. We have evolutionary forces there - forces of creativity, and love, and compassion, and understanding. But we also have darkness inside us - the diabolical forces of separation, fear and delusion. And in most of our lives, there is a battle going on within ourselves.
Deepak ChopraIf you approach a difficult problem without struggle, your ego will at first try to take charge from years of habit. Do the minimum and stand back. Solutions incubate at a deep level, not at the speed demanded by your mind. Take a break and come back the next day. Allow the answers to arise from your center, even if it takes a while. However much you have to retrain yourself in this practice of Least Effort, the ability to come from your center is worth the highest price anyone could pay.
Deepak ChopraA risk-free life is far from being a healthy life. To begin with, the very word "risk" implies worry, and people who worry about every bite of food, sip of water, the air they breathe, the gym sessions they have missed, and the minutiae of vitamin doses are not sending positive signals to their cells. A stressful day sends constant negative messaging to the feedback loop and popping a vitamin pill or choosing whole wheat bread instead of white bread does close to zero to change that.
Deepak Chopra