The S even S piritual Laws for Parents :Guiding Your Children to S ucces s & Fulfillment

ByDeepak Chopra

Contents

Introduction

Part OneParenting & the Gift of S pirit

Part TwoPracticing the S even S piritual Laws

Conclus ionThe One Thing You Cannot Do Without

Introduction

“ succes s depends on who you are,not what you do.”

p13

“ We owe it to the world, I believe, to ensurethat as many children as pos s ible grow up

knowing what spiritual reality is .” p14

Part One“ the mos t direct way to succes s is through spirit”

p19

Nonmaterial things to teach include:

“ the ability to love & have compass ion,the capacity to feel joy & spread it to others ,

the security of knowing one's life serves a purpose,and finally, a sense of connection to the creative

power of the universe” p20

We need to remember...“ The seeds of God are ins ide us ...In timethe flowers of God bloom within & around

us , and we begin to witnes s & know the miracleof the divine wherever we go. Our respons ibility

as parents is therefore to place our childrenfirmly on the journey of spirit....

When we practice spiritual laws , we put ourselvesin harmony with Nature.”

p20&21

The seven laws ...

1. The Law of Pure Potentiality:The source of creation is pure consciousnes s ...pure potentiality seeking expres s ion from the

unmanifes t to the manifes t.

AKA – Everything is pos s ible.

2. The Law of GivingIn our willingnes s to give that which we seek,

we keep the abundance of the universecirculating in our lives .

AKA – If you want to get something, give it.

3. The Law of “ Karma”When we choose actions that bring happines sand succes s to others , the fruit of our karma

is happines s & succes s .

AKA – When you make a choice, youchange the future.

4. The Law of Leas t E ffortNature's intelligence functions with effortles s ease... with carefreenes s , harmony, and love.

When we harnes s these forces , we create succes swith the same effortles s ease.

AKA – Don't say no – go with the flow.

5. The Law of Intention & Des ire

Inherent in every intention & des ire is themechanics for their fulfillment...in the field of pure potentiality,

intention & des ire have infinite organizing power.

AKA – Every time you wish or want, you plant a seed.

6. The Law of Detachment

In our willingnes s to s tep into the unknown,the field of all pos s ibilities , we surrender

ourselves to the creative mind that orches trates the dance of the universe.

AKA – Enjoy the journey.

7. The Law of “ Dharma”

When we blend our unique talent with serviceto others , we experience the ecs tasy & exultation

of our own spirit, which is the ultimate goal of all goals .

AKA – You are here for a reason.

“ The earlier someone is taught how to live in the mos t effortles s , harmonious , and creative

way,the more likely it is that all of life will bring succes s .”

p24

“ The S even S piritual Laws serve one vis ion...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 consciousnes s . The moreconnected we are, the more we will enjoy theabundance of the universe, which has beenorganized to fulfill our wishes and des ires .

Only in a s tate of dis connection do we sufferand s truggle. The divine intention is for every

human being to enjoy unlimited succes s .”p24-25

“ The deepes t nurturing you can give your childis spiritual nurturing.”

Remember, we “ teach much more effectively bywho you are, not what you say.”

“ S pirit mus t be cultivated; it mus t be nourished& encouraged.”

“ With spirit we are all children of the cosmos ;without we are orphaned & set adrift.”

p28

S ome of these ideas may be very foreign to us ...but imagine how a young child being taught

that there is purpose in everything would see the ques t for meaning in life.

It would be a “ natural thing, the spiritualequivalent of learning your ABCs .”

Keep in mind too “ there is no better recipe for des troying a child's innocence that to des troy

our own.”p30-31

How to S tart?

you may ask...

“ S how only love, be only love.”p31

“ Every child needs as much mature loveas you can give. What makes love mature -

and not jus t adult – is the conscious spiritualintention behind it.”

p47

Part Two

“ children mainly learn from what you are, not what you say”

“ If they see you growing & changing & finding more meaning & joy in your own life, the expres s ion “ being in harmony with the

universe” takes on practical force.”

p52

S UNDAY“ Everything is pos s ible, no matter what.”

“ The field where everything is pos s ible is spirit; this is our source...Nothing limits us except ourselves , for the trues t aspect of each

person is unbounded potential...Children need to learn that s ilence is the home of spirit...spirit communicates without making

a sound.”p57

Remember to “ Lis ten to your heart, your heart knows ...The heart is a spiritual center. It contains s ilence & wis dom...

Where the s ense of “ I am” res ides .” p58

“ each of us imposes limits on the way we perceive the world” p64

MONDAY

“If you want to get something, give it.”

Shivananda stated “giving is the secret of abundance”

“simple giving within the home cultures the desire to serve...

concentrate with your children on how it feels to give”

“To receive graciously is an art that cannot be faked. If it is more blessed

to give that to receive, it is much harder to receive than to give.”

“must feel grateful in order to show gratitude. Such feelings can be

supported by teaching that all things come from the universal source.”

“It takes awareness to remember that life is a gift, however

overwhelmed we may be by other thoughts & pursuits.”

“When you give, you show your appreciation to the

source of all things.”

TUESDAY

“When you make a choice, you change the future.”

“karma constantly teaches us to discriminate between

what we want & what we know is good for us.”

Also know “every action leads to the best result

possible...a law known as grace. Grace is God's

loving organization of time & space.”

“To bring yourself love & happiness, do what you can

to bring them to others.”

WEDNESDAY

“Don't say no – go with the flow.”

“life is like a river – you cannot step into it in the same place twice.

Existence is always new, yet we are tempted to bring old reactions to

it. When we find ourselves resisting anything – which basically

means saying no – we are usually trying to impose an old belief or

habit on a new situation.”

Best to be “in the moment, to look for Nature's help, and to stop

blaming anyone or anything outside ourselves.”

“Acceptance is essential because a lot of effort is wasted whenever

you put up resistance...having to defend your point of view creates

conflict & chaos, which are both huge wastes of energy.”

“Law of Least Effort brings faith & patience...

have faith in your own desires”

WEDNESDAY

“Children should be taught that success & fulfillment

come from inside, and it is only inside that matters.

Each of us is responsible for how we feel, what we wish

for, and how we decide to approach life's challenges.”

“Perfectionism is rooted in fear & control.”

“By definition successful people enjoy what they do.”

“In spiritual terms, life is not problematic;

only our attitudes toward it are.”

“Nothing is more efficient than spirit.”

THURSDAY

“Every time you wish or want, you plant a seed.”

“for humans...wanting to grow leads the mind toward

the source of infinite love, peace, and power that is

the very goal of life....What you intend for yourself

determines what you get...Lack of success in life is

principally due to mental confusion...Being aware of

what you want is such an obvious first step in the

process of desiring that it is amazing how many people

ignore it.”

“The more specific your children learn to be with their

intentions, the more easily they will be able to order their lives,

since order begins in the mind.”

“patient expectation. That is, once you know what you

want, you stay relaxed about it.”

“make your children aware that the universe (or spirit

or God) is always listening; none of us is alone.”

“Alertness in the present moment is the fertilizer that keeps

fulfillment of desire growing.”

“A simple example is happiness. Everyone wants to be happy,

but many people expect some epiphany or sudden burst of joy

that will last forever. True happiness is not like that; it is a state

of well-being that you must be alert to.”

FRIDAY

“Enjoy the journey.”

“The universe is ultimately a recreational universe; it

exists for divine play. The more we realize this, the

more we can join the play & be free from all anxiety

about how things will turn out. We achieve peace of

mind only when we accept the wisdom of uncertainty.”

“A complete vision of life must include the realization

that anything & everything is destined to happen, and

our role is to remain open to uncertainty & surprise.”

“Teaching your children to let go & enjoy change as

it comes is important, as is direct confrontation of

hidden anxiety... emphasize there are a lot of answers

and the fun of life is finding out how much you have

yet to learn, no matter how much you already know.”

“Put yourself in the hands of the universe – then you

will have no need for control.”

SATURDAY

“You are here for a reason.”

“Dharma is a Sanskit word meaning several things:

duty, purpose, and law.”

“Spiritual law is here to serve us as we serve it. It serves

us by showing that lasting happiness & fulfillment are

possible, indeed inevitable. There is a hidden purpose

working for our evolution in every event, every action,

every thought. The highest goal in life is to find this

purpose & live by it.”

“Purpose is activated only when you have receptivity.

Awareness is the key to achieving what the universe

has planned for you.”

“To say that life is unfair is to imply that it is random,

meaningless, capricious, and dangerous.”

“D uty is a synonym for dharma, and the word covers

duty to society, duty to oneself, and duty to God.

Your duty to society is to serve others; your duty to

yourself is to unfold spiritually; your duty to God is

to participate in the divine plan for humankind's

higher evolution.”

CONCLUSION

The One Thing You Cannot Do Without

“Deeper than love, the one thing you can't do without

is innocence. Innocence is the source of love...

innocence is openness...

Innocence is the knowledge that your child is yoursand yet not yours. Everyone is ultimately a child

of spirit...Mostly we belong to ourselves...

Thus to see a child with real love means to see the

spark of the divine.”