East Meets West as Chopra Debates Cox

In an event billed as an intersection between the West and the East on the subject of spirituality, Deepak Chopra, the well-known physician and spiritual author, and Harvey G. Cox, who is Thomas Professor of Divinity, contemplated God last night at the American Academy of Arts and Sciences.

The debate centered around Chopra's recently released book, How to Know God: The Soul's Journey into the Mystery of Mysteries, one of 25 written by Chopra.

Chopra argued that people must learn to "step into the unknown" in order to live full lives and prepare themselves for death.

He employed the term "spontaneous right action" to argue that the right response often comes naturally in unforeseen circumstances, and that such responses cannot be planned.

He recounted two instances when he was faced with death and how he chose to deal with them.

When Chopra first moved to the United States twenty years ago with his wife and newborn baby, he said an intruder carrying a baseball bat tried to enter his home in Jamaica Plain.

Chopra said his ensuing scream caused the intruder to drop the bat, allowing Chopra to pick it up and knock the intruder unconscious. He said he later found out that the intruder had been wanted for manslaughter.

His second near-death experience occurred more recently when three teenagers held him up at gunpoint, Chopra said.

"I remained totally at peace. I requested they leave me my credit cards, because they wouldn't be able to use them anyway, and not pull the trigger," Chopra said. He said the robbers complied.

Chopra said his success in confronting these two situations showed that the most appropriate response is often unplanned.

"We can't plan our responses because we live and breathe in the unknown. My action was the spontaneous right action," he said.

One audience member said she found this account particularly compelling.

"I came because I'm trying to get to know God myself," she said. "I thought his discussion of the 'spontaneous right action' was his most powerful point."

Cox introduced Chopra and then asked questions throughout the dialogue.

"The 21st century in religion will be the age of dialogue," he said as he opened the discussion. "We are now entering the creative stage of learning from each other."

But according to some audience members, Cox and Chopra may have agreed too much.

"I thought it would be a little more confrontational," said Will S. Joyner, head of Public Affairs at the Divinity School and Editor of the Harvard Divinity Bulletin. "But they were fairly good at talking with one another. They had a similar tone and used the same references."

Chopra agreed that the dialogue, which finished within the hour, left a little something to be desired.

"I wish it was longer," Chopra said. "I wish we had time to really debate some of the issues a little more. But it was an opportunity to meet Harvey Cox whom I have admired for a long time."

Cox, who has written several books including The Secular City, said he was more pleased with the discussion. "I thought it was a good dialogue," Cox reflected. "Deepak is a wonderful teacher."

Chopra, who founded the Chopra Center for Wellness and Being in Southern California, will speak more on his theory of spirituality this morning at 9 a.m. on a radio interview with WMEX. He will then continue to Durham, North Carolina for another presentation.