Why is God Laughing?: One Man's Journey to Joy and Spiritual Optimism (Hardcover), by Deepak Chopra

I am, or used to be, an ardent fan of Deepak’s books; particularly of his earlier work, Quantum Healing, and Timeless Mind, Ageless Body, etc. So when a friend of mine saw this book in our local public library, he thought I would love to read it and review for PS-Magazine.com.

Why is God laughing is, according to information on the inner flap of the book, is “a profound yet light-hearted parable about the connection between spiritual awareness, optimism and humour”. The book is in two parts, the first part tells the story of a successful comedian, Mickey Fellows, who learns to overcome the passing away of his estranged father, the hard way- it seems. The second part is highlights how to overcome obstacles in our own lives and where Chopra “spells out the lessons that Mickey’s story tells us: ten reasons to be optimistic, even in a challenging world”. Well, this begs the questions: if it was clear the first time around, why did it need spelling out?

As the story unfolds, we see that the passing away of Mickey’s father not only marks a significant turning point in Mickey’s life but also launches his spiritual awakening journey to overcoming “fear, egotism and addiction- the three major obstacles to joy”. He is supposed to discover “how to become more optimistic”.

Mickey’s life changes, his friends leave him, and he loses his fame and money. However, amidst this darkness, a spiritual friend appears, Francisco, who we learn is his guide and he leads Mickey by the hand to explore his failings and to learn how to manoeuvre himself to a better life. Mickey has to come to terms with the presence of this new friend, learn to balance his life, and “reconnect” with the spirit of his dad, Larry, which helps him to understand and heal his relationship with him. He learns to see things from a different perspective.

A storey teller, Deepak Chopra isn’t. The parable is without charm, almost naïve as well as predictable. On top of that, it was not exactly told with humour, optimism, or joy (as promised). I really wondered why indeed is God laughing? I kept reading on only to see Mickey go through endless trials, sufferings, analysis, and darkness; giving up almost all he had already accomplished, before he manages to find “joy” and start all over again. The grand prize is, of course, his enlightenment!

However, the second part of the book makes reading it worthwhile. It is more in the familiar inspirational Chopra style. In the very last page, Chopra reassures us that “all of human history rests in you”, that our grief and sorrow is that of the world; and by liberating ourselves we are liberating the world. He asks us, “What stakes could be higher?” He goes on to say that he once read that all saints and sages exist for one reason which is “to precipitate reality upon earth”.

He saw humanity as a giant pyramid, each individual perched in or on his unique spot. In other words, we receive experience and understand “grace” according to the level we are at. He wondered where he belonged in that pyramid as he “chose to be a climber”. He concludes by saying “One day I will reach the very pinnacle.. Above me will be only the vast expanse of ALL… But my impulse won’t be to look upward… I want to look down instead, because you will be coming toward me, barely few steps back. We will see each other at last in the light God…”

Why is Chopra assuming that we will be behind him, and that he would be, indeed, ahead of anyone? I also wondered about the necessity of suffering. I, for one, do not subscribe to the notion that one has to suffer and hit rock bottom before one can find joy. Surely, many saints and sages endured enough “Dark Nights of the Soul” that there experiences offer us plenty of inspiration and guidance to learn from by their example? Surely one does not need to be a martyr to be awakened? Pain may be a path for some, but not for all.

Reality, on the other hand, seems different for Chopra as he stand on the top of the corporate pyramid; relaxed at his desk, telling us that he is “PC too”, and that he is “A human being, not a human doing” - according to a recent Microsoft advertising campaign in support of PC. Well this book evidently did not take much doing. It is not a modern tale of Pilgrim’s Progress, and it lacks the mysticism and charm of Paulo Coelho’s work such as The Alchemist, and it failed to relate an individual's trials and  tribulations to the reast of humanity. It failed to explain why is God Laughing, and in tow words, as a reviewer on Amazon put it: "very disappointing" (to add to the confusion, the book has a slightly different title and book cover in the USA). But I am sure Chopra is laughing (all the way to his bank).

In short, whatever the book lacks in the first part, it makes up for in the second; which makes saving few pounds and checking it out from your local library, in order to read it, worth while after all.

Amazon UK, Amazon USA (Title in USA is: Why Is God Laughing?: The Path to Joy and Spiritual Optimism (Hardcover) .

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