Chopra's shtick may be all about positivity, but he's not beyond directing a few harsh words at humanity. He tells off men in particular.

''When we talk about evolution, we talk about survival of the fittest,'' he says. ``Human beings have been the fittest species on the planet, which is how they have survived. But they have become a very predatory species, especially the human male. Some biologists are now saying that the future belongs to the survival of the wisest, which invites the feminine aspect of the human being -- nurturing, caring, love, compassion, intuition, creativity. If we don't bring those in, we're in big trouble.''

Chopra's foundation, Alliance for a New Humanity, tries to give people the tools they need to respond to conflict less aggressively.

``We have a global campaign to teach people non-violence. If you want to see peace in the world, you have to have peace in your life. Otherwise, you will just be an angry peace activist.''

Chopra, who has written more than 50 books on spirituality and mind-body health, took on the lives of Buddha and Jesus in recent novels. Next up is a biography of Mohammed.

Won't that rile some people?

``They had a problem when I did Jesus. I am studying. I will take my time. I am not somebody who purposely tries to be sensational.''

So now that he's delved into Jesus and Buddha, which would he say was the better teacher?

``They have many similarities. They were both redeemers. Both were gentle. Both had a lot of feminine energy. Buddha satisfied the intellect much more than Jesus. Jesus was a more heart-centered teacher.''

Chopra doesn't follow a specific religion.

``There is a distinction between belief and faith. Belief can be dangerous. It divides us. There have been all these wars in the name of belief. Faith is different. It's about stepping into the unknown. You don't have to believe in God to acknowledge this is a mystery, and if you surrender to that mystery, that's faith.''

So what is the answer?

You expect that Chopra might hesitate here. But he doesn't even blink.

``The answer is a Buddhist answer. There is no such thing as a separate self, and everything you do is for everyone's good, and everything wrong with the world comes from the sense of me and mine.''

And what if humanity doesn't come around to this way of thinking?

``They say if insects disappear from the planet, life on our planet would stop existing in five years. If human beings disappeared, life would flourish. We are the metastatic cancer of this planet. We are at a crossroads of evolution. We have very ancient tribal habits and too much modern capacity. Super powers are going to become irrelevant because the technology exists for one person to disable planes and armies, to interfere with electricity, to cause nuclear plants to leak. If you saw The Dark Knight, there was a guy blowing everything up from his little cellphone. This could happen.''

So, is Chopra stressed about any of this?

''I am 62. I have three grandchildren. The reason I do what I do is an effort to create something positive for our kids. But if our planet blows away a generation from now, I'm not going to be here anyway,'' he says with a shrug. ``But it'll be sad. Thirteen-point-eight billion years of evolution will have been wasted.''

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