Dr. Deepak Chopra, the internationally recognized spiritual teacher, has added a whole lot of hyphens to his resume.

The former endocrinologist gave up his medical practice to focus on the body-mind connection, and turned into one of the world's top self-help gurus by creating a bridge between Eastern healing philosophy and Western medicine. In 1999, Time magazine chose him as one of its 100 heroes and icons of the past century.

His nearly 50 books — including the most famous, "Seven Spiritual Laws of Success" — have been translated into more than 30 languages.

Now Chopra's branching out into new territory.

Blame his grown children, Gotham and Mallika, who are dragging him into the next century, with all its fresh media opportunities (comic books, anyone?) and the entertainment field (he's involved in a new Nicolas Cage movie, "The Sadhu," a comic written by Gotham and in pre-production now).

The family is close: Chopra sees his three grandchildren in Los Angeles often.

Before heading off on his latest tour, he took time from his office at the Chopra Center for Wellbeing in Carlsbad, Calif., to answer these five questions:

Q. A lot has changed for you since you were last here 15 years ago. You've gone from endocrinologist to best-selling author to a diversified industry all your own. You're even involved in the entertainment field now. What's next? Astronaut?

A. As soon as you anticipate something, you limit yourself. So I always remain in the unknown, which is a fresh field of infinite possibilities.

Q. Your last book was about Buddha and your next is about Jesus. Yet you subscribe to neither Buddhism or Christianity?

A. Because I think neither Buddha was a Buddhist, nor was Christ Jesus a Christian. I think theology and dogma and ideology are institutions that build up after somebody's authentic experience, but not having your own. In my books I try to explain what was the experience that Buddha had and how can we have it ourselves. And what is the experience Christ had, and can we have it ourselves? Otherwise, we're just buying into somebody's experience. That's why spirituality is the biggest threat to religion.

Q. Do you believe in bodhi-sattvas (a Buddhist term) — what others might call prophets and angels — and would you consider religious figures like Jesus and Buddha personal bodhisattvas?

A. Yes, I would consider them archetypal bodhisattvas.

Q. You've met so many people in your journey, and you're acquainted with or are friends with all the big players today: Oprah, Al Gore, Rick Warren. Who among them has guided you as a bodhisattva?

A. Actually, none. Only my mother has been the real bodhisattva. She was the most inspiring. ... She passed away 2 1/2 years ago. She was the elegance of simplicity and higher consciousness. She always radiated peace and harmony and love and laughter and compassion.

Q. What's your biggest fear?

A. When I was first asked that, I said my biggest fear is that I have a need for approval. But I've gone beyond that now. You can criticize, condemn and complain about me and I would not take it personally. ... I realized that if you want to be able to access your creativity then you have to be able to be independent of the good and bad opinion of others, while at the same time being responsive to feedback, and you are not to be personally offended by criticism.