The Great Work of Your Life: A Guide for the Journey to Your True Calling

Description

From the director of the Institute for Extraordinary Living at the famed Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health comes an incisive and inspiring meditation on living the life you were born to live. In this fast-paced age, the often overwhelming realities of daily life may leave you feeling uncertain about how to realize your life's true purpose-what spiritual teachers call dharma. But yoga master Stephen Cope says that in order to have a fulfilling life you must, in fact, discover the deep purpose hidden at the very core of your self. In The Great Work of Your Life, Cope describes the process of unlocking the unique possibility harbored within every human soul. The secret, he asserts, can be found in the pages of a two-thousand-year-old spiritual classic called the Bhagavad Gita-an ancient allegory about the path to dharma, told through a timeless dialogue between the fabled archer, Arjuna, and his divine mentor, Krishna. Cope takes readers on a step-by-step tour of this revered tale, and in order to make it relevant to contemporary readers, he highlights well-known Western lives that embody its central principles-including such luminaries as Jane Goodall, whose life trajectory shows us the power of honoring The Gift; Walt Whitman, who listened for the call of the times; Susan B. Anthony, whose example demonstrates the power of focused energy; John Keats, who was able to let his desire give birth to aspiration; and Harriet Tubman, whose life was nothing if not a lesson in learning to walk by faith. This essential guide also includes everyday stories about following the path to dharma, which illustrate the astonishingly contemporary relevance and practicality of this classic yogic story. If you're feeling lost in your own life's journey, The Great Work of Your Life may provide you with answers to the questions you most urgently need addressed-and may help you to find and to embrace your true calling. Praise for The Great Work of Your Life "Keep a pen and paper handy as you read this remarkable book- It's like an owner's manual for the soul."-Dani Shapiro, author of Devotion "A masterwork . . . You'll find inspiration in these pages. You'll gain a better appreciation of divine guidance and perhaps even understand how you might better hear it in your own life."-Yoga Journal "I am moved and inspired by this book, the clarity and beauty of the lives lived in it, and the timeless dharma it teaches."-Jack Kornfield, author of A Path with Heart "A rich source of contemplation and inspiration that encourages readers . . . to discover and fully pursue their inner self's calling."-Publishers Weekly "Fabulous . . . If you have ever wondered what your purpose is, this book is a great guide to help you on your path."-YogaHara From the Hardcover edition.

Stephen Cope is the director of the Kripalu Institute for Extraordinary Living-the largest yoga research institute in the Western world. He has been for many years the Senior Scholar in Residence at Kripalu Center for Yoga and Health in Lenox, Massachusetts, where he writes and teaches about the relationship between the Eastern contemplative traditions and Western philosophy and psychology. He is the author of three previous books, including the bestselling Yoga and the Quest for the True Self.

"Keep a pen and paper handy as you read this remarkable book: It's like an owner's manual for the soul."-Dani Shapiro, author of Devotion "A masterwork . . . You'll find inspiration in these pages. You'll gain a better appreciation of divine guidance and perhaps even understand how you might better hear it in your own life."-Yoga Journal "I am moved and inspired by this book, the clarity and beauty of the lives lived in it, and the timeless dharma it teaches."-Jack Kornfield, author of A Path with Heart "A rich source of contemplation and inspiration [that] encourages readers . . . to discover and fully pursue their inner self's calling."-Publishers Weekly "Fabulous . . . If you have ever wondered what your purpose is, this book is a great guide to help you on your path."-YogaHara "With ringing clarity, Cope gets his main point across: that seeking is all and that dharma will allow you to bear life's suffering. . . . An engaging exploration into living fully."-Kirkus Reviews "The Great Work of Your Life is itself a great work. This is a wonderfully passionate book about finding one's true calling. The stories within are inspiring and moving. I believe it will be of great benefit to all who read it."-Sharon Salzberg, author of Lovingkindness and Real Happiness "One rarely thinks of a dharma book as a page-turner, but this one is indeed that. This is a great read and a great revitalizing breath of fresh air."-Sylvia Boorstein, author of Happiness Is an Inside Job "This is an important book-West and East informing each other. It was a joy to read."-Natalie Goldberg, author of Old Friend from Far Away