599. Stephen Cope

Stephen Cope is the Scholar Emeritus at the renowned Kripalu Center in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. He is the author of many best-selling books on the topic of yoga and meditation. For over thirty years, his interest has been in bringing important but esoteric yoga scriptures to the mainstream, including, most recently, the two-thousand-year-old spiritual classic called The Bhagavad Gita, or "The Song of God." His new book on The Gita, entitled The Dharma of Difficult Times, will be released later this year. Books: The Great Work of Your Life: A Guide for the Journey to Your True Calling (Discussed in this interview) Yoga and the Quest for the True Self The Wisdom of Yoga: A Seeker's Guide to Extraordinary Living Deep Human Connection: Why We Need It More than Anything Else Website: stephencope.com Discussion of this interview in the BatGap Community Facebook Group. Summary and transcript of this interview. Interview recorded May 29, 2021 YouTube Video Chapters: 00:00:00 - Introduction to Buddha at the Gas Pump 00:04:14 - The Definition of Dharma and Its Connection with the Common Good 00:07:48 - The concept of dharma and its impact on individuals, families, and society 00:11:13 - Higher Beings and Our Relationship with Them 00:14:48 - Discovering the Dharma 00:18:11 - The Importance of Underrating Oneself 00:21:42 - Everything is Already Okay 00:25:04 - The Effects of Meditation on Young Musicians 00:28:37 - The Contemplative Tradition's View on Mastery 00:31:55 - Finding Your Dharma 00:35:14 - Finding Your Duty 00:38:40 - Finding Fulfillment in Your Dharma 00:42:21 - Finding the Open Door 00:45:57 - Fulfilling your Dharma and making a significant impact 00:49:16 - Listening for the Call of the Times 00:53:05 - Beethoven's Dedication to his Gift 00:56:43 - The Practice of Letting Go 01:00:17 - The Self's behavior and suffering leading to enlightenment 01:03:46 - Gandhi's View on Violence and War 01:07:17 - Exceptions to Oppression 01:10:40 - Living Unknown 01:14:22 - The Mystery of Sacrifice and Dharma 01:17:43 - The Period of Certitude and Doubt 01:20:59 - The Conflict of the Heart and Mind 01:24:33 - All is Brahman 01:27:54 - The Power of Taking Risks and Committing 01:31:17 - Support from Higher Intelligence 01:35:00 - The Fruition and Importance of Ethical Practice 01:38:12 - Finding Fulfillment through Balance and Wisdom 01:41:37 - The Impact of Concentration Levels on Book Publishing 01:45:12 - Schedule Change: Lawrence Freeman - Work with the Dalai Lama