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