148 Stephen Cope: Dharma Principles, Self Doubt, and Verified Faith

My next guest is Stephen Cope. He is a best-selling author and scholar who specializes in the relationship between the Eastern contemplative traditions and Western depth psychology. Among his seminal works in this area are: Yoga and the Quest for the True Self, The Wisdom of Yoga, and The Great Work of Your Life. His most recent work, The Dharma In Difficult Times, is the sequel to best-seller The Great Work of Your Life.

For almost thirty years, Stephen has been Scholar-in-Residence at the renowned Kripalu Center—the largest center for the study and practice of yoga in the Western world. Kripalu hosts almost 50,000 guests a year in its many yoga, meditation, and personal growth programs. It is located on a sprawling 200 acre estate in Stockbridge, Massachusetts. In addition to his role as Scholar-in-Residence, Stephen is the founder and former director of the Kripalu Institute for Extraordinary Living—one of the world’s most influential research institutes examining the effects and mechanisms of yoga and meditation, with a team of researchers from Harvard Medical School, University of Connecticut, University of Pennsylvania, and many more.

We talked about:

(1:05) What is dharma, one's true calling?

(4:21) What do you say to those who are anxious for not having their purpose?

(7:21) Thoreau, dharma, and the hunter metaphor

(8:05) What are dharma assignments

(9:55) What are 'fallow' periods, the times when you are actively searching

(13:12) The leap of faith vs. the stepping off the curb

(16:27) Surface level of the mind and the deep part of the mind

(18:32) What is fluid intelligence?

(22:16) How do you differentiate between surface mind and deep mind?

(29:14) Three kinds of karma - drawn on water, on the sand, and ethed on the stones.

(37:50) Duality and nonduality