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Discover the deep purpose hidden at the very core of your being To know your true calling-your dharma, as the yogis say-is perhaps the greatest desire within each of us. And yet, few can say we know our purpose with absolute certainty. Fortunately, there is a time-tested guide-an ancient map-for discovering and fulfilling your unique calling. In The Great Work of Your Life, Stephen Cope walks you through each step of the journey. Cope teaches that the secrets to unlocking the mystery of your dharma can be found in the spiritual classic, the Bhagavad Gita-a timeless tale about the path to dharma, told through an instructive dialogue between the fabled archer Arjuna and his divine mentor, Krishna. In The Great Work of Your Life, Cope uses Arjuna's journey as a framework for each of us to discover our own dharma, masterfully weaving together stories of both well-known and ordinary Western lives. Throughout the book, Cope explores the "Four Pillars of Dharma," or the stages we move through as we fulfill our own true callings. Each pillar is illustrated with riveting true stories, including: -Jane Goodall's ability to follow her heart without question -The little-known tale of Walt Whitman's dharma discovery in the second half of life -How living your purpose can be like training for the Olympics in the story of Susan B. Anthony -Ludwig van Beethoven's triumphs over childhood abuse, depression, and going deaf -Gandhi's transformation from tongue-tied youth to leader of the Indian independence movement -Understanding how divine guidance works with the life of Harriet Tubman -Additional insights and tales from the lives of both famous luminaries and everyday people "We feel the happiest and most fulfilled when we bring highly concentrated effort to our true calling," teaches Cope. Moving and inspiring, The Great Work of Your Life is a call to action and step-by-step guide for each of us to discover and embrace our dharma.… (more)
User reviews
Learning your dharma requires the flexibility to reinvent yourself periodically through your life. You need to first discover who you are meant to be and then be that fully. All of our actions flow from our understanding of who we are and our dharma is what allows us to stay connected to our true nature. When you know who you are, you'll know how to act.
The author doesn't go into a lot of detail around the text of The Bhagavad Gita. Instead, he pulls a few key concepts and spends a lot of time connecting them to well-known personalities like Henry David Thoreau and Harriet Tubman. I went into this book with no knowledge of The Bhagavad Gita but now I'm planning on reading it in its entirety.