Stephen Cope is a psychotherapist, yoga teacher, and author of The Great Work of Your Life. In this insightful discussion, he explores the Bhagavad Gita as a rich source for understanding one's true calling. Cope highlights the importance of discerning your sacred duty through self-reflection. He delves into the concept of unified action and living fully in pursuit of your passions. Listeners learn about the need to let go of outcomes and embrace the process, supported by examples from historical figures like Thoreau and Susan B. Anthony.
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Introduction to the Gita
Brett McKay introduces Stephen Cope's book, "The Great Work of Your Life."
This book uses the Bhagavad Gita to explore the concept of finding one's true calling.
insights INSIGHT
Bhagavad Gita's Influence
The Bhagavad Gita is a widely known yogic scripture in India, influencing both Eastern and Western thought.
Thinkers like Thoreau, Emerson, Tolstoy, Gandhi, and Huxley have all been influenced by the Gita.
question_answer ANECDOTE
The Story of Arjuna
The Gita tells the story of Arjuna, a warrior facing a moral dilemma on the battlefield.
Krishna, his charioteer (and secretly God), guides him through this inner conflict.
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The Bhagavad Gita is a central text in Hinduism, embedded within the epic Mahabharata. It recounts a dialogue between the warrior-prince Arjuna and his charioteer, Krishna, who is an avatar of the god Vishnu. The text explores themes of dharma (duty), karma (action), and the path to spiritual enlightenment. Krishna advises Arjuna on the importance of performing his duties without attachment to the outcomes, emphasizing the concept of nishkama karma (nonattached action). The Gita synthesizes various strands of Indian religious thought, including Vedic concepts, samkhya yoga, and bhakti (devotion), providing a coherent vision of Hindu philosophy and spiritual practice[2][4][5].
Editor's Note: This is a rebroadcast. It originally aired June 2020.
One of the most burning questions in life is what it is you’re called to do with it. What is your life’s purpose? What great work are you meant to do?
Guidance on this question can come from many sources, and my guest today says that one of the best is the Bhagavad Gita, a text of Hindu scripture thousands of years old. He’s a psychotherapist, yoga teacher, and author of The Great Work of Your Life: A Guide for the Journey to Your True Calling. Stephen Cope and I begin our conversation with an introduction to the Bhagavad Gita, the significant influence it’s had on philosophers and leaders for ages, and what it can teach us about making difficult decisions. We then discuss the insights the Gita offers on the four pillars of right living, beginning with discerning your true calling or sacred duty. We unpack the three areas in your life to examine for clues to your life’s purpose, and why that purpose may be small and quiet rather than big and splashy. Stephen then explains the doctrine of unified action, why you have to pursue your calling full out, and why that pursuit should include the habit of deliberate practice. We also discuss why it’s central to let go of the outcome of actions to focus on the work itself, and the need to turn your efforts over to something bigger than yourself. All along the way, Stephen offers examples of how these pillars were embodied in the lives of eminent individuals who lived out their purpose.
The Art of Manliness 
