Cope - The great work of your life: a guide for the journey to your true calling

Praise for The Great Work of Your Life

I am moved and inspired by The Great Work of Your Life, the clarity and beauty of the lives lived in it, and the timeless dharma it teaches.

J ACK K ORNFIELD , author of A Path with Heart

Stephen Cope has brought the full force of his brilliant mind and expansive heart to capture the wisdom and spirit of one of historys most revered and insightful scriptures. The Great Work of Your Life is a remarkable testament to the power of these teachings and the timeless light they shed on how we each can craft our most glorious life. This is a must-read for anyone aspiring to lasting happiness and real fulfillment.

R OD S TRYKER , author of The Four Desires

This book extends an impassioned, compelling promise: It is possible to live this life as a direct expression of your heart and spirit. Through masterful storytelling about extraordinary and ordinary individuals, Stephen Cope unfolds perennial wisdom teachings found in the Bhagavad Gita that can illuminate your path. Not just inspiring, this book is a fascinating read!

A NNE C USHMAN , author of Enlightenment for Idiots: A Novel

Stephen Copes brilliant re-interpretation of the Bhagavad Gita for modern seekers is the next best thing to having the great god Krishna himself appear in your chariotor the front seat of your carand give you an inspirational pep talk as you commute to work. A master storyteller, Cope examines the lives of ordinary and extraordinary human beings through the lens of the Gitas ancient wisdom to illuminate how each of us can identify and manifest our unique callingleaving his readers both humbled and inspired.

T ARA B RACH , PhD, author of Radical Acceptance

Stephen Copes genius is to connect the ancient tale of Krishna, Arjuna, and their mythic dilemmas to our very own lives through figures we not only admire but can relate to. The Great Work Of Your Life fearlessly bridges this gap, and its arc is incandescent.

C HIP H ARTRANFT , translator, The Yoga-Sutra of Patajali

Who else could bring the ancient wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita to bear on the lives of such a diverse cast of seekers in such a captivating way? Stephen Cope is a masterful storyteller who grabbed me from the first chapter and held me until the very end. His friends became my friends, his heroes my own, and their triumphs and sorrows touched me deeply. And of course throughout, he gently reminds us all that these profound teachings can help us show up for our own dharma and lead us to do small things with great love.

L INDA S PARROWE , editor in chief, Yoga International and author of The Womans Book of Yoga and Health

The Great Work of Your Life is a timely and timeless must-read book. Within its pages, Stephen Cope contemplates the profound meaning of the Bhaghavad Gita, as it applies to our modern life. Exploring the call of dharma, he shows Krishnas step-by-step teaching in a way that will uplift you from within. Its essential for those new to yoga and inspiring for the seasoned practitioner and yoga teacher.

P ATRICIA W ALDEN , international yoga teacher and co-author of The Womans Book of Yoga and Health

Stephen Cope presents an insightful look at the role of dharma as explained by Krishna to Arjuna in the timeless scripture, the Bhagavad Gita. Skillfully interweaving Arjunas story of conflict and doubt with stories of both great and ordinary men and women, Cope illustrates how the rich wisdom of the Gita can transform our actions into spiritual practice and guide us to ultimate freedom and fulfillment.

P ANDIT R AJMANI T IGUNAIT , chairman and spiritual head, Himalayan Institute

The Great Work of Your Life masterfully unfolds the stories of everyday people like you and me, as well as those whom we cherish as our heroes and heroines, revealing the doubts, fears, trials, and passions we will all face when we dare to live an authentic life of purpose and meaning. It will deeply inspire your heart, soul, and mind and lead you ever more deeply into finding and celebrating your own dharma.

R ICHARD M ILLER , PhD, author of Yoga Nidra: A Meditative Practice for Deep Relaxation and Healing, president, Integrative Restoration Institute, and co-founder, International Association of Yoga Therapy

This is a captivating and compassionate guide to the deepest questions of our existence. Stephen Cope ingeniously helps us to remember who we really are, uncovering genuine happiness and expressing it through our dharma, our authentic work in the world.

S ARAH P OWERS , author of Insight Yoga

Stephen Cope hands us the secret keys of understanding and wisdom found in the sacred pages of the ancient Bhagavad Gita. He asks us the right questions, provokes, and motivates us with courage not to retreat from the world but to advance with profound enthusiasm.

L ILIAS F OLAN , PBS host and author of Lilias! Yoga: Your Guide to Enhancing Body, Mind, and Spirit in Midlife and Beyond

Cope weaves together personal narratives of ordinary and extraordinary lives within the framework of the Bhagavad Gita, making the timeless scripture even more relevant to the intricacies of our twenty-first century lifestyle. A pertinent book, for NOW!

N ISCHALA J OY D EVI , teacher, author of The Healing Path of Yoga and The Secret Power of Yoga

The Great Work of Your Life is a portal into the soul of yoga. It reveals how fresh and versatile the wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita is for people of any era or stage of life. This book is a must-read for anyone wishing to penetrate the mystery of what the ancients called karma and dharma and we moderns call living an authentic life.

S COTT B LOSSOM , LAc, CAS

Copyright 2012 by Stephen Cope
All rights reserved.

Published in the United States by Bantam Books, an imprint of The Random House Publishing Group, a division of Random House, Inc., New York.

B ANTAM B OOKS and the rooster colophon are registered trademarks of Random House, Inc.

The constitute an extension of this copyright page.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Cope, Stephen.
The great work of your life : a guide for the journey to your true calling / Stephen Cope. 1st ed.
p. cm.
eISBN: 978-0-345-53568-9
1. Spiritual biographyHinduism. 2. VocationHinduism. 3. BhagavadgitaCriticism, interpretation, etc. I. Title.
BL1170.C67 2012
294.544dc23
2012000863

www.bantamdell.com

Jacket design: Carlos Beltran
Jacket photograph: Don Klumpp/Getty

v3.1_r3

Every man has a vocation to be someone:

but he must understand clearly that in order to fulfill this

vocation he can only be one person: himself.

Thomas Merton

CONTENTS

A NOTE TO THE READER