How do we make sense of our lives when our world seems to be falling apart?In this beautifully written guide, scholar and teacher Stephen Cope shows that crises don't have to derail us from our purpose-they can actually help us to find our purpose and step forward as our best selves.The Dharma in Difficult Times extends the message of Cope's best-loved book, The Great Work of Your Life, which gave readers a roadmap for the journey to their true calling. As in Great Work, Cope here takes the ancient yogic text the Bhagavad Gita-the epic narrative of the warrior Arjuna's odyssey of self-discovery-as a model for the reader's journey. Then he builds on that foundation using the stories and teachings of famous figures, as well as stories of ordinary people and his own rich personal experience. Along the way, we find striking examples for finding meaning and purpose in our lives: Gandhi shows how to tap our spiritual resources and listen for our inner voice Sojourner Truth and Henry David Thoreau inspire us to seek out the unmistakable signs of dharma in the midst of chaos Marian Anderson and Ruby Sales shed light on dharma's mystic power and how we learn to trust in it And moreIn the spirit of Pema Chödrön's When Things Fall Apart, this book is required reading when you find yourself forging a path through crisis-or seeking a way through your darkest times to your truest self.
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Stephen Cope is at the height of his considerable powers as mystic, scholar, and master storyteller. To say that this is the right book at the right time would be an understatement. Illuminated by the ancient wisdom of the Bhagavad Gita, Cope has laid out a clear path for how to utilize difficult times to deepen life purpose, sense of meaning, and capacity for mature compassion. In the lineage of all great mystics, he both invites and implores us to fully comprehend that when we face our greatest difficulties as opportunities for spiritual growth, this not only saves us, it also saves the world. With this audacious and brilliant book, Cope has thrown down the gauntlet: Will you fully take up your Dharma in these difficult times?
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Gail Straub, co-founder of The Empowerment Institute and author of The Rhythm of Compassion