I'm currently sitting here at my computer feeling as though I have have just completed reading a story about myself. Stephan Cope's Yoga and the Quest of the True Self resonated something within. Reading his experiences as he journeyed to Realization made me want to scream, "I know just what you mean!!!". It made me wonder if I these feeling that I am having right now, these feelings of inadequacy and inacurracy that I have about my current path, could possibly be my unconscious self (i.e. my True Self) yearning to be discovered. .
Following the reading of this book, I took the liberty of writing down those topics in which I had had a direct experience. Amazingly it took up a full page. I think what is so interesting about this work is that it is a "self help" book (although, it is so much much more than that) that appeals to the reader on so many different levels. The reader can relate to it on a stylistically level because of how informal it is written. Reading this book was like having a talk with a good friend. It did not have the feel of a dry textbook explanation. Also, the reader can use it as a spiritual or psychological guide. Having and interest in both psychology and religion, it was intriguing to see someone illustrate the journey of the spirit within the constructs of psycoanalysis. Furthermore, I was really fascinated with seeing an aspect of Hindu belief within the frame work of Western society. I have been eager to learn about how someone from Western society decides to convert or adapt Hinduism as a belief system.
However, as I stated earlier, what really drew me was the ability to see myself within the the pages of the book. One of the first things I identified with was Cope's initial reaction following the opening words from Amrit Desai. " But some things gave me the willies. I was troubled by the language: guru disciple, Gurudev. I was troubled by the devotion.Was I on the edge of getting involved in some kind of cult?" (p.
