From the Gita to the Grail: Exploring Yoga Stories and Western Myths

by Bernie Clark

What is the meaning of Shiva dancing on a dwarf named Avidya? Why does Vishnu sleep upon an endless snake? To what did the Buddha awaken? What do we mean by soul? The practice of Yoga has become quite common and popular in the West; however, the stories of Yoga are still strange to Western ears. What do these ancient symbols mean, what are they trying to teach us, and how should we incorporate the knowledge skillfully into our Western lifestyle? By looking at the myths of Yoga along with the stories that have influenced Western culture, we are presented with opportunities to select the best of both worlds, and create new maps to help guide us through the uncertainties of modern living. Stories are fun! Important stories guide us and educate us; they create mental models which work at an unconscious level to help us navigate through our modern society and govern our reactions to the ups-and¬downs of life; they provide meaning and purpose for our life; and our stories entertain and entrance us. In this book, Bernie Clark looks at the spiritual stories found in the West that create a base map for our lives and then looks at the stories found in the East to see how they could improve our base maps. The stories offered are mix of light¬hearted and enjoyable, and deep and profound. The importance of stories East and West are illustrated through the model proposed by the great 20th century mythologist, Joseph myths, or stories, serve four great functions - the mystical, the cosmological, the sociological and the psychological function. The stories chosen illustrate these four functions of mythology and show how we can take these stories into ourselves to create a deeper experience of life. This book is indexed making it very easy to navigate. You may find that, with a proper introduction, mythology will catch you. Joseph The Power of Myth

Genres: Nonfiction

546 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 2014

Reviews

[Jennifer · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book as part of a course I was taking on meditation and the history of yoga. Bernie presented sections of it as part of a power point during the course. His presentation was very faithful to the book. I found both to be endlessly interesting and appreciated the way he worked his way through the timeline of history, providing context to so many things by explaining what else was going on and how they were related to other events happening in the world at that time. However, as this is a survey of thousands of years of history, I found that many of the theories were dealt with in a simplistic way and that the author chose to recount almost everything from a single point of view. He was clear that he was recounting only some of the possible maps of experience, but I would have appreciated more information about different theories and interpretations of texts.

[Niki Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is fucking incredible. Fascinating. Like every single word was chosen in artistry. I am even more obsessed with Bernie Clark than I thought possible. Please note this took me two years to read and was a lot to digest before I was ready, just kept putting it down. I will definitely keep rereading this one 🙌

[Courtney Riggan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really interesting read. Love that it was stated various maps will suit us at different times, and there's no 'right' or 'wrong' map, just what is and isn't useful to you at present.
I'm more familiar with Western myths, stories, and ideas, so learning about the Eastern side of those things was very much appreciated.

[Deb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an ambitious project, the comparison of Eastern vs Western mythologies and how that is reflected in cultural differences. Bernie Clark tackles it admirably. There are parts that are quite compelling and some just too dense for me, evidenced by the months it took me to finish it.

[Uschi · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another book I'd never made it through without my book group. Bernie needed help on the Women's chapter. It's a deep dive and he leaves the best for last.