SUMMARY OF “THINK LIKE A MONK” BOOK

Think Like a Monk: Train Your Mind for Peace and Purpose Every Day

Author : Jay Shetty

Publisher : Thorsons; FIRST EDITION (8 September 2020)

Paperback : 320 pages

The book starts with author’s background and his life in ashram. He was in college in London; when one of his friends insisted him to attend a monk’s speech. He got impressed with the monk’s speech; the monk was graduated from IIT Bombay. Then author confessed that his life always fascinated by the people who had gone from nothing to something -rags to -riches stories, but in the monk’s speech he found that the monk did opposite. The monk left his life and the world, still he sounds joyous, confident and at peace. The author found the monk a truly happy person and that was the turning point in his (author) life to be a monk.

This book inspires us in so many ways to start afresh after reading it. It will help us to make a very effective routine and allows us listen our mind in new ways, to bring more gratitude in our life. While guiding to find our purpose in life, author suggested the path of dharma and gave a formula for it.

Passion + Expertise + Usefulness = Dharma

He also writes that everyone has a psychophysical nature and this determines; where they flourish and thrive. Dharma is using this natural inclination, the things they are good at, their thrive mode, to serve others. They should feel passion when they get happiness from people and the act should be very skilful. From this they should get a positive response with the fulfilling purpose. 

Negativity is everywhere, we woke up with our terrible looks, listening our partner’s complain, listening bad news on radio, looking our driver missing the red light while checking his phone. The author writes that if we express and report more at aches and pains of the day, compare with our neighbours, complain about our partner, criticise people on social media, argue, deceive, explode into anger, by these things we cannot wipe away negative thoughts, feelings and ideas completely. We never completely purse oneself of envy, jealousy, greed, lust, anger, pride and illusion but that does not mean we should stop trying. This type of thoughts will always arise but it is what we do and make a difference. If anyone becomes more aware of another’s negativity then there are more chances that he is becoming negative.

To overcome negativity author suggests some more ways…

Spot… Stop… Swap

Spot a feeling or issue

Stop to understand what it is

Swap in a new way of processing

To purify our thoughts, make talks about the process of awareness, addressing and amending it. The author writes that we need not to reduce our thoughts and words to hundred per cent sunshine and positivity. But we should try to find the ways which can challenge negativity, to understand its origins in ourselves and those around us. The best way to overcome negativity is through recognition and forgiveness. We should use the above way, spot… stop… and swap… to observe, reflect and develop new behavior to replace the negativity in our lives, always striving towards self-discipline and bliss.

Fear does not prevent death,

It prevents life… Buddha

Here author suggests about fear, we can serve to the world more but fear and anxiety disconnect us and make our abilities fragile. Every time from our childhood we are told that fear is negative, fear has embarrassing and humiliating reactions. But fear is just a signal to prepare for the next problem. The cause of fear arises from our attachment with something but the cure of fear is detachment from that thing. The best way to deal with fear is to acknowledge it and address the trigger points, understanding its pattern will help us reprogram ourselves. When people identify their attachment related fears and instead foster attachment, they can live a life with more freedom and happiness. Sometimes fear motivates the people towards their need but sometimes, if they are not much careful then it limits them and with it they think will keep them safe.

The author suggests three different types of meditation breathe work, visualisation and enchanting. He also suggested following this on daily basis for at least twenty one minutes but later can expand it time. We should train our mind to knowledge the forces that affect us, detach from illusion and false beliefs, and we should look for positive ideas, the things motivates us, which feels meaningful for us.

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