The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari

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"Man… sacrifices his health in order to make money.

Then he sacrifices money to recuperate his health.

And then he is so anxious about the future that he does not enjoy the present;

the result being that he does not live in the present or the future;

he lives as if he is never going to die, and then he dies having never really lived." –The Dalai Lama

This month’s book review is on Robin Sharma’s “The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari”. This fictional story begins with the over-worked, over-stressed lawyer, Julian Mantle, who, after suffering a heart attack in the middle of the court room, is forced to evaluate his life. After his nearly fatal wake-up call, Julian decides he is unhappy with the way things are going in his life and change is desperately needed. After selling all of his worldly possessions, including his shiny red Ferrari, Julian leaves his law practice and ventures off on a spiritual odyssey half a world away.

Upon his return, he is a completely changed man, being much more vibrant and youthful than he had ever previously been. Julian then spreads the story of his journey and transformation to a former law partner, sharing with him these 7 Timeless Virtues of Enlightened Living:

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1.  Master Your Mind. “If you care for your mind, if you nurture it and if you cultivate it just like a fertile, rich garden, it will blossom far beyond your expectations. But let the weeds take root, lasting peace of mind and deep inner harmony will always elude you” (Sharma, 41).

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2.  Follow Your Purpose. “The purpose of life is a life of purpose. Those who are truly enlightened know what they want out of life, emotionally, materially, physically, and spiritually” (Sharma, 74).

3.  Practice Kaizen. “This Japanese word means constant and never-ending improvement. And it’s the personal trademark of every man and woman who is living a soaring, fully awakened existence” (Sharma, 94).

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4.  Live with Discipline. “To build a will of iron, it is essential to take small, tiny acts in tribute to the virtue of personal discipline. Routinely performed, the little acts pile one on top of another to eventually produce an abundance of inner strength” (Sharma, 145).



5.  Respect Your Time. “Time slips through our hands like grains of sand, never to return. Those who use time wisely from an early age are rewarded with rich, productive and satisfying lives. Those who have never been exposed to the principle that ‘time mastery is life mastery’ will never realize their enormous human potential” (Sharma, 161-162).

6.  Selflessly Serve Others. “When all is said and done, no matter what you have achieved, no matter how many summer homes you own, no matter how many cars sit in your driveway, the quality of your life will come down to the quality of your contribution” (Sharma, 174).

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7.  Embrace the Present. “The past is water under the bridge and the future is a distant sun on the horizon of your imagination. The most important moment is now. Learn to live in it and savor it fully” (Sharma, 183).

Along with each virtue, Julian explains several practical techniques that can be used to enhance the virtue in your own life. For example, one technique is called the Ritual of Solitude, in which you spend time, as little as 15 minutes, sitting in silence and looking at beautiful pictures or objects such as a flower, trees, or a beach. Practicing this technique will reduce stress and anxiety, increase energy levels throughout the day, and make the day more productive. Although they are simple, consistently using an hour a day to practice the different techniques will lead to profound life changes.

At first it might seem difficult to find an extra hour a day on top of an already busy schedule, however, saying you are too busy for self-improvement is like saying you are too busy driving to stop for gas. It may be sufficient in the short-term, but eventually it will catch up with you. Invest time and energy in yourself and unlock the possibilities that you previously could only dream of.

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