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

“Monks can withstand temptations, refrain from criticizing, deal with pain and anxiety, quiet the ego, and build lives with purpose and meaning. Why shouldn’t we learn from the calmest, happiest, most purposeful people on earth?”

Shetty immediately makes the case for why one would want to Think Like a Monk. He offers the ideal monk as a role model for how one can attain peace and meaning.

“No matter what you think your values are, your actions tell the real story. What we do with our spare time shows what we value. For instance, you might put spending time with your family at the top of your list of values, but if you spend all your free time playing golf, your actions don’t match your values, and you need to do some self-examination.”

Shetty emphasizes how actions, not words, reveal values and intentions. Words and promises are not enough. Perhaps unconsciously, this reveals how Shetty is speaking from a position of privilege or, perhaps consciously, speaking to others in positions of privilege: “Free time” is a perk of privilege.

“Instead, we want to let go of the false values that fill the space in our lives. The ashram gave us monks the opportunity to observe nature, and our teachers called our attention to the cycles of all living things. Leaves sprout, transform, and drop. Reptiles, birds, and mammals shed their skins, feathers, fur. Letting go is a big part of the rhythm of nature, as is rebirth.”

Shetty often employs metaphors of nature and natural processes to shed light on his ideas. Here, he establishes the importance of nature to the thinking of monks; he implies that people, are part of the cycle and should participate in the rhythm of life. This way of thinking makes room for mindfulness and gratitude—appreciating the present because it soon will be past—and prepares one for transformation.