The monk story. Review on The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari - Robin Sharma

INTRODUCTION

~~The monk who sold his Ferrari is a tale, which provides a systematic approach to living with greater courage, balance, abundance, and joy. The fable format helps to add interest to what could otherwise become a tiresome listing of all the good things we should be doing for ourselves but we are not. Its advice is very basic, but told in the form of a story, which makes the points brought out easy to remember. Although most of the principles dealt with can be found in countless other volumes on self-help, personal growth and spirituality, Sharma's way of putting it all together helps to keep one on track.

~~In a wonderfully crafted story Robin S Sharma tells the extraordinary tale of Julian Mantle a lawyer forced to face the spiritual crisis of his out of balance life. He travels to an ancient culture, which proves to be a life-changing odyssey. In the process he discovers powerful wise and pragmatic lessons that guide us to pursue our life?s objectives and aspirations, value time as the most important commodity, cherish our relationships, develop joyful thoughts and live fully, one day at a time.

~~In eleven cautiously planned chapters he describes the story. Julian Mantle a very successful lawyer who achieved everything most could ever want: a stellar professional reputation with an income in seven figures, a spectacular mansion in a neighborhood favored by celebrities, a private jet, a summer home on a tropical island and his prized possession a shiny red Ferrari parked in the center of his driveway and his transformation from all this to a monk dedicated to improve the life of his own and that of others.

~~In the first chapter the author provides the background of the life of Julian Mantle when he was a successful lawyer. John a friend and co-worker of Julian narrates the life of Julian Mantle how his outrageous courtroom theatrics regularly made the front pages of newspapers. His late night visits to the city?s finest restaurants with sexy young fashion models.

~~The story starts with the Julian Mantle collapsing in the courtroom the great lawyer sweating and shivering like a little child. And he being taken to the hospital following a heart attack, which was inevitable because of his obsession with work, the last few years Julian worked day and night without caring about his mental and physical health. All this helped him earn a lot and made him a very successful lawyer but took a toll on his health and mental state. At 53 he looked as if he was 70 and lost all his sense of humor. While admitted in the hospital Julian refused to meet with any of his friends and colleagues and then announced his departure from the law firm that he was heading.

~~Julian Mantle following his heart attack left his home sold his property and headed for India. Three years passed without any news from Julian and one day he appeared to his friend and former colleague John who was now a somewhat cynical older lawyer. But there was a vast difference in the Julian who collapsed in the court and the Julian who returned from India. Julian in the last three year was miraculously transformed into a healthy man who looked really young with physical vitality and spiritual strength.

~~In The 2nd and 3rd chapter of the book the author tells us about the journey of Julian to India and how he met the sages of Sivana who changed his life for good. Julian Mantle in the 5th chapter starts sharing his story of transformation with his friend John who Julian thinks needs to know about the secrets of a happy and fulfilling life. Julian starts with telling John about the sages of Sivana, a small number of people living high in the mountains in the great Himalayas who knew all secrets of how to live life happily and how to fulfill the dreams and reach the destiny.

~~Julian tells John about yogi Raman the leader of the sages of Sivana and the person who taught Julian the secrets of a happy and fulfilling life. But only in the 6th chapter Julian starts sharing the secrets. He narrates to John the fable that contained the seven virtues for a life overflowing with inner peace, joy and a wealth of spiritual gifts. The following chapters revolve around this fable. In the 7th chapter Julian tells John the techniques that he learned from yogi Raman on how to master our own mind with the simple techniques like the ?heart of rose technique? or ?the secret of lake technique?. He tells John how to cultivate our own mind, how to see setbacks as opportunities for personal expansions.

~~In the 8th and 9th chapter of the book Julian tells John how to follow our own purpose and teaches John the ancient art of self-leadership with techniques such as ?do the things you fear? and ?the 5 step method for attaining goals?.

~~In the 10th and 11th chapter of the book Julian tells John how to live with discipline and to respect time. Again he teaches John many techniques like ?the ancient rule of 20?, ?the vow of silence?, he teaches how to focus on the priorities and maintain balance and how to simplify the life. And he tells John giving examples that willpower is the essential virtue of a fully actualized life. In the last two chapters Julian teaches John the virtue of selflessly serving others and how to embrace the present and asks John to live in ?now?, never to sacrifice happiness for achievements and to savor the journey and live each day as the last one. At the end Julian asked John to spread the secrets that he shared with John for the betterment of other people. Then he embraced John like the brother he never had and left.

CRITICAL ANALYSIS

--Robin S Sharma has written this book for the American-European audience in view and out of those also has targeted the people who are in the rat race for material success and money. Therefore the book is not at all relevant for the Indian readers and it is astonishing and such a well-known publisher Jaico has published the book in India. The book is full of platitudes and clichéd ?wisdom? for Indians who are very well conversant with every principle or every insight flaunted by Sharma through Julian Mantle as the manna freshly culled from the so called sages of sivana.

--The style of Sharma is also the very common style of American public speakers that is full of hyperbolic statements with abundance of adjectives such as ?limitless? ?wonderful? ?highly effective? ?most potent? ?tremendous? etc etc.

--Thus the wisdom dished out by Sharma is only old wine in new bottle. The presentation in the form of a story smacks of a little freshness, which redeems the book to some extent. For American-European readers hungry for oriental wisdom perhaps the book will be more satisfactory and attractive.