Key lessons to help individuals apply a monk mindset to their lives.
Table of contents
🚀 The Book in 3 Charts
🎨 Impressions
Think Like a Monk provides the key lessons that Jay Shetty has learned from his transition to Buddhism and his experience of applying these messages to the modern world. The concept is that being a Monk is compatible with technology, relationships and full-time jobs. As long as you find your identity in the right areas, think positively and treat your loved ones well, you will start to think like a monk.
🔍 How I Discovered It
Jay Shetty's YouTube Channel.
👤 Who Should Read It?
Think Like a Monk includes a combination of ancient wisdom and Jay Shetty’s personal experiences. It shows you how to clear the roadblocks to your potential by overcoming negative thoughts, accessing stillness, and creating true purpose.
☘️ How the Book Changed Me
I obtained excellent advice that is highly practical and relevant to our modern society. Jay Shetty is able to validate ancient monk wisdom with modern scientific research to help us live a life with more peace and purpose every day.
✍️ My Top 3 Quotes
Detachment is not that you own nothing, but that nothing should own you.
When you’re living in service, you don’t have time to complain and criticize. When you’re living in service, your fears go away. When you’re living in service, you feel grateful. Your material attachments diminish. Service is the direct path to a meaningful life.
Meditation is not broken when you’re distracted. It is broken when you let yourself pursue the distracting thought.
📒 Summary + Notes
Key Ideas:
#1 Clarify your identity
“I am not what I think I am, and I am not what you think I am. I am what I think you think I am.”
—Charles Horton Cooley, 1902
The problem most of us face is that we do not consciously and intentionally decide on our values. In other words, we don’t pick what we deem as important. We just accept and inherit what other people around us think are important.
When we live our lives trying to impress others based on values that we didn’t consciously choose, then we will be tired and stressed all the time. Therefore, the first step to thinking like a monk is to get clear on your values.
#2 Reverse negativity with Spot-Stop-Swap
We should challenge ourselves to dig to the roots of our negativity, understand it, and be thoughtful of how we manage it. Rather than vent mindlessly, we should spot, stop, and swap. We should observe, reflect, and develop new behaviors.
#3 Get intimate with fear, then detach
After we identify the attachment behind a fear and then foster detachment, we can live with freedom and enjoyment.
#4 Hone good intentions
Plant higher intentions like duty and love, then act on them. The purer your good intentions, the happier you will be.
#5 Live your purpose and dharma
Dharma = Passion + Expertise + Usefulness.
In other words, when we use our passions and expertise to provide something that others need, we will have true happiness and fulfillment. Someone people aren’t passionate about their work. Others follow their passions and interest, but no one needs their work. If either piece is missing, then we are not living in our dharma.
#6 Build self-esteem, not ego
Remember that you are not your achievements, job, possessions, youth, or beauty. These are all temporary things that will pass. They were given to you, and they will leave. When we truly understand the impermanence of everything, then we will feel liberated and grateful for what we have.
Look for these opportunities to detach from ego:
Receiving an insult – look at the broader view of the person’s negativity
Receiving a compliment – be grateful to your teachers
Arguing with a partner – see the other person’s side. “lose” the battle. Wait a day and see how it feels.
Topping people – When hearing other’s accomplishments, be happy for them and don’t say anything about your accomplishments.
“Real greatness is when you use your own achievements to teach others, and they learn how to teach others, and the greatness that you’ve accomplished expands exponentially.”
—Jay Shetty
#7 Understand and nurture relationships through trust and connection
When it comes to having good relationships, we must first establish clear expectations. If we cannot articulate what we want to ourselves or others, we will end up attracting the wrong people, which will lead to bad relationships. To establish expectations, Jay talks about trust and reason.
#8 Service is the direct path to a happy and fulfilling life
Service is aligned with nature: The sun provides light, trees provide oxygen and shade, water provides nourishment. Human beings are meant to serve.
Serving others has many benefits:
Service connects us to others and the world
Service amplifies gratitude by giving you a broad view of all that you have
Service increases compassion
Service builds self-esteem, that you have a meaning and purpose in the world
Bibliography
https://www.weeklywisdomblog.com/post/think-like-a-monk-book-summary-and-application#viewer-f70q7
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