The Monk who sold his Ferrari Summary

“The Monk who sold his Ferrari” is a spiritual fiction by Robin Sharma- a former lawyer, an author, and a top-class leadership expert in the world. This fiction is about a successful lawyer named Julian Mantle and how he and his life changed after his spiritual awakening took place, after a near-death experience.

The story begins with Julian’s massive heart attack in the middle of a packed courtroom. The author provides the readers with a detailed background of the circumstances that led up to Julian’s heart attack, and then they are fast-forwarded to Julian’s return after several years of being away from the rat race, him being completely changed from before. Not only does he survive the heart attack, but he also quits his law, sells all of his possessions (including his red Ferrari), and travels to India on an expedition to become a monk, far away from people and civilization. This hence explains the title of the book. He is the monk who sold his Ferrari.

When he returns he visits John ( one of his proteges and close friends) and explains to him his “transformation” and the lessons he learned on his spiritual path.

7 life lessons learned from the book

Before sharing the wisdom he gathered from the “Sages of Sivanna”, he wants us to imagine a beautiful garden with the most spectacular flowers. At the center of this garden stands a six stories high lighthouse. Suddenly a Japanese sumo wrestler who is 9 feet tall enters and starts moving around the garden. The wrestler wears nothing but a pink wire cable to cover his modesty. While moving he finds a shiny gold stopwatch and slips on it. After some time, he gets awakened by the fragrance of fresh flowers there and is startled by what he observes then. He sees the bushes covered with millions of sparkling diamonds. And the path which he takes afterward leads him down the road of everlasting joy and eternal bliss.

Now, let’s look at the lessons hidden in this story.

1. Mastering your mind

The magnificent garden from the fable exemplifies your mind, where thoughts represent the flowers. If people fill their minds with negative or destructive thoughts, that will litter their mental gardens. Hence you need to take control of your thoughts by mastering your mind.

Cultivating your mind with positive thoughts and positive self-talk is the first important virtue of the Sivana System. And then you will see your garden or mind blossom to its fullest.

Your “I CAN” is more important than your IQ.

Robin Sharma

2. Following your passion.

The towering lighthouse in the garden symbolizes passion in your life. According to the author, the purpose of life is the life of purpose. Just as the lighthouse provides light to guide the people visiting the garden, your passion guides you to the right path in your life. It helps you to determine your purpose that brings everlasting fulfillment and satisfaction in doing what you are doing.

Related post: Why your passion is priceless?

3. Practicing Kaizen

“The sumo wrestler” in the story represents a virtue of the Sivana System which is known as the Kaizen. This virtue “Kaizen” means never-ending progress and improvement in Japanese. It signifies unlocking your potential, while constantly aiming for self-improvement. 

Also read: Applying Kaizen philosophy in daily life.

Investing in yourself is the best investment you will ever make. It will not only improve your life, but it will also improve the lives of all those around you.

4. Living with discipline

The pink wire cable is a symbol of strict self-discipline. The sages of Sivana follow strict discipline on a regular note. They adopt various methods to do so like not uttering any single word in some days. Similarly, they complete their tasks on time. They thus teach us the value of self-discipline.

It’s your self-discipline that determines your vision of a fully actualized life. So, discipline yourself to build a disciplined life.

5. Respecting your time

“The gold stopwatch” represents the importance of time in one’s life. The sages of Sivana don’t kill their time doing useless stuff. They are well aware of their task that requires priority. Hence, they focus on their priorities and maintain a healthy balance in managing time.

One other thing the Sivana system says is to be relentless and have the courage to say no. Learn to say NO to your unimportant stuff or Time-Wasters. That’s how you can make effective use of your time.

Live every day as though you wouldn’t see tomorrow – doing this will deter you from killing your time and saying yes to an event that you aren’t even eager to participate in. 

6. Serving others selflessly

You might have heard that little fragrance remains in the hands that give flowers to others. “The fragrant roses” in the story symbolize your compassion and empathy for others. How you elevate the lives of others ultimately determines how your life reaches its highest dimensions.

7. Embracing the present

As we pass through life, diamonds and small wonders will decorate our paths. And to acknowledge and appreciate the diamonds, you will have to practice gratitude rather than only complaining about your hardships. Savor your journey of life by embracing your present and living with gratitude. Never sacrifice your happiness for your achievement. Rather, learn to live in the now.

Written in 1997, this book is just as relevant today as it was then. It discusses profound and spiritual ways to find the meaning of life and know yourself in a much better way. A must-read book for all those who believe in the concept of spirituality and who want to live their lives to the fullest.