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

Born in London to parents of Indian heritage, Shetty became interested in the wisdom of monks after hearing a talk given by Gauranga Das while he was in college. As he says in his introduction, “I spent most of my childhood doing un-monk-like things” (xii). In his adolescence, he “became involved in a bunch of bad stuff” (xii-xiii). Once in college, however, he settled down and “started to notice the value of hard work, sacrifice, discipline, persistence in the pursuit of one’s goals” (xiii). Still, he remained unsatisfied with the basic goals of “getting a good job, getting married one day, maybe having a family—the usual” (xiii). Thus, the monk’s talk on campus set him on a different path: he joined an ashram and trained to become a monk. He remained on this path for three years until he realized that his true purpose was elsewhere; he felt himself to be better suited to the role of teacher or guide.

After working in the business world as a social media advisor, he was hired by Huffington Post, where he made videos about finding personal purpose and improving mental health. This eventually led him to host his own podcast, On Purpose, whose guests run the gamut from athletes and entertainers to writers and historians. A self-described “Purpose Coach,” Shetty also hosts workshops and meditation sessions, provides courses on success and purpose through his website, and works as a motivational speaker.

He details his journey throughout Think Like a Monk, describing his experiences in the ashram and with its monks to illustrate their values and to show the benefits of the monk-like mindset. It was not always an easy journey for him: “I always joke that as far as my parents were concerned, I had three career options: doctor, lawyer, or failure” (5). His personal journey at the ashram was not always appreciated by those closest to him. Yet, determined to find greater fulfillment in life, he developed his own set of values and learned life lessons from the monks. He relays numerous personal anecdotes, usually in italics, to reveal the challenges and successes of his journey. Once he realized his greatest fear was “that I can’t make my parents happy” (48), he was able to forge his own path. He explores the origins of his desire to teach—and learn from—others. He “set up an extracurricular club called ‘Think Out Loud,’” wherein students would meet to discuss Shetty’s talks on “philosophical, spiritual, and/or scientific topic[s]” (101). This, one could say, is the wellspring for what eventually became Think Like a Monk.

Shetty was devastated when he realized that life in the ashram was not his true path: “this is a huge blow to my ego. I’ve invested so much of myself in this place, this world, and all my future plans are based on that decision” (182). He reorients his experiences to serve a purpose in the secular world, which leads to personal and professional success. This success brings his life full circle; he realizes how much gratitude he owes his parents, once so difficult to please. Living in India, among many people vastly less fortunate, helped clarify this for Shetty: “I probably couldn’t have articulated it then, but that day I gleaned how much had been given to me. […] My father, in fact, has worked his way out of the slums of Pune, not far from Mumbai. I was the product of immense hard work and sacrifice” (209). As Shetty recognizes that sacrifice, and grows wiser and happier on his own personal journey, he is able to pass along his story for the benefit of others: “the monk mindset acknowledges that the right use of energy is to remain a student,” he writes in the conclusion. “You can never cease learning. You don’t cut your hair or mow your lawn once. You have to keep at it. In the same way, sustaining the monk mindset requires self-awareness, discipline, diligence, focus, and constant practice” (280). By the end of the book, he assures the reader, “You have all you need to think like a monk” (280).