The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari is one of Robin Sharma's most successful books. It is being made into a motion picture due for release in 2007. Sharma is acting in it, as well.

This book centers around the character of Julian Mantle, a superstar lawyer who collapsed right in the middle of a packed coutroom.

It is a fable about a spiritual journey, littered with powerful life lessons that teach us how to embrace destiny, live life to the full and discover joy.

I would strongly recommend this great book to everyone. Especially to all the workoholics out there because there is more to life than the 6' x 8' cubicles you are holed into. Julian should know because he has been there before, so please hear him out.

"And please never, ever forget the gift of family. Live your children's childhood. Few things are as meaningful as being a part of your children's childhood. What is the point of climbing the steps of success if you have missed the first steps of your own kids? What good is owning the biggest house on your block if you have not taken the time to create a home? What is the used of being known across the country as a red-hot trial lawyer if your kids don't even know their father?" Julian offered, his voice now quivering with emotion.

After his near-fatal heart attack, Julian, aged 53, was given this choice by his doctors: your life or your career. He chose the former and sold off his mansion, his plane, private island and even his ferrari to embark on a journey in the mystical land of India, obviously in search of answers.

Thus begins his journey of self discovery, which took him 3 years.

The more he explored, the more he heard of Indian monks who had lived beyond the age of a hundred, monks who despite their advanced years maintained youthful, energetic and vital lives. The more he travelled, the more he learned of ageless yogis who had mastered the art of mind-control and spiritual awakening. And the more he saw, the more he longed to understand the dynamics behind these miracles of human nature, hoping to apply their philosopies to his own life.

It was while he was in Kashmir that he had the good fortune to meet Yogi Krishnan who told him about the Great Sages of Sivana. Julian set off again to search for this lost land of Sivana.

He travelled into the rarified regions of the Himalayas. Along the way, he met Yogi Raman, one of the sages who went on to become his mentor. From the sages, he learned, among others, about the seven virtues for a life overflowing with inner peace, joy and a wealth of spiritual gifts. All contained within an imaginative mystical fable which has the essence of it all.

"You are sitting in the middle of a magnificent, lush, green garden. This garden is filled with the most spectacular flowers you have ever seen. The environment is supremely tranquil and silent. Savor the sensual delights of this garden and feel as if you have all the time in the world to enjoy this natural oasis. As you look around you see that in the center of this magical garden stands a towering, red lighthouse, six stories high. Suddenly, the silence of the garden is disturbed by a loud creaking as the door at the base of the lighthouse opens. Out stumbles a nine-foot-tall, nine-hundred-pound Japanese sumo wrestler who casually wanders into the center of the garden.

As this sumo wrestler starts to move around the garden, he finds a shiny gold stopwatch which someone had left behind many years earlier. He slips it on, and falls to the ground with an enormous thud. The sumo wrestler is rendered unconscious and lies there, silent and still. Just when you think he has taken his last breath, the wrestler awakens, perhaps stirred by the fragrance of some fresh yellow roses blooming nearby. Energized, the wrestler jumps swiftly to his feet and intuitively looks to his left. He is startled at what he sees. Through the bushes at the very edge of the garden he observes a long winding path covered by millions of sparkling diamonds.

Something seems to instruct the wrestler to take the path, and to his credit, he does. This path leads him down the road of everlasting joy and eternal bliss."

If you wish to know more about the sages' secret to the Seven Timeless Virtues of Enlightened Living, which Julian promised to spread to the world, go get yourself this book.