Since I mentioned Robin Sharma and “The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari” in my latest video, people have asked me about his book. It was one of the first books that I read and recognized as spiritual fiction. The subtitle of this book is “a fable about fulfilling your dreams and reaching your destiny,” and it truly is a fable and totally fictional. Initially when I read it I thought it was a true story until some of the things that happened to the lawyer Julian just seemed impossible to believe. I was really in the infancy of my spirituality at the time, however this story did get me hooked.
This fable is about a very successful lawyer named Julian Mantle who is stricken by a massive heart attack in the middle of a packed courtroom. One of his proteges, John, is there to witness the big man crumple to the ground, and the story progresses from there. The author provides you with a detailed background of the circumstances leading up to Julian’s heart attack, and you are then fast-forwarded to Julian’s return after several years of being away from the rat race.
Not only does Julian survive the heart attack, he quits the law firm, sells all of his possessions (including his red Ferrarai) and travels to India on an “expedition” to become a monk. This explains the title of the book. When he returns he visits John and meets with him several times to explain his “transformation” and to explain the lessons that he has learned.
When Julian returns, he is virtually unrecognizable to John. He is lean, tanned and calm. In fact the only evidence left of the man that he once was is a scar on his chest from the surgery he had as a result of his heart attack. Over the course of several meetings, Julian explains how he was transformed by a meeting with the “Sages of Sivanna”. These “Sages” teach Julian many things and show him that life is much more than material wealth and possessions.
This is a spiritual fiction book and I have found it very easy to read and to keep interested in (I have read it four times). One of the things that I found unique (for it’s time) was that it also includes an “Action Summary” and “Julian’s Wisdom In a Nutshell” at the end of every chapter that has provided you with one of the “7 Timeless Virtues of Enlightened Living”. Many books today include a reader’s study guide or group discussion outlines, however this was one of the first books I had encountered that did this in a fiction book.
Written in 1997, this book is just as relevant today as it was then. With all the hype about “The Secret” and the fiction book “The Shack”, Mr. Sharma brought all of the lessons that they have been teaching into his book at least ten years before they became popular. I would recommend that you read this book, particularly if you have read similar books and you will see that learning life lessons can be enjoyable when combined with an interesting story. I also recommend “Life Lessons From The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari” and I deem it essential to own and KEEP “Who Will Cry When You Die”, both by Robin Sharma. His latest book “The Leader Who Had No title” has a good message, however I was put off by the poor editing.
Please contact me if you have any questions or comments – I would love to hear from you.
Laughter and love,
Rick Fess
“The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari” Robin S. Sharma