3 points that resonated with me after reading Jay Shetty's Book, 'Think like a monk.'
Jay Shetty was a corporate professional, just like you and me. At 22, he gave up corporate life to become a monk and spent three years as one and decided to write a book about his experience and learning from the three years. The book titled 'Think like a monk' is a must-read.
Below are my three most significant take-aways from the book.
Freedom of speech: In the book, Jay mentions, 'Remember, saying whatever we want, whenever we want, however, we want is not freedom. Real freedom is not feeling the need to say these things.' Speaking your mind is not real freedom, while not feeling the need to do is. We come across a ton of people who we would like to give unsolicited advice or criticise. We get so caught up in need to express ourselves that we feel compelled to offer our opinion. We may think we are using our freedom of speech, but there is no freedom to be found in reality. Whenever we say things in the heat of the moment, they are usually not our wisest words. Saying something to hurt other people is more like projecting one's insecurities. Insecurity does not equal freedom.
Be salt: Salt is a unique character. Its presence is not felt, but its absence makes everything tasteless. If a dish contains no salt, too little salt or too much salt, it can cause any food to become inedible. Whenever this happens, salt is the first to take the blame. Salt takes extreme ownership.
I doubt any of you have ever said, 'Oh, this dish contains the perfect amount of salt!'. Salt never really boasts and likes to hide in the background when things are going perfect, quietly. This is not to say that speaking highly about oneself is never warranted. But it's crucial not to be boastful as others might question your integrity and the desire to care for anyone but yourself.
Salt also works best in moderation. In life, moderation is the idea that an individual should avoid extremes and instead focus on having a life committed to balancing. In a society that promotes pleasure-seeking and erroneously equates having more with happiness, the idea of moderation is often ignored.
So let's be salt.
Service- "Plant trees under whose shade you do not want to sit": He mentions that the highest purpose is to live in service. I always associated service with wealth and providing money to the needy, which is why I felt I wasn't ready. You don't have to have to give. Service is beyond that. Such seeking to leave a place happier and cleaner than we found it is also service. Try and serve within your dharma or purpose. What is our purpose, you may ask? Most of us will live our lives, never knowing our purpose. I was once on a flight that had terrible turbulence and had a free fall for almost 10 seconds. Ten seconds is a long time when you feel it's the end. This happened soon after my son was born. During those ten seconds, all I thought was that my purpose was to create him!
Jay breaks Dharma/Purpose very well. It equates to Passion + Expertise + Usefulness. Find something you are passionate about, have the necessary expertise in and is useful to the world. When you do something, ask yourself. Did I enjoy the process? Did other people enjoy the result?
We can look for opportunities for service in the smallest of groups: work, school or an online community. Even if you work a corporate job, you can look to serve by giving weekend classes at a school, helping someone get fit or eat right or helping someone with a fundraiser. The opportunities are limitless. As Jay quotes, 'Service is the direct path to a meaningful life.'
You can read more about Jay Shetty at Link. Think Like a Monk includes a combination of ancient wisdom and Jay Shetty’s personal experiences, making for a fascinating read.