Spiritual Escalation of self - as depicted in The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari by Robin Sharma.

#Robin Sharma, the new age writer is a Uganda born Canadian Author. Today he is the internationally renowned author of 11 international bestselling books on leadership. He is also a highly sought after speaker and leadership coach and the founder of Sharma Leadership International Inc. Robin Sharma it seems, through his works has altered the lives of many readers and is a guiding light that leads his audience towards a spiritual escalation of self. The paper discusses his novel #The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari. How all the way through this novel he offers a solution to life’s most complex problems and leads us towards spiritual growth. The paper also discusses why in the modern age of science and technology, a book with a spiritual message is liked and appreciated by many. Furthermore, his works carry a wealth of wisdom that enriches our personal, professional and spiritual life at large.

The novel teaches us how to maintain simplicity, serenity, happiness and harmony in our life. Before being a writer, Sharma was a lawyer, just like the protagonist in the novel. As he himself decided to redefine his core values he felt that he should share his transformation with other and this resulted in The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari – A Fable About Fulfilling Your Dreams And Achieving Your Destiny,( 2003) which was followed by the book entitled Who Will Die When You Cry, The Greatness Guide, etc. In the preface to his book, Who Will Die When You Cry, Sharma urges us to live our life by choice and not by chance, by design rather by default. He further says that today we live in an age when we have forgotten what life is all about. We can easily put person on Moon, but we have trouble walking across the street to meet a new neighbour. We can put missile across the world with a pinpoint accuracy, but we have trouble keeping a date with our children. We have e-mails, fax, face-book and digital phones so that we can stay connected and yet we live in a time where humans beings have never been less connected. Sharma feels we have lost touch with our humanity. We have lost touch with our purpose. We have lost sight of the things that matters the most.

The real problem, he feels lies in the fact that in this age of global anxiety we do not get enough relief. Two Sanskrit words he says sound very similar, Chinta and Chitta – one burns the dead while other burns the living. Therefore, the basic question he urges us to ask ourselves is ‘who will cry when I die?’ very soon all will be over and only regret remain. This regret leads to depression, frustration and stress. Therefore, before becoming slaves to this pessimist state of mind, Sharma urges us to find our call. He says that finding one calling does not suggest that you must leave the job you have now.  However, it simply means that one needs to bring more of self into the work and focus on things one does best. It also means that one stops waiting for others to make the change, but one ought to take the initiative and travel on the road less traveled.

The novel, The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari – A Fable About Fulfilling Your #Dreams And Achieving Your #Destiny, tells the story of Julian Mantle, a high-profile and workaholic lawyer  who collapses in the middle of a trial. This incidence has a great impact on him and is also a revelation. He decides to question the purpose life that he is leading and starts a journey of self- realisation. His journey leads him to the mighty mountains of Himalayas, which in India are associated with many known and unknown stories of saints and spirituality. The Himalayas are the spiritual heritage for the Hindus and are called tapobhumi or land of spiritual practices.   The Himalayas are considered to be the home to the all abnegating Shiva and from times immemorial, the Himalayas have given out wordless invitations to sages, anchorites, yogis, artists, and philosophers.

The story is about Julian Mantle and his transformation from a millionaire lawyer to an enlightened monk- his journey from a skeptical litigator towards being a yogi and a believer. The story is narrated by Julian to John, another lawyer and his junior. Initially, Julian is a brilliant, handsome and fearless trial attorney who dreams of greatness and success that money and fame gives, he is an embodiment of modern-man. He is also tough, hard working and willing to work eighteen hours a day for success, believing it to be his destiny. He is always hungry for more – more prestige, more glory and more money. He has all the materialistic possessions, but he is not satisfied. In fact, nothing satisfies him and in this case due to his greed for more, his marriage breaks and his relation with his father is also botched. This creates a situation that is stressful and one fatal day he collapses right in the middle of a packed courtroom. Nevertheless, he takes this attack as an excellent opportunity to rekindle his inner fire –

                           ...every pain can be a wonderful teacher (p 46)

He decides to find out who he really is and turns this opportunity into a personal odyssey of the self. He disappears for a while and when he returns after three years, he is a changes man-

                             ...a lineless face glowing radiantly (p 11)

The author is quite astonished by the new improved Julian, who is now ready to share his secret with the author and the world.

The spiritual crisis ultimately leads him towards spiritual awakening. Sharma points out that, in this modern fast-paced society, which values material possessions and accomplishments, more and more people, like Julian are hunger for meaning and connection to some larger purpose. This especially becomes essential when dealing with life-changing events, confrontation with mortality or pain that is mental, emotional or physical in which an interpretation may be crucial that gives meaning to the event. This sets the stage for a spiritual crisis, where previously held beliefs are called into question. This is a common occurrence after a traumatic event where the unexpected has happened, like experienced by Julian when he collapses in the courtroom. When such an incidence happens, the life-changing event shatters a sense of safety in the world and creates inconsistency, confusion and disorientation.

For Julian, the solution to the crisis such as this lies in addressing questions regarding values, meaning and purpose. It might be said that the sufficiency or deficiency of a belief system is called into query. Sharma points out that the resolution may require greater definition of beliefs toward a sort of cosmic worldview to such questions as, -Why do I exist? , What am I here to do? , Who am I? , What makes me different or the same as others? , What is my or our relationship to the interplay of forces, cause and effect or to a supreme force, what is the meaning of life over and above survival? Does God exist? Why does life seem unfair? If God exists, why does God allow suffering?  How can we create a more peaceful state of existence? What happens when we die? etc. To these questions, science fails to give satisfactory answers.  We need to search beyond the rational mind for these answers.

Research confirms this view that God becomes part of the ‘big picture’ for the -

significant things that happen (Hood, Spilka, Hunsberger, and Gorsuch, 1996, p. 30).

People will endure anything life throws at them as long as they believe it has meaning. For some event to have meaning one must believe that learning and growth has come from it, that the event has motivated us to take some action that will help others or that it has taught us something about ourselves. Answering these questions has the prospective to provide meaning, can help a person to feel connected to the divine, or to feel that the actions in life have been evocative, because it have made a difference to someone, somewhere at some time.

A spiritual crisis may begin one on a journey that leads to a unique task or mission in life that continues to give our lives meaning. Victor Frankl, an author who endured a Nazi Death Camp believed that-

striving to find meaning in one’s life is the primary motivational force in man. (p. 121, Man’s Search for Meaning)

Julian’s predicament leads him on a quest for happiness and peace and takes him to India. In India, he learns the process of spiritual growth. He finds out that spiritual growth is an important inner process, not only for people who live in far away and secluded places, and who seek spiritual awakening but  it is of paramount importance for a superior, happier and  harmonious life, free of strain and anxiety. Spiritual growth is the process of getting rid of wrong concepts, thoughts and beliefs about who we are and about the world in which we live. Through this process, we increase our consciousness of our true inner being, the true spirit that we are. It is a process of looking inside us, cracking our illusions and revealing our true essence, which is always present, but concealed beyond the ego-personality.

Here cracking the shackles of reason, he places his trust in his intuition and decides to travel alone. Through perseverance and missionary zeal, he is able to find The Great Sages of Sivana-Oasis of Enlightenment. In this magical world of Sivana, he feels as if he has returned to the paradise and realizes that it is right time to reinvent his destiny. Yogi Rama teaches him that success on the outside means nothing unless you also have success within. This is the message that Sharma wants to pass on to his readers. Enormous amount of wisdom is covered here. The novel deals with an approach to live life simply with a balance of focus, obedience, courage and self-mastery. The message in the book keeps on lingering in our minds.

The novel is about how Julian learns the value of time and how to utilize time to its optimal. All the chapters in the novel are thoroughly intended and flow impeccably from one to the next. The book is well engraved. Many persons today have the life style that is similar to that of Julian, who lives a life of splendour and extravagance. Earning more and more, but in the process losing health and family. Julian Mantle journey to India makes him meet sage Yogi, who lives in Sivana, a small place located in the Himalayas, the land of rose covered huts, calm blue waters with white lotuses floating.

The excellent part of the book is where Julian Mantle teaches his friend John about the ways to live life happily and how to utilize time. The teachings that were taught to him by the sage in Sivana. Julian shares the transformation of life by Yogi Raman. Other pleasant thing about the book is that, each chapter ends with an action summary. Therefore, you get the chance to think about what happened in the story, the points being made, and the big thing is it gives you the techniques. He also shares everything, which he has learned from the sage. The book, for people who do not have time to spend more on books, is a real gift. This book is also for people who dash after riches and materialism, and for who hunt life somewhere else when life is within.

The novel describes the Seven basic virtues of Sivana System, seven fundamental principles that embodied the key to self leadership, personal responsibility and spiritual enlightenment. Rama imparts his wisdom to Juliet via a mystical fable. The fable starts in the magnificent garden with a lighthouse in the  middles of the house, out of the house walks a 9  feet  tall  900-pound  Sumo wrestler, who  is naked  except for  pink wire cable covering  his  privates. He slips and falls on a stopwatch that been lying on the floor and 1oses consciousness. However, the wrestler wakes up to the fresh flagrance of yellow roses coming from a distance. He looks over and then discovers that, there is a diamond-studded pathway that he walks.  

The  garden, the  lighthouse, the  sumo wrestler, the  pink wire cable, the  stopwatch, the yellow roses  and the winding path of diamonds are  symbols  of the seven timeless virtues  for  an  enlightened  life.  Julian then  explains the significance of the fable - the   garden is a symbol  of  the  mind,  lighthouse is a reminder  of  one's purpose in life,  sumo wrestler  stands for rituals of Kaizen-  building strength   of  character, developing mental toughness and courage,  pink wire  represents discipline, the stopwatch represents time, the yellow flowers symbolise fragrance - acts  of  kindness and  creativity and an  optimist   attitude   of  life. While the diamond- studded path represents enlightened living life that is full of happiness. Julian wants to share his experience with all. To de- stress in life, one should understand this fable - 

1. Magnificent Garden represents Our  Mind

Þ Nurture the mind daily.

                        Þ Only let positive thoughts into your mind.

Þ Mind can be mastered through concentration and a useful technique is to practice the "heart of the rose" every morning. This entails focusing on the heart of a fresh rose and improving concentration  of mind everyday

Þ Spend time in the mon1ing visualizing what you plan to become

2. The Light house signifies our purpose of life

Þ Life is finite so concentrate on your life’s main purpose

Þ Find something you love and work with passion

Þ  Apply the rule of 21.

Þ Laugh, love and live every day

3. The Sumo Wrestler represents Kaizen

Þ  This entails – building strength, developing mental toughness and living with courage

Þ Union of mind, body and soul

Þ 10 rituals of Kaizen to be practiced everyday

Þ Means never ending and daily improvement of self

4. Pink wire cable represents discipline.

Þ Will-power and discipline are like strings that need to be woven together

Þ Through Controlling thoughts, controlling mind, one can control life and become the master of destiny

5. The stopwatch represents time

Þ Time is the most important commodity of our life

Þ It is finite and must be mastered

Þ Do not let others steal your time

Þ Develop a death-bed mentality

6. Fragrance of yellow roses signifies service

Þ Show act of kindness

Þ Develop in yourselves a gift of sharing

Þ Cultivate friends and nature family

7. Diamond studded path represents enlightened living

Þ Live in now and live fully

Þ Happiness is a journey and not an destination

Þ Practice the act of gratitude

Þ Now is the path to  nirvana

 The ultimate goal of life, the ultimate destination of all enlightened souls, he says is Nirvana. Nirvana is a state where all things are possible.

John sees his future in Julian. He realizes that if he continues with the rat race of the world he would slide down the same slippery slope through which Julian had slipped and resolves to change. He awakens to the fact that happiness is a journey and it is a choice that we make. This is the memorandum of Robin Sharma.

The language of the novel is quite simple and the message direct. Robin Sharma via fable, fairy-tale and other stories captures the wisdom of the ancient times and presents it in a reader-friendly manner. Life is an incredible sport and a quest for happiness. The Universe has a great sense of humour, tremendous love and gifts of magical unseen guidance. Every step of the journey is to be enjoyed; the strength, the power and the magic will be taken care by the universe - the cosmic law. To reach the destiny there are no quick fixes or short cuts.  Julian says that all lasting changes require 

time and effort and perseverance is the mother of personal change. The book creates a world of wisdom, intention, happiness, love, peace and success.

This novel of Robin Sharma is the best tools that will help us transform challenges into opportunities. It  teach us how  best to lead ourselves and our team in times of crisis  as  it  helps  us  to  become  more  resilient,  an  expert  on  change  and  crisis management, and also guides us to live a life void of the fears, tensions and stress that have kept us from reaching the highest potential. Sharma says that goals and dreams for the future are essential in every truly successful life. Hope for what will appear in your future is what gets you out of bed in the morning and what keeps you inspired through your days. Goals energies your life. Sharma says that his point is very simple - never put happiness for the sake of achievement never put off the things that are important for your well- being. Today is the day to live fully, not when you win a lottery or when you retire. Never put off living. We live in an age where we have conquered higher mountains but have to master over selves.  We have  taller buildings  but shorter tempers,  more  possessions  but  less happiness,  fuller minds  but emptier lives.  Nevertheless, wisdom lies in realizing that happiness is not a place you reach but a state you create, so in this stressful age the spiritual message that Robin Sharma conveys through his books is- live for something more than yourself, stated simply, the purpose of life is a life of purpose.

Published in – Recent Thoughts The Referred international Journal ISSN: 2278-4608 June 2012, Year: I, Vol :I (2)  Page 92 to 95