Think Like a Monk by Jay Shetty Summary
Overview of Think Like a Monk
Former monk Jay Shetty translates ancient wisdom into modern life strategies. Endorsed by Deepak Chopra and Arianna Huffington, this #1 bestseller asks: What if the path to purpose isn't found in ambition, but intention? Discover why Forbes calls Shetty a true "game-changer."
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Key takeaways
When a Business Student Met a Monk
A lecture hall at London's Cass Business School filled with ambitious students expecting another forgettable talk. Then a thirty-something Indian monk walked in-shaved head, simple robes, radiating something rare in that world of ambition: genuine contentment. He'd walked away from India's equivalent of MIT, yet seemed happier than any successful executive these future business leaders had ever met. For eighteen-year-old Jay Shetty, that dissonance sparked a question that would reshape his life: What if we've been chasing the wrong things? Four years later, Shetty traded his designer suits for monk's robes and spent three years in an ashram learning Vedic practices designed not to escape reality but to face it with unprecedented clarity. What he discovered wasn't mystical abstraction but practical neuroscience-monks' brains show gamma wave patterns associated with attention and happiness at levels rarely documented in ordinary people. The difference? Monks cultivate what Shetty calls "monk mind"-thoughtful, intentional, value-driven-while most of us live in "monkey mind," restlessly jumping between worries without resolution. This isn't about renouncing the world. It's about bringing ancient wisdom into modern chaos.
The Mirror Beneath the Dust
The Contagion of Complaint
Fear as Signal, Not Sentence
The Why Behind the Want
Finding Your Dharma
The Power of Living in Service
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
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"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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