The Way of the Monk

Starred review from June 29, 2020
Hare Krishna monk Das follows up Life’s Amazing Secrets with this delightful collection of spiritual and life tools. Das recounts traveling though Mumbai with his friend, Harry, to Das’s ashram, a trip that frames the book and provides jumping off points for Das’s wise observations (“The paradox of our times is that those who have the most can often be the least satisfied”), personal anecdotes, and suggestions for achieving “a happy life with integrity and balance.” Das shares methods for determining one’s purpose (such as making a diagram of one’s passion, mission, profession, and vocation) and ways to incorporate moral “attitudes and values” into one’s life. Das stresses that “we are all stuck, we all have a journey to complete, and we all have a destination,” and offers strategies to get unstuck include pausing to savor beauty; developing a positive mindset by expressing appreciation and gratitude; establishing devotional practices such as forgiveness and a gratitude log; spiritual development through meditation or prayer; and facilitating sensitive and effective communication. Das’s sharp methods for discovering one’s purpose will be appreciated by readers who enjoyed Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance.