The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari- A Book Review

The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari

 by

 Robin Sharma 

The Backdrop 

What happens when a man who is a champion at everything fails and falls...but finds his true calling in life..?

'Julian Mantle' had it all..his friend,colleague 'John' admired him .. somewhere in his heart envied him as well..but one day Julian and his perfect life fell apart.

Julian left his booming career, he gave it all up and travelled faraway to an unknown land.

Cut to fast-forward a few years..Julian is back..but he's changed ..he's unrecognisable.

What happened to him? How did it happen to him?

He was at John's office not in one of his expensive suits but in red robes.

The Takeaway 

Julian was at John's office with a purpose ...but what is it ? after all these years?

This book is about a man's journey to find the real meaning and true purpose of life.

It's about change, self- discovery , enlightenment and happiness.

Favorite Quotes from the book 

1.)"Happiness is a journey, not a destination."

2.)"Freedom is like a house:you build it brick by brick. The first brick you should lay is willpower. This quality inspires you to do what is right in any moment. It gives you the energy to act with courage. It gives you the control to live the life you have imagined rather than accepting the life you have."

Why Should you read this book at all ?

If you ever think, you are stuck somewhere in life, you are in a deadlock, read it ...

I am sure it will bring out a positive change in your life and perspective. It will give you a road map to follow and a new beginning to hope for.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book..what a fabulous work it is ..a perfect blend of spirituality, culture, religion and most importantly life 🌱

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- Meenakshi Sinha 

( An Avid Reader )

Why I Am a Hindu - A Book Review

 "Why I am a Hindu" by

   - Shashi Tharoor 

"Why I am a Hindu" is a book encompassing...ever evolving Hindu religion,teachings, practices and most importantly its believers and followers.This 294 pages of brilliance explains, scrutinizes, reasons hindu religion, customs, practices, souls of Hinduism, hindutva politics , culture, history and ways of taking back the religion.

What is religion ?

It's simple.. it's an experience, an experience of God.

How do Hindus find their God ?

Hindu looks for God within, In their religion there is 🔆no specific text 🔆to find the word of God but various texts like ...Veda,Gita, Upnishad, Purana..Hinduism as a religion does not have a definite dogmatic creed. Its a vast complex but subtly unified mass of spiritual thought &realization.

🔆It's about a journey from self-realization to self-transformation.🔆

Pantheism, Idol worship, spirituality, assimilation of tribal deities..and many practices as such have been thoroughly examined and mentioned in the book by the author. 

Advaita Vedanta Philosphy 

The author seems to agree & believe in the ideas and teachings of🔆 Advaita Vedanta philosphy🔆 that was endorsed and practiced by great men like Swami Vivekanand, Mahatma Gandhi & Dr.S. Radhakrishnan 

Swami Vivekanand believed in " sarv dharma sambhava "- all religions are equally worthy of respect.He believed in seeing divine as the essence of others..according to him it was a way of promoting love & social harmony.

Politics & Religion 

Politicization of religion is dangerous. It's playing with faith & beliefs of people who ardently follow and depend on it.Nothing in this entire universe can be painted as black and white,Religion has to be separated from politics...or else it loses its essence and exists among masses in a corrupted form!

As a Hindu or a Non - Hindu ..if you ever want to read about hindus or Hinduism you know which book to grab..it will give you an unbiased,holistic and an extremely enriching experience.

-  Meenakshi Sinha 

( An Avid Reader )

Sita - An illustrated Retelling of the Ramayana by Devdutt Pattanaik - A Book Review

"Ravana’s rage separated Sita from Ram. Ayodhya’s gossip separated Ram from Sita but Hanuman’s tongue will never separate Ram from Sita."

The Overview

Most of us are familiar with the story of the epic Ramayana. The Prince of Ayodhya Ram’s wife Sita is abducted by Ravana the King of the unknown faraway island Lanka while he’s living in the forest in exile.It’s a story of a faithful husband saving his wife from the clutches of an unruly King. It seems as if Ramayana ‘the epic’ was written keeping in mind that it had to be on the zenith of perfection nothing more - nothing less.

Ram & Sita

Ram is synonymous to culture and Sita is synonymous to nature. Ram is the one who will uphold all rules and regulations to govern the society, to keep everything and everyone in the boundary but Sita has no boundary, she’s the nature herself. Their characters are in juxtaposition to each other, their lives are like parallels with a few rendezvous.

The Beauty of the text

The beauty of the text lies in the way it scrutinizes matters relevant then and now. Author effortlessly questions the social values, jati, varna, thoughts, judgement, notions of chastity and fidelity in the book

1.)Why does purity matter so much?

2.)Why do we always try to establish a nexus between a woman’s body and purity?

3.)Wasn’t purity since the beginning about being pure and avoiding sin?

4.)Why the victim in the story was considered a sinner and asked to prove her purity and chastity?

5.)How many times do you ask a woman to prove her loyalty?

6.)Why shouldn’t we give women the same choices as the man in the society gets?

Not once, not twice but thrice. If this happens to a Goddess, we all know what women in our societies have been through countless centuries.

Sita

As a reader, I loved the protagonist Sita’s role as a single mother the way she teaches her children to accept and appreciate the difference by saying.."All trees in the Forrest are unique and all trees are valid." Her role as a dutiful daughter and faithful wife sets a benchmark in the society. The mighty endurance of Sita creates a paradigm of an ideal woman in our society.

Ram

Heavy is the head that wears the crown..Ram the husband suffers his entire life, separated from his wife while Ram the King triumphed in serving the people of Ayodhya. In the end,Ram the husband’ walked into the river Sarayu ..chanting her name.

 

Hanuman

"Ravana’s rage separated Sita from Ram. Ayodhya’s gossip separated Ram from Sita but Hanuman’s tongue will never separate Ram from Sita". ( favorite lines from the book) If you ever want to find a more loyal confidant,friend,subordinate and devotee than Hanuman in Indian Mythology, I am sure you will fail because Hanuman in all the epics, myth, tales and folklore is just irreplaceable and unmatchable.

Ravana

I always thought Ravana was the evil in Sita’s life turns out the people of her city had surpassed Ravana in tormenting her.I loved reading Sita, I immersed in it. Readers do give it a shot as it is one of the best books written on Ramayana from the perspective of Sita.

-    Meenakshi Sinha ( An Avid Reader )

The Little Prince - A Book Review

"What is essential is invisible to the eyes"

 

A tiny blue book called The Little Prince by Antoine de Saint-Exupery to lead you through the runaway of life.

Is It a Children’s Book ?

Its appearance might bewilder you but this is not a child’s book. It is a book for all containing beautiful life lessons.

The Storyline

The Novella begins with a pilot crashing his plane in the Sahara desert, where he meets a young blond- haired boy who is an inhabitant of Asteroid B-612,where he lives with three volcanoes and a rose plant. The Little Prince has met a lot of people a drunkard, a king, businessman, geographer, night lamper..a snake, fox and many more.His meeting with these characters in the book are metaphorical in nature.

The Prince & the Rose

The Little Prince has a special place for ‘rose’ in his heart but he often contemplates that ‘rose’ tries to take an undue advantage of his affection.

The Pilot & the Little Prince

The Pilot and the little prince seek for a well to quench their thirst but something unfortunate happens and their plans are put to rest.

The Author & his Work 

The story is closely associated with author’s life. His love for planes and his homeland is clearly visible in the story. The World War had separated the author from the two things he loved the most and it affected him deeply. His pain and separation has created a voyage for this beautiful book to fly away.

 

Life lessons in the Book

1.)We must never lose our imagination in life.

2.)What is invisible to our eyes and felt by our heart is the most important things in life…like air, love,hope.

3.) Attachment, the uniqueness and meaning it gives to life and relationships is what matters.

4.) In life nothing is perfect but hope can make everything better.

Favorite Quotes

1.) “ What is essential is invisible to the eyes”

2.)The thing that is important is thing that is not seen..”

3.)‘I’m beginning to feel lonely in this desert.”  “You can feel lonely among people, too.”

I have enjoyed reading this book,hope you will too.

- Meenakshi Sinha ( An Avid Reader)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

SHIKHANDI AND THE OTHER TALES THEY DON'T TELL YOU by Devdutt Pattanaik - A Book Review

‘All things queer are also part of nature' 

I had the golden opportunity to read 'Shikhandi and the other tales they don't tell you.' It was indeed a wonderful book and here is what i have discovered..... 

Who is Shikhandi?

Amba = Shikhandi (reborn as Shikhandi)

 Amba was the daughter of King of Kashi who wanted to marry a man called Shalva but she and her other two sisters are abducted by a warrior called Bhisma. Bhisma abducted the three sisters for his half-brother Vichitravirya who was unable to find a suitable wife for himself. Amba pleaded to go back to Shalva and was allowed to return but neither Shalva nor her father accepted her back into their respective families. 

Amba then returned to Bhisma with her marriage proposal but he had taken a wow of celibacy. He insulted her and shunned her away. Later Amba pleaded and prayed to immortal Gods, Sage and Kings but none came to her rescue except ‘Shiva’ who gave her a boon that she would be the reason of Bhisma’s death but only in her next life. To end her suffering Amba invoked fire and leapt into it.

In her next life Amba was born as Shikhandi the daughter of King Drupada, raised as a man and gets married as a man to a woman. In the end at the battle of Kurukshetra, Shikhandi did become the reason of Bhisma’s death.

The book tells the story of famous characters of Indian Mythology who have been in the brackets of LGBTQ at a particular stage in their respective lives. eg Arjuna, Indra, Narada, Aravan, Ila, Samavan, Vishnu, Samba and many more.

But who is this book about in reality?

Well the Author dedicates it to all those out there and all those in between.

Hindu Mythology & Queer Stories

Author writes that in Hindu mythology the patriarchy, the idea that men are superior to women was, invented. Hindu Mythology constantly references to ‘queerness’ as the idea that questions the notion of maleness and femaleness. Queer stories are not restricted to Hindu Mythology. There’s a line in the book mentioned from the Vedas “ Vikruti Evam Prakriti” which can be translated as ‘All things queer are also part of nature.’

The Third Gender in India

Author constantly clarifies that he writes this book not seeking any approval or judgement but to give voice to an ‘unheard community’ in our society. India’s third gender, the transgender, the ‘hijras’, have a peculiar clap to make sure the world does not render their queerness invisible.

Gender, Sex and Sexuality

Author explains that the term ‘sex’ is biological, ‘gender’ as a term is used to express how biology is expressed in our society. As the author writes ‘sexuality’ deals with all the aspects of gender, orientation, identity, psychology and sociology associated with it.

Questions & Cultural Filters

The book raised several questions like..

 1.)What is so distinctive about being a totally masculine male and a totally feminine female? 

2.)What is it? Is it a ‘cultural filter’ that blocks millions of wailing voices for help? Or is it just ignorance seeking to be bliss?

3.) How can celibate men decide the basis of relationship anyone can have, when they themselves are devoid of any kind of attachment?

The Takeaway from the Book

 “Shikhandi and the other tales they don’t tell you” by Devdutt Pattanaik questions issues regarding treatment of queer community in the mythology and society. The Author puts a logical reason and argument basing Hindu mythology.Difference has to be accepted and appreciated. Last but not the least just to remind you......Whenever you are at a traffic signal and you see and hear a ‘hijra’ a eunuch clapping, trying to grab your attention, do remember it’s not really their way to beg... but a cry for help of an ignored and discriminated community.

Ikigai - The Japanese Secret to a Long & Happy Life - A Book Review

Ikigai – The Japanese Secret to a Long and Happy Life

-by Hector Garcia and Francesc Miralles

The tiny blue book lying in the long shelf of the bestsellers turned out to be the best books I have read till date. The name sounds peculiar and intriguing but its message is simple and genuine.

What is Ikigai ?

Ikigai = Purpose of Life, Your reason for existence

Ikigai falls somewhere in between our passion, mission, vocation and profession. Did it sound a bit complicated? Here is something to help you out…

The book begins with an island Okinawa where there are around 24.5 over the age of 100 for 100,000 inhabitants – way more than the global average.

It is all about the “art of being busy.” The Authors mention ten rules in the book in order to live a long and peaceful life.

10 Simple Rules of Ikigai

1.)Stay active,don’t retire

2.)Take it slow

3.)Don’t fill your stomach

4.) Surround yourself with good friends

5.) Get in shape for your next birthday

6.) Smile

7.) Reconnect with nature

8.) Give Thanks

9.) Live in the moment

10.)Follow your Ikigai

Key features of the book:

Little bit of Stress is good for you ….?

Authors clearly mention that stress is harmful to human beings but they do state that little bit of stress can keep you going. It will help you stay fit and active in your life.

Uncover the meaning of life

Life and its secrets are countless but finding a semblance to it is important. Life can mean different things to different people but it should mean something. Pursuing that meaning is important.

Find your Flow

If you find your purpose in life, you are well acquainted with your ikigai then you should just go for it. Do not run or shy away just go for it. Authors talk about a few techniques that could help you find your flow.

Diet & Movements

A healthy, happy, long life is not possible without following a proper routine that comprises of both diet and exercise. The book mentions okinawa’s miracle diet and other diet practices to keep you active all day. Yoga, Radio Taiso, Tai chi, Sun Salutation ( Surya Namaskara) and Qigong have been mentioned as the exercises/practices to go along with the ikigai diet.

Resilience and Wabi-Sabi

Resilience is our ability to deal with setbacks. A little restraint is necessary to grow in life as it helps us in correcting our mistakes and brings out a better chance at decision making in life. Wabi- Sabi a simple Japanese concept that vouches for acceptance of imperfection and flaws. There are flaws in the nature but even with the flaws, nature is our portal for inspiration.

Conclusion

It’s a quick and easy book to read,full of life lessons. This book is the chicken soup to your soul. Readers do give it a shot! 



 - Meenakshi Sinha 
     (Avid Reader)