The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari: A Fable About Fulfilling Your Dreams and Reaching Your Destiny

Nonfiction | Book | Adult | Published in 1996

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Summary

Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapters 1-2

Chapters 3-4

Chapters 5-6

Chapter 7

Chapter 8

Chapter 9

Chapter 10

Chapter 11

Chapter 12

Chapter 13

Key Figures

Themes

Symbols & Motifs

Important Quotes

Essay Topics

Tools

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Discussion Questions

Chapters 5-6Chapter Summaries & Analyses

Chapter 5 Summary: “A Spiritual Student of the Sages”

Despite the late hour and John’s backlog of work, he wants to continue listening to Julian’s tale and wonders if “it was time for me to reinvent my destiny” (27). Julian explains that the sages made him an honorary member and Yogi Raman became his tutor. The elder sage “taught Julian ancient principles which he said anyone could use to live longer, stay younger and grow far happier” (28), including how to harness the powers of self-responsibility and personal mastery to avoid “the chaos of crisis” (28) that consumed Julian in his former life.

Julian noticed deep changes in his life within three weeks of living among the sages. He took greater joy in simple pleasures, became more spontaneous, and increased his energy. He felt that his inner world and his potential were growing, and now Julian is committed to sharing this wisdom with others. He leaves John but promises to return, assuring John that if he is ready to receive the wisdom then he will have much to gain.

Chapter 6 Summary: “The Wisdom of Personal Change”

The next evening, Julian arrives at John’s house wearing the red robe and blue hood of the Sages of Sivana. He claims that his youthful appearance and energy come largely from inner healing. Julian intentionally overpours tea into John’s cup as a metaphor to encourage a skeptical John to let go of his old ideas and let new ideas in. John acknowledges that he has been stuck in the same routine for years and has unintentionally narrowed his horizons. Julian implores John to “embrace the methods [he is about to share] with a deep trust in their effectiveness” (35) for one month to see major life improvements.

Julian reveals that “at the heart of the Sivanan System were seven basic virtues, seven fundamental principles which embodied the keys to self-leadership, personal responsibility and spiritual enlightenment” (37); these teachings were passed on to Julian by way of a fable. Julian shares the fable with John: There is a tranquil lush garden with a six-story red lighthouse. The door of the lighthouse opens and a nine-foot-tall sumo wrestler comes out and walks into the garden wearing nothing but a pink wire cable. He finds a stopwatch in the garden, wears it, and suddenly falls over. He gets up, sees a magnificent path of diamonds in the distance, and walks down the path because of a mysterious inner instruction: “This path leads him down the road of everlasting joy and eternal bliss” (39).

Yogi Raman explained that if anybody embraces the truths represented by this fable, it will enhance their quality of life. Julian agreed to embrace them “without reservation” (40), which began his spiritual awakening in the village.

Chapters 5-6 Analysis

Chapter 5 introduces the theme of Self-Mastery through Creating Healthy Habits when Julian begins to discuss his tutelage under Yogi Raman and the wisdom he learned. Just as Julian learned that “self-mastery and the consistent care of one’s mind, body and soul are essential to finding one’s highest self and living the life of one’s dreams” (30) and is about to pass this knowledge on to John, this is also the book’s central lesson to impart to the reader. The rest of the book is largely a manual on how to achieve self-mastery.

Yogi Raman’s fable is the major tool that Julian uses to illustrate the sages’ wisdom to John. Normally, a fable is a relatively short morality tale usually told to children for their entertainment and instruction, although anybody can enjoy them. Fairy tales are often fables, but not if they lack the dimension of moral instruction. Yogi Raman’s fable is a bit different. John himself discovers that “Yogi Raman’s mystical fable was nothing more than a series of memory pegs designed to teach Julian the elements of his ancient philosophy for enlightened living…” (159-160) and which would also aid in memorization. This adds a layer of utility to the fable, but it highlights one important way that this fable is unlike traditional fables: The moral of Yogi Raman’s fable is almost impossible to figure out without a thorough explanation. While certain symbols, like the lighthouse, represent its associated virtue (focusing on one’s purpose), one might not guess that the pink wire cable symbolizes discipline unless it were clearly explained. Furthermore, traditional fables like the Hare and the Tortoise make sense as stories and children can understand them, whereas Yogi Raman’s fable does not make much sense as a story. Yogi Raman’s fable is helpful and instructive when paired with a rigorous explanation and was never really meant to be a traditional fable in the first place.