ENERGIZE YOUR MIND Gaur Gopal Das studied electrical engineering at the College of Engineering, Pune. After a brief stint with Hewlett-Packard, he decided to live life as a monk in an ashram in downtown Mumbai. He has remained there for twenty-six years, learning the antiquity of ancient philosophy and the modernity of contemporary psychology, to become a life coach to thousands in the city. Gaur Gopal Das has been travelling the world for over two decades, sharing his wisdom with corporate executives, universities and charities, and has also spoken at the United Nations. In 2016, his global popularity exploded as he took his message online. With over one billion views on his videos on social media, he now leads a movement to help others achieve happiness and purpose in their lives. Now one of the most famous monks in the world, Gaur Gopal Das has been conferred with several honours, including the prestigious Dadasaheb Phalke International Film Festival Award and an honorary doctorate (DLitt) by KIIT University. EEnneerrggiizzeeYYoouurrMMiinndd__IINNTT..iinndddd 11 99//3300//2222 11::0088 PPMM ALSO BY THE SAME AUTHOR Life’s Amazing Secrets EEnneerrggiizzeeYYoouurrMMiinndd__IINNTT..iinndddd 22 99//3300//2222 11::0088 PPMM Energize Your Mind Gaur Gopal Das EEnneerrggiizzeeYYoouurrMMiinndd__IINNTT..iinndddd 33 99//3300//2222 11::0088 PPMM Copyright © 2023 by Gaur Gopal Das Cover design and image © 2023 Mylène Mozas Back cover illustration © 2023 Mihir Joglekar Typeset in Adobe Caslon Pro by Manipal Digital Systems, Manipal Sourcebooks and the colophon are registered trademarks of Sourcebooks. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form or by any electronic or mechanical means including information storage and retrieval systems—except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews—without permission in writing from its publisher, Sourcebooks. This publication is designed to provide accurate and authoritative information in regard to the subject matter covered. It is sold with the understanding that the publisher is not engaged in rendering legal, accounting, or other professional service. If legal advice or other expert assistance is required, the services of a competent professional person should be sought. —From a Declaration of Principles Jointly Adopted by a Committee of the American Bar Association and a Committee of Publishers and Associations Published by Sourcebooks P.O. Box 4410, Naperville, Illinois 60567-4410 (630) 961-3900 sourcebooks.com Originally published in 2023 in India by Penguin Ananda, an imprint of Penguin Random House India, part of the Penguin Random House group of companies. Cataloging-in-Publication Data is on file with the Library of Congress. Printed and bound in the United States of America. VP 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 EEnneerrggiizzeeYYoouurrMMiinndd__IINNTT..iinndddd 44 99//3300//2222 11::0088 PPMM To my beloved late grandmother, Smt. Shakuntala Raysoni, and my beloved friend and mentor, the late Sruti Dharma Das. I miss you, but I feel your presence with me through your blessings, always! EEnneerrggiizzeeYYoouurrMMiinndd__IINNTT..iinndddd 55 99//3300//2222 11::0088 PPMM EEnneerrggiizzeeYYoouurrMMiinndd__IINNTT..iinndddd 66 99//3300//2222 11::0088 PPMM Contents Introduction ix section 1: me and my mind 1. You Are Not Sophia: How to Feel, Deal and Heal Our Emotions 3 2. Stuck in Economy: Dealing with the Fear of Missing Out 21 3. Joshua Slips Away: Dealing with Mental Chatter 41 4. Jumping at 18,000 Ft: Dealing with Anxiety 59 5. The Bird’s Nest: Dealing with Depression 86 6. The Last Wish in a Pen Drive: Dealing with Guilt 104 section 2: others and my mind 7. An Unexpected Humiliation: Dealing with Toxic Behaviour 125 8. A Memory Hard to Delete: Dealing with Old Memories 148 EEnneerrggiizzeeYYoouurrMMiinndd__IINNTT..iinndddd 77 99//3300//2222 11::0088 PPMM viii Contents 9. A Whisper in My Ear: Dealing with Criticism 164 10. Three’s a Crowd: Dealing with Grief 182 section 3: me and the mind of others 11. When Sandals Meet Yeezys: Developing Empathy 203 12. Learning from ‘Virus’: Developing Sensitive Communication 224 13. Moving Beyond ‘Oneself’: Developing Selflessness 240 section 4: the universe and my mind 14. We Are a Universe within a Universe 263 15. A Holistic Approach to Wellness 275 Acknowledgements 303 Notes 305 EEnneerrggiizzeeYYoouurrMMiinndd__IINNTT..iinndddd 88 99//3300//2222 11::0088 PPMM Introduction Energize Your Mind As a monk, my goal is to help the people I meet in their journey. Each of our journeys is unique; we have different ambitions along the way. But what unites us is that we all want the destination to be a happy, fulfilling life. I believe this journey starts by energizing the mind. You may know about one of the most famous journeys in the world. The RMS Titanic set sail from Southampton, UK to New York City, USA on 10 April 1912, but sank to the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean after hitting an iceberg. This was one of the deadliest disasters of a passenger cruise liner, with 1500 losing their lives. At the time, the Titanic was the largest ship afloat. You may have seen the 1997 film by James Cameron on the tragedy. But what happened? Why did the Titanic sink? And what has that got to do with the mind? Many people blame the captain, E.J. Smith, who went down with the ship. He is blamed for the demise of the Titanic as he authorized its speed of 22 knots through the icy, dark waters off the coast of Newfoundland, Canada. It is thought ix EEnneerrggiizzeeYYoouurrMMiinndd__IINNTT..iinndddd 99 99//3300//2222 11::0088 PPMM