5 money lessons from Jay Shetty's bestseller ‘Think Like a Monk’: Ancient Vedic wisdom for wealth creation

Jay Shetty’s Think Like a Monk offers five ways to build a healthier relationship with money. Check out 5 lessons about wealth creation. 

Money can buy comfort, but it cannot decide your worth or guarantee happiness. Jay Shetty's Think Like a Monk offers 5 lessons for building a healthier money mindset. Shetty trained as a monk for roughly three years at ISKCON.

The former monk draws on ancient Vedic wisdom to explain purposeful living. These ideas can help readers examine spending, financial goals and their relationship with possessions.

Your core values

The first lesson is to match spending with your core values. Shetty encourages making intentional choices rather than following social expectations. Look through your bank statements and ask what each purchase means to you.

Does it support your family, education or health? Or does it mainly help you impress others? For one week, pause before buying anything and question the reason behind it. This exercise can help reduce impulse purchases and make spending feel more meaningful.

Understand why you want wealth

The second lesson is to understand why you want wealth. Shetty identifies four motivations behind human behaviour: fear, desire, duty and love. Fear of shortage or hunger for status can make earning money an endless chase.

Try the Why Ladder exercise when setting a financial goal. Ask why you want a bigger house, luxury car or particular financial milestone. Keep asking until you understand the feeling behind that wish. Goals rooted in caring for loved ones or supporting causes can offer lasting motivation.

Separate success from happiness