“There is a traffic jam within our minds. That traffic jam is stopping each one of us from reaching our true potential. Imagine if we knew how to clear this disruption. No fumes of insecurity causing us to cough, no one honking at us, distracting us from what’s important, and plenty of fuel to sustain us so that we can live a life worth living.” —Gaur Gopal Das

What can a member of a Mumbai ashram offer the modern world? As it turns out, quite a bit. In The Way of the Monk, Gaur Gopal Das reveals that contemporary monastic life is far from our dour, isolated conception of it—and still has keen insights to share.

Das presents a guide to navigating some of life’s most fundamental questions. How can we achieve peace when the world is so full of noise and conflict? How do we learn to let go of attachment when consumer culture constantly tells us that we are unfulfilled? How can we embody love when our interactions with others are so fraught with old wounds and misunderstanding?