Everything is Your Fault

Readers might baulk at the last word in the title of this book, in which case you can substitute responsibility – which appears in the subtitle. This is the story of spiritual transformation from and exploitative, aggressive drug dealer to meditating monk and beyond. The story begins with a police encounter where the author was sure he was about to be arrested, but the officer says that he trusts him, which is enough to precipitate a radical transformation and re-orientation. We are indeed responsible for our thoughts and emotions, which are then mirrored in the outer world. The narrative weaves reflections and aphorisms with autobiography involving considerable disciplined practice, especially during his time in the monastery. The author draws some pertinent thoughts from a book written by Robert Speer in 1917 about the philosophy of excellence. He applies these lessons on leadership during his transformative process involving deeper self-discovery and meditative practice. He discusses the nature of energy management and the role of willpower, especially during the dark night of the soul. The overall philosophy of the book is summed up on the final page: 'Responsibility and discipline create purpose. That purpose creates drive. That drive is willpower and creates one victory after another after another. This is self-mastery. This is the path of evolving through challenges… living like this creates wisdom.' In this sense, the path is more one of masculine Yang, although it also involves surrender of the ego.