Enduring vision

"WHEN YOU Serve a less fortunate person in any way - material or spiritual - you are not doing him a favour. In fact, he who receives your help does you a favour by accepting what you give and thereby helps you to evolve and move closer to the divine blissful Being, who, in reality, is within you and in the hearts of all beings." This profound vision was bequeathed to a seeker of truth after a life-long quest which took him to the remote cave of Vyasa beyond Badrinath from his home in Thiruvananthapuram in search of his spiritual master. He not only found him there and was transformed totally but also had an insight into how he should share this wisdom with others which he has made his life mission.

"M" as he prefers to be known, Mr. Mumtaz Ali, defies any categorisation with which society is comfortable. Some call him a Yogi, while others a Baba or a Sufi or a Vedantin, but he is comfortable with just "M" for he has discarded what he calls "the outer shell of all formal religions". He is at home in all the religious traditions and it is this spirit of unity that permeates the institution he has founded, the Satsangh Foundation, which is located in Bangalore.

M lives on the outskirts of Madanapalle in Andhra Pradesh and has set up a school for the underprivileged people of this area, a tribal village settlement of the Lambanis called Sugali Tanda. He is a spiritual guide, a family man and a social development activist and lectures on the Vedanta, especially the Gita and the Upanishads. Recently in Chennai, he discoursed on the Kenopanishad under the auspices of the Narada Gana Sabha and the Satsangh Foundation, where this Correspondent had an opportunity to listen to him. Later, she had a freewheeling conversation with him.

You are a fine example of Hindu-Muslim integration. Can you tell us why you were drawn to the Hindu scriptures and lecture on them?

I was born to Muslim parents in Thiruvananthapuram and right from my childhood I came under the influence of sages, Siddhas and Sufis, and this chalked out a path which unfolded as though ordained. A spiritual experience at the age of nine set me on my spiritual quest which brought me in touch with many spiritual masters like Swami Tapasyananda of Ramakrishna Mission and J.Krishnamurti and finally my Guru Babaji, an Avadhuta in the Himalayas. I have integrated my Islamic upbringing with the spirit of Vedanta and other spiritual traditions which has enabled me to go to the core of all religions. It is through direct realisation that this truth can be grasped and the outer shell discarded. This is the reason why I have not changed the name my parents gave me.

The past century was one of East-West encounter culturally. In this era of globalisation what role do you see for spirituality in the global arena?

The IT revolution now can be harnessed to communicate to one all that human unity can be forged only at the spiritual level and all misinformation and misinterpretations about religions which fuel discord and mistrust be removed with sustained efforts. The millennium summit of spiritual leaders which was organised by an inter-faith coalition in collaboration with the United Nations in August 2000 in New York was a landmark in this direction. This was the first time that a secular international institution had invited non-political delegates comprising representatives of all world religions to a conference on peace. I attended this meet and was part of the committee which has recommended further dialogue. Inter-religious dialogue and tolerance must become the watchword for ensuring peace in the present climate with the understanding that every human being is a spark of the Divine.

If all religions point to the same underlying Reality why then is there so much strife in the name of religion? How can we promote a culture of peace as individuals?

It is necessary to understand the distinction between what we understand as religion and spirituality to appreciate this paradox. Vested interests have always created dissension in the name of religion. The Sruti embodies all the lofty ideas of justice and equity, equality of all, tolerance and mutual respect of all faiths, whereas the Smriti deals with social life which prescribes the practices of religion. It is the Sruti, which we understand as spirituality, that can unite man and man. The Smriti cannot be applied universally as it will be relevant only to the followers of the particular religion. The need of the hour is to go to the heart of religions which is the true experience.

SUDHAKSHINA RANGASWAMI

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