'Fiction is alie, based on the truth'

After having written two biographical accounts: Apprenticed to a Himalayan Master: A Yogi’s Autobiography (2010) and Journey Continues: A Sequel to Apprenticed to a Himalayan Master (2016), spiritual guru Sri M has come out with his first work of fiction, the novel Shunya. The book is centered around the titular character, modeled after the concept of the Avadhoota, found in ancient Hindu scriptures. We talk to him about his journey, the meaning of Shunya, and how to truly overcome one’s limitations. This is my first novel-length [work of] fiction. I wrote it 13 years ago and sent it to a couple of publishers. In India, we have a concept of the Avadhoota — people who have hit a certain level of consciousness and are beyond all social norms. They live and do as they like. I’ve met many such people in my life, but they haven’t been written about in fiction. You will find traces of many Avadhootas in this character of Shunya. He appears suddenly from nowhere and after two-three years, disappears into nowhere. When anybody asks him his name, he says Shunya, meaning nothing. Many people don’t like to read facts. Every fiction has some fact behind it. If I wrote about it in non-fiction, I don’t think anybody would read it because they will think it is some kind of propaganda. I believe fiction and storytelling are a very important part of knowledge. Fiction is a lie based on truth. When you meet Shunya, he says he met his teacher in a lunatic asylum and he was also a patient. It is basically to question what we call sanity and insanity. I’ve been a rebel from my childhood. There is an element of madness. My guru, Maheshwarnath Babaji used to tell me, if what we have today is a result of 2,000 years of sanity, it’s better to be insane. According to Buddhism, the highest level of nirvana one can attain is Shunya. They don’t have an Ishwara (God) concept. Shunya is not nothing; it’s written as a full circle. It doesn’t end, it is infinite. It is a Sanskrit word, which when added leads to lakhs, crores and so on. Philosophically, Shunya is the beginning and end of all things. There are characters who cannot be defined. In daily life, we cannot imitate Shunya. We should get in touch with all our limitations as intimately as possible, instead of trying to sweep them under the rug. Come face-to-face with them. Once you face them, you can tackle them and go beyond.

Born in a Muslim family in Kerala, I was the only son. I ran to the Himalayas when I was 19. There, I met my guru, who was an extraordinary person. He never forced me to do anything, nor did he spoon-feed me. For three years, I walked with him to different parts of the Himalayas. Something changed after that. I began to understand the value of the great writings of the Upanishads. I never spoke about it to anyone. But one day, I spoke to a small group and they said they would like to listen more and that’s how it went on.

It grew on, and went on to become the circus it is now (laughs).

Shunya is not nothing; it is written as a full circle. It doesn’t end, it is infinite. Shunya is the beginning and end of all things. SRI M AUTHOR

Many people don’t like to read facts. Every fiction has some fact behind it. If I wrote about it in nonfiction, I don’t think anybody would read it because they will think it to be propaganda. Fiction and storytelling are a very important part of knowledge. Fiction is a lie based on truth. SRI M AUTHOR

PHOTO: AMAL KS/HT Sri M’s first novel Shunya (cover to the right) is about a character of the same name, modelled after the ancient Hindu concept of the Avadhoota, a transcendent, enlightened soul who is beyond all propriety and conventions