What makes us human?

Sri Mumtaz Ali, or Sri M as he is popularly known, talks to Mona Mehta about the importance of maintaining a fine balance in life.
What are the attributes of a true human?
The first attribute would be that the individual would cause no harm. He knows that to cause harm would be tantamount to harming himself. The second attribute is to maintain balance.Krishna, in the Bhagavad Gita, refers to such a person as a stitha pragya. Arjuna asks Krishna to explain to him how a stitha pragya would behave. Krishna explains that a balanced person is one, who, in great adversity or great good luck, keeps his mind equanimous; he is neither elated by success nor depressed by failure. Why? Because he has found that the source of all joy is within. You don’t have to search for it anywhere outside. Therefore, his joy is not dependent on external factors.
Having discovered joy in himself, he realises that it is there in others, too. When others are happy, he is happy. And when others are unhappy, he too becomes unhappy, but he tries to remedy this as quickly as possible. Some feel this way even without following a spiritual practice. In the family it comes in a small way. A mother, for instance, can feel this way for her child. We ask people to expand their circle. A good human being ought to be concerned about the welfare of all beings. Arjuna asks Krishna which bhakta or devotee would he consider the best of all. Krishna replies that the one who moves closer to the Divine is not the one who sings God’s praise or one who frequents sacred destinations — but the one whose prime concern is the welfare of all beings.
Sarva-bhuta-hite ratah — such a person is the foremost spiritual aspirant. Of course, it does not come easily. But the path is open to all, without discrimination.
Equanimity means remaining stoic in the face of adversity?
No, being equanimous does not mean staying stoic. It is to know that adversity and luck are two sides of the same coin. See it for yourself. Whenever you are happy, you know that it will not last forever. Jesus said in his Sermon on the Mount that every hill shall be brought low and every valley shall be filled. It has many meanings. One is that everything that is down is bound to go up. To be centred you have to become observant not of the outside world, but inside. To be aware of each and every thought is not easy. It is the first step in meditation. Closing your eyes and sitting down is only part of it. The whole thing is to look outside and see how you coordinate with the world. I could sit in a cave and meditate for years and say that I have equanimity, but what is important is whether I can stay in that state, when I am out of the cave.
What does Islam say about equanimity?
For that you will have to turn to the mystical aspect of Islam which only Sufism can provide. You may not find much in the outward aspects of any religion for your spiritual growth. When organisations are created around spiritual masters, the truth often gets buried and becomes politicised. But this does not mean that the essence was not there.
What is the mission of the Sarva Dharma Kendra (centre for all faiths) you are building?
The region is an ancient storehouse of great knowledge and wisdom. We have been moving forward, no doubt, but we also face several challenges like communal unrest, often on the basis of belief and religion. I think that the essence of truth cannot be different for different people. It is one; it’s just that the approaches may be different. So why fault anyone’s religion? I was born in a Muslim household, and went through the training which is normally given to Muslim children. However, this did not close other doors for me. In my satsangs, I usually talk about Vedanta and the Bhagavad Gita and the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali. Some friends have donated four acres of land on the outskirts of Bangalore to the Satsang Foundation. We propose to build a Sarva Dharma Kendra to promote inter-faith harmony and peaceful coexistence. It will include a temple, church, gurdwara, Jain temple, and a big Buddha. There will be a water body and big hall where people from all religions will gather to discuss religious issues. I will live there and be available all day for people to come and interact. Those who want to offer their prayers are free to do so and at any of the places of worship here. It will be much like what Mahatma Gandhi would do in Wardha. Only, this will be an apolitical movement of faith.
What do you teach at your youth retreats?
I want to invite people from different faiths to join us on our retreats for at least one or two days so that we can understand each other. We teach the best of all religions — that we are all equal; of the significance of love and affection and the value of service to all without discrimination. Swami Vivekananda said there is no service better than the service of daridra narayana — the poor. Raja Ravi Varma painted gods and we could see what they might look like. But the living Divine can be seen in all of us.
What is our final destination?
The destination is to arrive at a true experiential understanding, and this is not possible en masse. Moksha is an individual experience. Like all scientific enquiry, you are expected to go deep into your consciousness until you touch that divine spark. When you do that, you realise that it is the same spark that’s in everyone. First, we need to understand what it is to be a true human, for without becoming one, you cannot become Divine.