‘I Used to Be Muslim Before I Became Hindu… Unlikely’

By Iam

Earlier this month I attended my first Satsang in London with the Hindu guru Mooji ji. Like many others who attended the four-day retreat I had come to know about Mooji via the internet. I stumbled across his youtube videos about three years ago during some routine browsing and had been watching them ever since. Satsang refers to a gathering whereby people enter into the company of a guru with the intention of discussing and assimilating truth. In his Satsangs Mooji sits with people and they take it in turns to seek guidance by asking him questions either about their personal lives or about their spiritual paths. 

When I heard that Mooji was going to be in London I was eager to finally attend his Satsang in person. I had tried twice before but on one occasion the tickets were sold out and on the other I couldn’t afford it. I thought it might be the same case this time around too, especially when I saw the £140 ticket price. But I gave it a try and emailed the organiser asking if I could volunteer or get student discount. Amazingly I was offered a ticket for £46, I took it as a sign and off I went. 

When I got to the retreat I was joined by hundreds of other people. Once we were all seated someone came out and gave us some information about the schedule for the four days. We were told that there was to be silence in the building and social interaction should be kept to an absolute minimum. After a short while of sitting quietly Mooji walked onto the stage and took a seat next to a table with some flowers and a picture of his guru. He smiled and looked around, he then said a few words about looking forward to the Satsang and what he hoped we would achieve. After that there was a pause, he looked around, and I’m not sure if he saw me but what he said next took me completely by surprise. ‘You know I used to be Muslim before I became Hindu (long pause)…. unlikely (he said smiling)’ the room erupted into laughter, even I was smiling, a confused sort of smile. I wasn’t sure why he said that but it was clear from everyone’s reaction that the thought of their guru having been a Muslim was ridiculous. Anyway, I didn’t want to dwell on it. 

The Satsangs over the next four days went really well. It was nice to not feel pressured to socialise with people or to be seen to be doing something, at lunchtime people sat and ate quietly and I found a place to do my prayers and read some Quran. During Satsang I really enjoyed listening to everyone ask their questions and Mooji said some really interesting things, although I must say there were a few things that went over my head. I was surprised to find that the people who attended and asked questions really were as open as I had seen online and Mooji did have an inviting and somewhat magnetic presence. I listened attentively to the different conversations that emerged during the course of the Satsang and it was great to be in an environment where people were open to learning and understanding ideas that were not necessarily rational or tangible. Seeing Mooji in person and immersing myself in the retreat gave me a fuller picture of who Mooji was and about the perspective and way of being that he encouraged. 

Despite learning a lot and hearing some things that I’m sure were the truth, there were many things that Mooji didn’t have answers to, either that or he didn’t feel they were important. He spoke about God, Jesus, Buddha and Shiva as if they were interchangeable, as if there was no need to make a clear distinction. He didn’t talk about sins which left me feeling that there was no sense of serious responsibility for one’s deeds, he talked very briefly about reincarnation but didn’t talk much about how it related to our actions and he mentioned heaven but very vaguely. I love how he emphasised a way of being, awareness of the ego and being the 'I am’, which would be conductive to living a spiritual life. But in the end I felt that, as a Muslim, I walked out of the Satsang having benefitted from it more than I would have had i been any other religion.  

As a monotheist and practicing Muslim I already had a pretty clear idea about how best to live in this world and what to expect in the next life. I feel like I have clear guidance from the Quran about how to live day-to-day and many examples I can follow from the Bible. But having said that I’m fully aware that God’s message extends to many different peoples and across many ages. I once heard a scholar say that 'all wisdom is the inheritance of the believer’, and that makes sense to me. So while I’m not exactly sure what Mooji meant when he implied that it was unlikely that a Muslim would become a Hindu, with regards to myself, I’d have to say he’s probably right.