Sit with the guru: Spiritual guide Sri M launches new book

CHENNAI: Sri M, spiritual guide, author, social reformer, speaker and Padma Bhushan awardee launched his latest book, The Friend - Mind, Body, Soul, Well-being on Wednesday. After having soft launched on e-commerce websites in the month of June, the book is now available in local bookstores as well.

The book discusses various topics like friendship, death, marriage, attitude, happiness, money, divine self, liberation and lots more.

Talking to DT Next about the book, he says, “This book actually is written by Monica Kent. She belongs to the House of Lords in London. She is a friend of mine but she wants to call herself my disciple,” he chuckles.

“She came up to me and said that she wanted to write a book about our conversations because she felt that someone would find a meaning suitable for themselves in it. She came up with questions and we would sit at the balcony at her London residence with tea and go on talking for hours together,” he says.

Talking about the title of the book, he says, “Monica initially wanted to name it ‘The Guru’ but I had her change it to ‘The Friend’ because that’s how I would describe our relationship.”

Sri says that the course that the book travelled felt very personal to him and Monica as the tone of the dialogue was very informal; so much so that they had to edit out a few parts from the book as it felt too intimate.

He mentions that the book aims to help its readers find true happiness. But what is true happiness? Sri says, “Happiness differs from person to person. For someone their work might give them happiness, for some it might be their passion. The degree of passion and what drives a person changes. Being able to be happy on the inside, from the core is what true happiness is all about.”

“The takeaway of the book is to encourage the youth of today to have a conversation with a spiritual guide about questions they might have about several things. The idea is to make them realise that spiritual knowledge can be found in abundance for those who seek it,” he smiles.

Happiness differs from person to person. For someone their work might give them happiness, for some it might be their passion. The degree of passion and what drives a person changes

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