Art of living

Sonu Niigaam

God lives in him, believes Sonu Niigaam. That is why the singer does not make a conscious effort to search for the Almighty in temples
IT was in 1998 when I received a spiritual awakening. I had turned 25 that day. I was flying from Miami to West Indies for my music concert. En route, I bought this book, Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff by Richard Carlson. The book wasn’t about God but about ego — how to handle your ego which often comes in the way of your happiness. For the first time, I realised the way I was leading my life was the way to live. That affirmation made a huge difference to me. This book reaffirmed the principles I always believed in. For example, I always believed that happiness is a state of mind. I also had this insight that I am God myself and so is everybody around me. Later, when my sister, a yoga teacher, gifted me this book, Conversations with God by Neale Donald Walsch, it sort of reaffirmed my belief. Hence, there is no need to look for Him only in a temple. So I decided, henceforth, I will visit temples only when I want to, not because I have to. I also do not indulge in any ritual practices. But we still organise havans at home because my p a r - e n t s wa n t to cont i nu e w i t h them. M y prayer is to learn new things, imbibe fresh insights. You must not take life too seriously. You must enjoy the process of living. For me, learning is a continuous process and an all-inclusive one —reading a book, learning a musical instrument or learning the martial art called taekwondo. Teach myself something new, that's my prayer. I know my destiny is moksh or liberation. I will not die for money or success. I am satisfied living the life I am leading and I will die with dignity. Right now, I work like a donkey, but when I am old, life will be different. In a farm house across the lake, doing yoga and enjoying vegetarian food. If there is reincarnation, I would like to be born as Sonu Niigaam.