Sanjay Grover spent over nine years searching the meaning of life and another nine years incorporating the answers he found in his novel, Nine Days to Nirvana. The 42-year-old eye doctor who chose a sleepy Solan to live with his family definitely sees more than us. And what he sees can end our self-deceits, break our crutches-of beliefs about God and religion-and bring us face-to-face with truth. Excerpts from an interview with Praveen Chopra

Nuggets of unconventional wisdom

Excerpts from Nine Days to Nirvana by Sanjay Grover, published by Life Positive

Nine days. Not a very long time...
...yet a long, long time. For nirvana takes not nine days, or nine minutes, or nine seconds. It happens in a single heartbeat-one honest throb in which the heart quakes with all its love and compassion. It happens at the moment of true seeking. And Upasana's quest began nine hours ago, or perhaps nine days, or nine years ago, but it could never have been nine lifetimes ago, as some want us to believe... ...for this is the only life.

***

Upasana gently unbuttons her nightgown and peers in. A twinkling black eye meets her gaze. The furry eye soon closes and she again feels the tickling. Little Lucky whimpers weakly. The pup is hungry. But Upasana's virgin breasts are dry. With tears in her eyes, she remembers her liberated friend Vivek's outpouring about 'showering'-about the mother with dry breasts whose intense desire to feed her hungry child makes her a hundred-breasted Venus able to suckle all. Little Lucky licks her, and she giggles as tears stream.

***

Not a single word of 'religion' did I know before; not a single word more of 'religion' need I know now. ???I now know all the scriptures without having read any. The writing of the mystics has suddenly become easy and transparent. And you, my child, are the cause of this mystical revelation.

Words like mystical and spiritual sounded quite absurd previously. Words like Worship, God, Brahma, Shiva, were not only alien to my vocabulary but were also quite painful to my ear and tongue. But now I know. For I have experienced. And I can proclaim, Aham Brahmasmi—I am Brahma.

***

"God is not met, Uncle. God is experienced."
"And you've experienced God!" he exclaimed.
"No, not yet. But I know one who has," she said.
"So what you say is mere hearsay."
"And what the religious books say—the Bible, the Quran, the Gita - isn't that hearsay?" she retorted.
"Now this is heresy!" he exclaimed. "The scriptures embody 'revealed' truths."
"Uncle, even if God Himself proclaims a truth, it's hearsay as long as it isn't directly experienced," she said defiantly. "Love is only experienced directly. Truth too. All that's spoken or written about them is hearsay." ??"But people do look up to God," interrupted Anand.
"God shouldn't give one a pain in the neck, but that's all you'll get if you keep looking up to him," said Upasana. "Why shouldn't we strive to rise to his level instead? God doesn't want to be worshipped. To keep Him on a pedestal and worship Him would merely add to the poor chap's loneliness. God wants a friend! He wants to be realized!" she cried.