I FOUND MY CALLING UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF MAULANA - Mr. Haroon Shaikh, Mumbai

summum bonum” (Latin for ‘greater good’) and therefore a perquisite to everything good! And for nine decades, he used every available opportunity to contribute to peacemaking, in India and abroad. The Maulana was the epitome of the principle, ‘Simple Living, High Thinking’. His goal was to be a life-long learner and he chose to lead a modest life, free of all distractions. For those who had met him in his New Delhi house, were often surprised by the austerity of his Sufi lifestyle. Each day, he used to get up at dawn break and step out to sit in his balcony. This ‘Spiritual Corner’ was his way of being in nature and it served as an inspiration for him. He drew lessons from the simplest every day events and conveyed meaningful spiritual principles through them in his unforgettable and powerful baritone. As a scholar, he had the courage to stand for truth, criticize what he saw was wrong and tear apart the influence of the traditional framework he grew in, to develop an objective and analytical bent of mind. He was of the view that challenges shape the character of man. Having become an orphan very early in life had taught him to not succumb to despair and disappointment but to consider every untoward experience as a challenge and keep hope alive. He was not just my grandfather but a Guru, who guided me to discover the meaning of life. He laid great emphasis on the importance of education in shaping minds. As a young schoolboy, I was once sitting with him when he asked me if I would like to know a formula of success. I eagerly nodded in affirmation. He said it is a three-point formula and began