AR Rahman spoke about his relationship with spirituality, and opened up about how he overcomes emotionally difficult moments in his life. At a recent event, the celebrated music composer credited his mother for giving him a valuable lesson about dealing with dark thoughts. Rahman addressed a gathering of Oxford Union debating society students, who asked him questions about his life and career.
One student thanked Rahman for pulling them out of a dark period with his views on spirituality. Asked why he doesn’t speak more about spiritualism, Rahman said, “We all have dark times. One thing is definite; it’s a small little travel in this world. We were born, and we’re going to go. It’s not a permanent place for us. Where we’re going to go, we don’t know. (It depends) on each person’s own imagination and beliefs.”
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He continued, “When I had suicidal thoughts when I was young, my mother used to say, ‘When you live for others, you won’t get these thoughts’. That’s one of the most beautiful advice I got from my mother. When you live for others, and you’re not selfish, there’s a meaning to your life. I took it very seriously, whether you’re composing for somebody, writing for something, buying food for a person who can’t afford it, or you just smile at someone, these are the things that keep us going. Also, we have a limited knowledge about our future. There could be something extraordinary waiting for you. If you have all these things, and hope, that’s what keeps me going. Sometimes, I feel like I’ve done it all, that I’m in a repetitive cycle, and then you realise there’s a bigger role for you.”
Rahman said that he is inspired by other people, and is always curious about them and their interests. He believes that he can contribute to society not only through his music, but also by being an educator, and mentoring the younger generation.
Rahman was born Dilip Kumar, and converted to Islam some time in the 1980s. In a chat with The Glenn Gould Foundation, Rahman spoke about his interactions with a Sufi spiritual healer, which brought a change to his life. “Nobody told us that you have to come to this faith. I was just more peaceful. I felt like something special, like things were working out. The jingles which were rejected, after prayers would get accepted,” he said.
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