Renowned filmmaker and philosopher Shekhar Kapur is praised for his profound spiritual insights and intellectual musings in addition to his artistic mastery.
On the auspicious occasion of Buddha Purnima, Shekhar, who is known for frequently sharing philosophical insights with his followers, once again left many reflecting. This time, he related a moving personal story about a life-changing experience he had while trekking alone in the Himalayas, which profoundly changed his outlook on life and signalled the start of a spiritual quest.
Taking to social media, Shekhar wrote, “Today is Buddh Jayanti. Budh in Sanskrit means ‘the enlightened one’…. ‘The one that is aware.’” He then recounted meeting a meditating monk in a cave amid freezing temperatures. The image of the monk—barely clothed, eyes closed, exuding peace—struck Shekhar deeply. Summoning the courage to speak, he asked, “Aren’t you feeling cold?” Although he admitted it was a trivial question, the monk’s response was anything but: “I was not aware of the cold,” he chuckled. “But now that you’ve asked me, yes, it is cold.” Then he closed his eyes once more, with a gentle, knowing smile—the kind you offer a curious child.
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Intrigued, Shekhar went on to ask, “Are you enlightened?” The monk responded with an intense gaze, one that seemed to suspend time. Shekhar became acutely aware that darkness had fallen and stars had emerged—whether in the sky or within his own imagination, he couldn’t say. Then, unexpectedly, the monk asked him, “Are YOU enlightened?” Shekhar replied honestly, “I don’t even know what it means.”
To this, the monk advised, “Go back to where you came from. Open your heart to love. When you find love everywhere you look, you’ll know that love came from your heart… Let it flow everywhere … outward… It’s when your love flows back inwards… that’s when pain, desire, selfishness takes over.”
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The monk went back to meditating. Shekhar was surrounded by darkness as the cold set in, marking the start of his spiritual journey.
The director is currently working on Masoom 2, having recently received the Padma Bhushan for his exceptional contribution to Indian cinema. In addition to bringing Shabana Azmi and Naseeruddin Shah back together, the sequel will feature a significant cameo by his daughter Kaveri Kapur.
