First published by Westland Publications Private Limited in 2018 61, 2nd Floor, Silverline Building, Alapakkam Main Road, Maduravoyal, Chennai 600095 Westland and the Westland logo are trademarks of Westland Publications Private Limited, or its affiliates. Copyright © Dr Yusuf Merchant, 2018 ISBN: 9789386850980 The views and opinions expressed in this work are the author’s own and the facts are as reported by him, and the publisher is in no way liable for the same. All rights reserved Typeset in Adobe Garamond Pro by SÜRYA, New Delhi No part of this book may be reproduced, or stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without express written permission of the publisher. for the unsung hero within you CONTENTS FOREWORD A NOTE ON THE ILLUSTRATIONS I. GIVE PEACE A CHANCE CHAPTER 1 EVERYTHING IS PERFECT CHAPTER 2 NO CONDITIONS APPLY CHAPTER 3 THE MEANING OF LIFE CHAPTER 4 THE MAGIC OF IMAGINATION II. MIND GAMES CHAPTER 5 THE AMBULANCE FUNDA CHAPTER 6 THE TRAIN STATION CHAPTER 7 THE PARADOXICAL PRE-INTENTION FUNDA CHAPTER 8 EVEN THE MOON HAS A DARK SIDE CHAPTER 9 THE LIFE FORCE, WITHIN CHAPTER 10 SHRINK THE RASCAL CHAPTER 11 THE SPIRIT OF CREATION CHAPTER 12 FREQUENCIES ARE RETURNED TO THEIR POINT OF ORIGIN CHAPTER 13 LEARNINGS FROM AN ORANGE TREE CHAPTER 14 JAIKISHAN & THE ANT III. INSTANT KARMA CHAPTER 15 CERVANTES & THE UGLY DUCKLING CHAPTER 16 MY MOTHER’S SECRET MARRIAGE CHAPTER 17 THE FLAVOUR OF LOVE CHAPTER 18 THY WILL BE DONE CHAPTER 19 AN EVENT THAT DID NOT HAPPEN CHANGED MY LIFE CHAPTER 20 I AM GOING TO DIE! CHAPTER 21 THE SECRET TO SELF-CONFIDENCE CHAPTER 22 TWO SIDES TO REALITY CHAPTER 23 TRANSFORMERS CHAPTER 24 THE EVENTUAL REALITY CHAPTER 25 THE COMMITMENT FUNDA CHAPTER 26 LES GRANDS MANUELS IV. STARTING OVER CHAPTER 27 DRUGS, ALCOHOL AND ALL THAT BUZZ CHAPTER 28 DESTINY VS FREE WILL CHAPTER 29 THE ATTENTION FUNDAMENTAL CHAPTER 30 A CONDITIONED TOOL FOR CONTROL CHAPTER 31 THE FIFTH DIMENSION CHAPTER 32 THE SYMBOLISM FUNDA CHAPTER 33 ANGER & PLAYING DEAD CHAPTER 34 NO ONE IS STUPID CHAPTER 35 THE TRAUMATIC TRIANGLE CHAPTER 36 DON’T CELEBRATE THOUGHT CHAPTER 37 THE IMAGINE-IT PROGRAMME: THE POWER OF 2 PER CENT V. IMAGINE CHAPTER 38 MY PATIENT GURUS CHAPTER 39 THE SOLITARY UNIVERSAL CONSTANT CHAPTER 40 THE SUPERIOR RACE? CHAPTER 41 THE WORD LITTLE IS NOT SO LITTLE CHAPTER 42 THE POWER OF I ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS FOREWORD IF YOU CAME here looking for one of those syrupy volumes that help you deal with the grief of losing a pet turtle, this ain’t it. Dead Turtle Therapy is over in Aisle 4. Stories of people’s lives are as countless as the stars, and as indiscriminate unless you get up close. Everybody has at least one—you have one, I have one, assorted uncles and aunts have a dozen apiece. The first time I met Yusuf ‘Doc’ Merchant, this is what I asked him: Why should I listen to you? It was 2010 and I was a recent addition to the thirty-or-so residents of Land, a rehab facility neighbouring Mumbai city. ‘Facility’ is a terrible word to use here because it makes Land sound like something from a Michael Crichton thriller, all lab coats and security systems and dissected rodents. In truth, visually, Land is equal parts luxury mountain retreat and kitschy artist commune. There is a massive dining hall built almost entirely of shiny granite and marble. A gym. A swimming pool. Air-conditioned villas. There is also, squirrelled away like hazelnuts inside creamy chocolate, a wooden pagoda-style gazebo for prayer. A giant concrete peace symbol painted in electric pink. A junk chassis of an ancient jeep half buried in the ground. The resulting mélange is a lot to take in. Doc, perhaps unsurprisingly, given that he is the soul of the place, can be a lot to take in as well. He turned sixty last year but dresses like a teenager (expensive jeans with unorthodox stitching, trainers in neon candy colours). He eats, walks, speaks and laughs with an energy that pops and fizzes like a soda can gone mad. A believer of many and varied faiths, Doc is also irreverent in the extreme. I’ve seen him get cheeky with captains of industry, religious leaders, heads of institutions and the press corps alike, as if to say sure, we are speaking of important things but let’s not take ourselves too