Chapter 20

The man who introduced Pi to Islam was a Sufi, a Muslim mystic. His name was Satish Kumar. He shared the same Last name as Pi's communist, atheist mentor. These two men, Pi says, taught him biology and Islam and were the reason he studied zoology and religion in college. He calls them the prophets of his youth.Mr. Kumar, the Muslim, had a very personal, loving relationship with God. He and Pi would pray and chant together. Pi felt full of glory when he would leave Mr. Kumar's very small, two-room shack. He begins to see Kumar’s home as a holy place and after praying with him for a while feels the wisdom of those prayers and relays that he currently practices all three religions every day. He even describes an instance in which he witnessed the Virgin Mary in Canada.