THE DONKEY WHO CARRIED THE GOD

Pic.: Mehul Bhuva

“All you need is ignorance and confidence

...and the success is sure.”

Mark Twain

I have been teaching, in small and big batches – and even for single students – over three decades now. It feels nice, very fulfilling, when my students remember me, thank me, talk about me with pride and gratitude, and, sometimes, hero-worship me. As a human being, I silently crave for such attention, such adulation...

I would be bluffing, if I say, “No, I don’t.”

When you have taught a particular batch of students for an entire year, when you have deeply believed that you have given your best shot putting all the passion and love in your work... when you have thought, so strongly, that you have inculcated some fine values and infused some great confidence in your students... yes, when this is your belief and hope... you, obviously, expect your students to show some ‘visible’ gratitude when they leave you on the last day of their course...

And, mercifully, many of them do...

They stay back to say, “Sir, it has been wonderful experiences learning so much from you... Thank you.”

“Sir, you have been one of the greatest influences in my life. Thank you.”

“Sir, thank you so much for every thing.”

“Sir, your help means a lot. Thank you.”

“Thank you sir; will miss you.”

Often, there are cards, flowers, thank-you notes, a memento or a gift like a tie or a book...  Sometimes, a cake or some home-made chocolates... And, many a times, some of them staying back to bend down to touch your feet...

And, quite many times, the whole batch just going away from you, as if nothing of this kind, not even a thank-you, really matters. They just go away... Done. Over. Use and throw. Dispose off!

And, so, how does that feel, sir?

Whose problem that is... your students’ or yours?

Do expectations breed sorrow, anger and bitterness?

A couple of days back, when it happened, the thought hit me hard and I heard me grumble: “Ungrateful lot!”

But, the next moment, I found myself climbing down the ‘the high stand’, going to each and every one of them and saying with a gentle handshake: “I really enjoyed teaching you guys... Amazing... Thank-you... Will miss you!”

Trust me, I meant every word I said, felt each of it in my blood... Yes, I felt the gratitude that I had the good fortune to teach them... maybe, impact their lives...

I felt tremendously good, free... and confident!

One of Aesop’s stories came to my mind as all my students had left that night...

One day, a man loaded on the back of his donkey a beautiful image of God and headed towards the market place. Along the way, when people saw this amazing image of God, they started expressing their reverence to God... some folded their hands, some touched their hearts, some raised their hands towards the skies, some knelt down, and some of them prostrated on the road...

And, it was an amazing sight to behold... very, very intoxicating...

“How nice, I can’t believe this!” Our donkey is on top of the world, now... “Look at my powers, my value... Look, how the whole world bows down before me... and, look, how ungrateful my own master is!”

The intoxication drove the donkey do some strange dance, and the expensive image of God was about to fall off its back!

Just then, came from the master some hard, nasty lashes: “You dumb ass, that day has not come, when people would stop on their way to bow and worship a useless creature like you!”  

I am neither a dumb ass nor a useless creature. But, don’t I deserve my Master’s nasty medicine to bring me out of my own intoxication...

At least, occasionally?

GERALD D’CUNHA