'HOW MUCH TIME DOES IT TAKE TO CATCH SIGHT OF THE MOON?"














Pic.: Chandrashekhar Varier



“Opening one’s eyes may take a lifetime.
Seeing is done in a flash.”

-  Fr. Anthony de Mello in ‘One Minute Wisdom’


Like everyone else, I, too, wake up every morning looking forward to be happy. Now, if there is nothing in the day that I would be enthusiastic and excited about, there is no way I can hope to be happy along my day.

The wise say, that doing what we love will make us happy. It is because we do it with great enthusiasm… But, they, also, say, that if we cannot do in life what we love, we should learn to love what we do…

What is the other way left for us to be happy in life?

Perhaps, an attitude of gratitude. But, again, learning to love what we do is nothing but being grateful for what has been offered to us. Isn’t it?

Yes, every day, like everyone else, I look forward to be happy… and, I keep getting the same advice, “Do with love whatever you do… do with a great heart... Complain and crib less… Thank and appreciate more… Help and empower others more… Forgive, forget and let go more…. And, above all, pray, celebrate and rejoice more.”

In one of my favorite books – Fr. Anthony de Mello’s ‘One Minute Wisdom’, we come across this pearl of wisdom:


To the woman, who complained
that riches hadn’t made her happy,
the Master said,” You speak as if luxury and comfort
were ingredients of happiness;
whereas, all you need to be  really happy, my dear,
is something to be enthusiastic about.”


Sometimes, our search for happiness can be as uncomplicated – and end as near - as this.  In the very first para of the Introduction to his book, Fr. de ’Mello tells us this:


To his puzzled disciples, the Master, later, said,
“How much time does it take to catch sight of the moon?”

“Then, why all these years of spiritual endeavour?”

“Opening one’s eyes may take a lifetime.
Seeing is done in a flash.”


Can I feel enthusiasm in my heart? If I can’t, I can’t feel there my happiness, either!


GERALD D’CUNHA




Comments

Supriya Das said…
Beautiful Post!
April 2, 2015 at 4:58 PM
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