THE RED SUN








We left for our Tai Chi camp (at Lonavala) slightly after 7 yesterday morning. We were a group of some twenty participants and we had left Mumbai in four separate cars. I was in Rakesh Menon’s (our Tai Chi teacher) car.

It was an exceptionally peaceful morning… While on Vashi bridge, I sighted the red Sun on the distant horizon. “So amazing… Simply magical!” I exclaimed referring to the Sun. Then, something prompted me to say this: “How small we all look here before this glorious Creation!”

Rakesh sir, just looked at me and smiled!

With that smile, we left the spiritual quest alone…

Sun came up every morning, wearing the same stunning attire for thousands of years… So, why would anyone need a reminder about how mighty the Sun was… and how small we all seemed before him?

“Gaze at the red Sun for a few moments,” Rakesh sir suggested, “It’s good for the eyes.”

The ‘few moments’ swiftly passed by… Sun was fast slipping into a brighter attire… a whiter, more radiant one… I could still keep my eyes on him…

“Watch closely,” Rakesh sir reminded, “observe the next few moments.”

It was, by now, tough to keep my eyes on the Sun… He was burning!


We were passing by the Express Way… The vast green expanse… the distant hills… the tunnels… the speeding vehicles… the throbbing hearts… the desire to be recognized, loved and respected… that desperate craving for hurray for capturing the Sun on my cell-phone… a pride in ‘writing’ a book… Yes, all these images were fast moving by as the Sun went about quietly doing his daily duty…

Did I care? Did anyone? Leave alone feeling grateful… Leave alone feeling humbled!

We are so intoxicated in our own achievements… A new book, a new click, a new painting, a new song, a new house, a new business, a new relationship and even a new powerful opinion… So drunk at times, so lost…

The Sun, the original creation… the one who has endured the blazing test of time… the one who keeps us alive and throbbing… yes, who cares how colossal he is!

Before my new book – ‘THE DRAGON TAIL’ – was released at our Tai Chi camp, last night, I heard from Rakesh sir many captivating phrases… Two of them stayed home: ‘Walking on the Clouds’… ‘The Dance of the Rainbow’…

It was dark outside… The Sun had gone home… In a few moments, I was to unveil my new book…
“Observe the next few moments,” I remembered Rakesh sir’s words… He had smiled when I said looking at the red sun, “How small we all look here before this glorious Creation!”


GERALD D’CUNHA


Pic.: Anil Bedi

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