THE WORLD NEEDS A HEALING TOUCH. NOT MORE OF BURNING DOWN
















“The kind of lies that someone tells us gives us an idea
of how stupid, knowledgeable, intelligent, or ignorant they are …
or they think we are.”
― Mokokoma Mokhonoana

I was talking to a friend of mine, this morning. The friend is no highly qualified; but, I consider him as one of the most cultured and ‘highly educated’ individuals in life…

Well, that’s my assessment…

As we were talking, I showed him some of the messages I was receive on social media. It was early morning… and, some of so-called ‘highly qualified’ individuals I was acquainted with had started sharing/forwarding posts which were extremely toxic, divisive and cheap. Most of these posts related to their affiliation with one particular religion or political ideology. They had a rigid stand and, viewed from that mirror, everything else and everyone else who opposed that stand was their enemy… It could be you and me. If we did not agree with what they thought was ‘right’, then, we were their enemies!

The day had just started… Imagine how some of us choose to go about our day!

Technology and social media, which were intended to be a great ‘learning tool’ -  something to enhance the quality of our lives… bring us together, make us better human beings - yes, this very tool is being misused for cheap thrills and to promote one’s own divisive agenda. While discussing this with my friend , this morning, he said this: “ It has become easy for us to identify who one is and what he stands for, just by going through a couple of posts he relentlessly shares and a couple of comments he incessantly leaves. The way he argues, reveals his mind. The choice, therefore, is not his… We have to decide if we need such individuals in our consciousness.”

Education is not piling up of one degree upon another. The doctorates don’t make fine citizens… A very progressive outlook – fired by compassion, tolerance, forbearance and brotherhood – does. We really do not need more information… We have it enough. We need more supple, more unifying mindsets… The world needs a healing touch. Not more of burning down!

Every time, therefore, we share a post or leave a comment on any public platform, let’s remember this: We reveal who we truly are within!

GERALD D’CUNHA

Pic.: Jayashree Bhat

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

MUTHU KODI KAWARI HADA

Image
Pic.; Ashwin Mohta M y Hindi was always bad. It still is. One reason for this was, that they introduced Hindi for us only in 6 th standard. Or, was it in 8 th ? I don’t remember… I only remember struggling to write and read… leave alone speak! But, I loved Hindi movies, and, strangely, I could understand the dialogues and the lyrics of the songs… I used to sing those songs (of course when no one was around me!) as if I was the lyricist… One of the songs was a very funny one. ‘Muthu Kodi Kawari Hada’. It was from Mehmood’s super-hit comedy – ‘Do Phool’. I was a 15-year-old high-school boy when I had heard that song (not watched the movie). I could grasp the meaning of two words – ‘Muthu Kodi’… which meant ‘Give kiss’… But, what ‘Kawari Hada’ meant, I have no clue till date! It was just like ‘Why this kolaveri di’... Yes, why ask? Simply enjoy the beats… And, the beats are great… The rest... Who cares? Really! So, whatever bit of Hi
Read more

"HAPPILY EVER AFTER IS NOT A FAIRY-TALE... IT IS A CHOICE"

Image
“Love doesn’t just sit there, like a stone… It has to be made, like bread; remade all the time, made new.” – Ursula K. Le Guin,  The Lathe of Heaven T welve years ago, when Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie got married, the world began to hail the couple as ‘Brangelina’. It became a fashion for couples around us to call themselves so… Norbert and Teresa renamed them as ‘Noresa’…  Amol and Vishaka baptized their relationship as ‘Amoshka’… and, Salman and Nargis became ‘Salgis’! I and my wife, too, got tempted to re-christian our matrimonial relationship as ‘Germa’... That is, Gerald and Anima, to be precise! B efore I proceed any further, let me make it very clear, here… that, I have no business to judge on the break-up of Brad Pitt and Angelina’ Jolie’s marriage. I have no inclination to go into why, how, what when etc behind it… The couple ‘chose’ to split. And, it’s their choice… Only they know how good or bad… how joyful or painful that
Read more

SELLING MIRRORS IN THE CITY OF THE BLIND

Image
“I laugh when I hear that the fish in the water is thirsty. I laugh when I hear that people go on pilgrimage to find God.” - Kabir T here is a universal human weakness – and it dates back to the days of fallen civilizations – and it is: to place people on pedestal and trying to be smothered by them, feel loved and protected in their company… worship them as mentors, heroes,  gurus, Mahagurus and Satgurus… Make these mortals larger-than-life cut-outs, worship them as flawless, pure and give one’s all… And, then, ‘take’ everything from them blindly as divine… Give everything to them blindly… Eventually, what happens is:  one more dangerous bondage… What was supposed to free you now becomes a new prison… It’s sad to see this happen! T his room, where I am writing this Post, has no image of any deity. I have no image of any Guru or Master around me… My question is: “Am I not able to feel close to Almighty God?  How does it matter
Read more
THE WILD, WAYSIDE FLOWERS
There is, always, something extra-ordinary in the wild, wayside flowers...