WHAT DO WE OWE ONE ANOTHER?


























“When you make peace with yourself,
You make peace with the world.”

-      Maha Ghosananda

Traditionally, the term ‘Jobless’ has been used to convey these two meanings: 1. One has no employment – no source of earning 2. One has job – a source of earning – yet, he cannot go to the workplace…

There is a third meaning, which, most of us have wanted to convey by saying, “He is jobless.” … Yes, “Koi kaam dhandha nahin hai”… “Bekaar baita hai”…

Today, the meaning of all these three versions of ‘Joblessness’ – becomes so clyster clear as the roads, skies and seas, even the deserts of Dubai, are!

We are all ‘jobless’ today, in one sense or the other…  But, let’s not put the blame and curse on poor Corona …

The curse has already befallen us!

So, we, the so-far-so-good folks – the jobless ones - are on our cellphones, laptops, computers or tabs and doing a million things, without knowing whether the Sun or the Moon has come upon the sky… Yes, we all are doing our own ‘Jobless things’…

“Kaam nathulo achari, kule tastalo kain” *… This was one of the widely-popular Konkani sayings our elders would use, whenever they found us doing our own ‘Jobless’ things at home. Apparently, the saying described the plight of a jobless (in real sense of the word) carpenter… He had to do something with his tools… He needed a piece of wood to chisel, to shape up… So, what would he do? Those were the times of no cellphones, laptops and the internet… So, he would make his l’le son sleep on his 'lap-top', and chisel his buttocks!

A poor joke?

No Sir, the poor people had only this kind of jokes!

But, anyway… What are we guys doing today, and what kind of jokes – and all sorts of things – are we sending in these times of our ‘joblessness’?

Yes, like, the other day,  our lady Union Minister and her Bollywood friend were found doing on the internet, we all are found playing our own long-distance ‘Antaksharies’!

I am not complaining or mocking, Sir. Because, we have no right to point fingers at others… We all ‘are’ busy playing our own antaksharies, without knowing, as I said, whether the Sun or the Moon is up in the sky!

So far so good…  We are still alive… Saved!

So, of a million forwards, this was one, forwarded on FB, yesterday, by a dear family friend:

“Whoever owes you money, go to their house now…
They should be home.”

I responded instantly:

“I am coming!”

Our friend had this response::

“I did not know I owe you any money.
But, you are welcome anytime…
Bring your better half, too!”

It was my turn to play the Antakshari… I told our friend:

“I was planning to come there
to get my own debt written off!”


Jokes apart…

Do we ‘owe’ anything to one another? We are all at home…

But, what do we ‘owe’ one another?

Many things, Sir!

One of them comes to my mind… Jesus said: “If you are offering your gift at the altar and there remember that your brother has something against you, leave your gift there in front of the altar. First go and be reconciled to your brother; then come and offer your gift.”

What makes this advice from Jesus so humbling is, that He did not say, “If you have something against your brother” … That would have been easy to do…

But, Sir, the Master said, “If your brother has something against you”!

And, is it not the only way to find our true peace in these ‘jobless’ times?

We are all at home… It’s time!







*Please ignore the authenticity of translation!



GERALD D’CUNHA

Pic.: Caleb Oquendo

Video:e-soundtrax


Comments

Philoo Lobo said…
Dear Jerry, Outstanding as always.Loved it. Im humbled. Peace be with you always.
I luv all ur Konkani anecdotes..heard from my Mom as a kid.
Thankyou
Luv regards God's Blessings <3
Philoo
March 24, 2020 at 1:08 PM
Gerald D'Cunha said…
Thanx ma'am... Glad to hear what you are saying. Hope you are cheerful and healthy. Love to all in the family.
God bless you, too.
March 24, 2020 at 7:37 PM
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