WHERE DOES KINDNESS COME FROM?

“Because, that’s what kindness is.

It’s not doing something for someone else

because they can’t; but, because, you can.”

Andrew Iskander

Many years ago, when Mother Teresa was alive, a famous personality had made a statement, whereby, he called her ‘the most selfish person on earth’!

It was several years ago, and social media was not yet born. So, the reactions to this ‘provocative’ and ‘blasphemous’ statement appeared on some sections of the print media and, finally, everybody forgot about it… Mother Teresa’s work continues as usual with least noise… and, I do not know what happened to the ‘famous personality’ who had stirred the hornet’s nest…

But, ever since I heard it first, one thing keeps happening inside my heart, whenever some of my admirers praise me for my ‘selfless work’. Today, early in the morning, Sudha, one such soul, sent this message from Dubai:

“Hello Sir, how are you? I was watching ‘Kindness Dairies’ on Netflix. 

It connected me to you… You’re like him, sharing kindness 

through your writings! Thank you.”

And, an hour ago, my dear ex-student, Shripad, called me (from Chennai) on a WhatsApp video call… I didn’t pick up. When the phone stopped ringing, I made a voice call to speak to him...

“Kya Guru, I wanted to see your face,” Shripad, 32, but due to some physical and mental challenges talks as straight and clean as a little boy, said.

“My boy, you want to see your Sir half-naked?” I joked referring to my locked-down-at-home shakal, “You should inform me in advance whenever you make a video call.”

“Kya Sir, poora duniya ka vaat laga hai… Sab nange ho chuke hain… Why are you worried about your shakal? The next time, you should make a video call to me without informing… I want to see my Sir!”

The ‘special children’ are called ‘special’ for this reason! I remember how Shripad’s mother, would sit on the last bench (he would always sit on the first bench), in my packed T.Y. B.Com class, some thirteen years ago, take down all the notes, discuss with Shripad at home all over again, and saw to it that he became a ‘graduate’. The moment the T.Y. exams got over, the entire family – he, parents and grandparents – moved to Chennai and settled there permanently. Shripad passed and got employed with TVS under their social-reachout scheme… He is still working with them. As far as his social awareness and sense of humour are concerned, he can teach me, his teacher, a valuable lesson or two… as he did today when he said, without even blinking: “Kya sir, poora duniya ka vaat laga hai… Sab nange ho chuke hain… and why are you worried about  your shakal?”

From where does it - what Shripad’s parents and grandparents have been doing towards him - come? Is it a ‘kind act’ or a ‘selfish act’? … 32 long years and still counting, Sir!

Yes, at some places, I open my heart and just give… Like this gift from God, writing. It costs me nothing… I get it all free from others who are kind and generous… So, I just pass it on. But, am I ‘selfless’?  

I will be dishonest and arrogant if I say ‘Yes’. I have enough ‘selfishness’ in me… Maybe, this is my way of reducing my burden of this guilt…

I am nobody to comment about why Mother Teresa carried out her work. She continues to inspire me… and, I won’t judge her. After all, it’s she who said: “If you judge people, you have no time to love them.”

Here are my niece, Skyla, and her husband (both chucked their corporate life) doing this work of ‘kindness’, through their NGO – ‘Milaap’ - in Bengaluru:

Can you and I do it? And, why do they do it? Are they ‘selfish’?

I really do not know…

My friend Hitesh, who himself does a lot of ‘kindness work’, shared this video, today:

“My sense of hunger comes from my struggling days in New York City.” Well, we all have our own ‘sense of hunger’; but, why only people like this soul should be driven to do this ‘kindness work’? Yes, it’s a great mystery to me! Is he selfish?

I have been watching and sharing many YouTube videos posted by ‘Dare to Do Motivation’. I haven’t met the man who tells these inspiring stories. But, I and many like me are able to feel his ‘kindness’. Is he ‘selfish’? This story, perhaps, has an answer:

I do not wish to say anything more on ‘Kindness’…

GERALD D’CUNHA

Pic.:1.  pixabay 2. Shripad

Videos: 1.  Milaap 2. ANX Media Production  3. Dare to Do Motivation