Gerald D'Cunha

“There is always more goodness in the world than there appears to be, because, goodness, by its very nature, is modest and retiring.” Evelyn Beatrice Hall T o me, it’s nearly four months inside my house. I hadn’t just stepped out of door. Just yesterday, early in the morning, I stepped out, along with my wife, to take a few breaths of fresh air, and, yes, a few walking steps… It felt as though I was learning to walk again, and breathe again! But, I was sternly instructed by my wife and son, not to touch anything, including my own nose and mouth (which, anyway, were hidden behind my mask), not to sit anywhere. And, as soon as we were home, went all my clothes into the washing machine… and, after my heart settled down, went I for a bath! “What a horrible way to live!” that’s my honest reaction, “I was angry and frustrated for a while!” M any of you may be thinking, that I am a very positive, very zestful person. You’re wrong! I experience eve...

Pic.: Amrita Jeurkar W hen a friend of mine, wrote in one of the WhatsApp groups, last night, “Gayi bhains paani mein”, I wrote back: “Nothing is a waste in life… not even tears.” The friend of mine was referring to an uncomfortable situation, where, it seemed, the consistent efforts to come out of it had gone wasted… yes, my friend had expressed his dismay by saying… “Gayi bhains paani mein”. Apparently, one believes, that, once the buffalo goes into water, it is very difficult to bring him out. Well, the proverb may have some truth. But, I know, that, however difficult a situation seems to be – at this moment in my life - it is only a ‘life situation’… It is not my life! And, every situation, which is man-created, either by me or someone around me, ‘has to’ change as time goes by… It cannot outlive the creator! In the above situation, the creators were others… with some cruel intention. So, no way the particular situation could l...

Pic.: Malabika Ganguly I love these three books: Rhonda Byme ’s ‘The Secret’, Eckhart Tolle’s ‘The Power of Now’ and Byron Katie’s ‘Loving What Is.’ Honestly, more than the books, I love the authors… and, that is for the same one reason: These books were born from the darkest period in the lives of these authors… Just before the priceless philosophy was chronicled in the books (or DVDs), these authors – all of them – had been to the hell-gate to kill themselves! But, the end was not supposed to be so… It was destined to be something beautiful, sublime… Sometimes, we need to go through the dark tunnels - experience pain, stress and confusion, before we can see light…  “The end of our anger and sorrow,” I often tell, “is the birth of our compassion.” And, I believe, the grace that saved Rhonda Byme, Eckhart Tolle and Byron Katie is all there waiting to save all of us. In fact, we haven’t been to such extreme cliffs… Most of us have not thought of ...

Pic.: Aparna Khanolkar Sheth I have never asked God to give me a long life. But, I have, always, asked Him, and still ask, to give me the ability to live it passionately... with all the ups and downs, highs and lows... with the eyes and heart of a little child – always filled with wonder and awe, always feeling small before His incredible vastness... remaining strikingly aware of my limitations as well as of the power hidden in my soul... Fifty six years! It is not a short life-span. It is big, it is long. And, yes, I haven’t abused it, haven’t taken it for granted... And, for this, I do feel happy and proud of my own self. So, today, if I have to go on my knees and thank God for fifty-six reasons, what they would be? My heart pours out... 1. For giving me those simple, yet amazing, parents. 2. For giving me my four wonderful – yet strikingly different – brothers. 3. For the opportunity to be born in a Christian family... For giving me ...

Pic.: Chetna Shetty F or some days, 18-year-old Ashwin, a student of our on-going PD course, had been persuading me to play in the class a BBC documentary-film titled ‘HIROSHIMA. “Sir, it’s a must watch,” he kept telling me, “I was moved watching it.” Last morning, I watched it on my computer, and, yes, it was, in deed, very moving. On one side, you feel angry at the blind, adamant and insensitive military chief of Japan .... Even after the dreaded Nazi force of Germany surrendered, Japan refused to... and, all calls and threats from the Allied forces, particularly, America , failed. America had entered the long-drawn Second World-War only after she was provoked by the horrible attack by Japan on Pearl Harbor . And, now, in spite of all the devastation wrought upon Japan , and even though Germany and other nations had surrendered to the Allies, Japan had remained ruthlessly adamant... So, as a last resort, America did what it did: history’s first - and pr...