Gerald D'Cunha

  “Stillness is the language God speaks, and all else is a bad translation.” — Eckhart Tolle   I met this doctor friend of mine after many years when I rejoined the Tai Chi classes. He is a gentle soul; and his presence and speech, always, have a   calming effect on me. Every Sunday morning, after our Tai Chi session, we both sit in a nearby Mani’s restaurant for a simple cup of tea… During those few minutes there, we discuss anything that is simple and light… But, I don’t know if what we discussed this morning was simple and light… One of the relatives of my doctor friend (Age 56) is at a terminal stage of cancer. She and her husband have come (from Dubai) to stay at the residence of my doctor friend for undergoing Chemotherapy in one of the hospitals in Mumbai. “Presence of loved ones around can help the recovery process,” I said. “That’s true,” said my friend, “However, one can be lonely even when surrounded by several loved ones around. Inner issues ne...

Pic.: Malabika Ganguly “All the advice you ever gave your partner (or anyone) is for you to hear.”   ―   Byron Katie O ne of the thoughts I have, always, believed in is this: The basics of every chapter I teach are very important; therefore, my students should not miss the initial lectures of every chapter… particularly the first lecture. So, I keep reminding them about it, much in advance. “Look guys, I will be starting this chapter on such and such date. If you miss the basics, you will find it very difficult to cope up later. So, come what may, please don’t remain absent.” Now, most of them don’t miss. Mercifully, because, they have realized the meaning and value of my advice. But, some of them do miss and walk into the class, the following lecture, as if my advice - or warning, whatever it is - meant nothing to them! And, look at my behavior. If I operate from my rigid belief that they’ had to’ attend the class com...

Our thoughts rule our minds as long as we allow them to… as long as we want them to. Yes, as long as we hold them in our minds! If we believe a thought to be true, it lives there in our minds. Else, it has no business to be there! The thoughts have never tortured any of us… It is our interpretation of thoughts - the story we tell in our minds – that brings about the torture, the constant suffering inside. So, someone says something to us… Our mind immediately starts processing those words… interpret them, attach meaning to them, read motives behind them… and, thereby, weave a dramatic story out of them – Yes, just out of someone’s words! Now, this story – this belief – gives life and power to the words, which have, by now, become robust thoughts… In the same way, someone behaves before us, even without words… and, our minds are already on job – analyzing, interpreting and concluding! Byron Katie fondly calls this fa...

                   “Your assumptions are your windows on the world. Scrub them off every once in a while, or the light won't come in.” ― Isaac Asimov I was teaching a young boy yesterday. “We say, an asset is ‘taken over’ by a partner, while we say, a liability is ‘assumed’ by him,” I explained to him. I have been teaching Accountancy for over three decades, and, the above explanation is so routine that it goes without any student questioning to me – “Why so?”… “Why can’t we say that an asset and liability both ‘taken over’ by a partner?”… “Why we need to say that a liability is ‘assumed’ by him?” Yes, everyone ‘assumes’ it is so… and, therefore, it is so. It goes… Goes with the flow of teaching and learning! But, it didn’t, with this young boy, last morning. He asked me “But, why?” So, I had to e...

“Opinions are the cheapest commodities in the world.” L ast afternoon, I saw two young students arguing on a subject - BIGG BOSS show on TV. One was raving about it; one was ridiculing it. But, both watched it. “All losers in one goddamn house… doing and talking about the most unrealistic things… and you call them a ‘Reality Show’?” – the one who abhorred the show was ranting. “Who asks you to watch it, then? Don’t watch… Simple,” – the one who adored the show was blunting the attack. “I love it; so, I watch it. Simple.” Indeed. It is as simple as that. You like pumpkin; I like bitter gourd. Don’t eat, if you can’t stand even the sight of that ‘goddamn’ bitter gourd. That simple. But, let me enjoy it. Don’t ask me, “What is so special about it?” My dad literally worshiped Mrs. Indira Gandhi. Some of his friends hated her. It was the Emergency time… and we were too young to understand Politics. What we used to witness was a great deal of heated arguments between my dad and his friends o...

Last night, I watched the India-Sri Lanka ODI Finals. I got to watch only the last five overs... and,India losing the match. Strangely, nothing happened to me! No tension or anxiety, no anger or sadness, no frustration or depression. I just felt normal. But, the gentleman next to me was badly upset, depressed. Another man was angry; he began to hurl abuses on our players. Again, I did not find their reaction strange. I was normal, watching their behaviour, too. But, just a few years ago, it wasn't so. I would die to watch an India-Pakistan match, and, in the end, if we lost, I would literally die!. Most of the India-Pakistan contests were known for their nail-biting endings. I would sit before the TV, glued, without any motion, sensing my heart racing, unable to breathe fully... my mind clouded, unable to think clearly. I would become sad and depressed, and, sometimes, angry, mad. Then, why didn't I react at all, last night? India is 'my' country... This is my belief. M...