Gerald D'Cunha

  “Sometimes, God’s blessings are not in what He gives; but, in what He takes away.”  -– Anonymous   Y esterday, a dear friend of my wife and me, Anisha, had invited us to watch the Marathi play –- ‘Mukkam Post Pandharpur’ . As Anisha’s friend was one of the producers of the play, the front-row tickets were complimentary for us… We loved the play… It’s the touching story of young army recruit, Mawli, who was born and brought up in the holy land of Vitthala (Lord Vishnu) –- ‘Pandharpur’ (near Sholapur). As another friend of mine has been undertaking the padyatra to Pandharpur every year (hundreds of kilometers), I knew how powerful such faith in Vitthala was. But, not for the protagonist of the play, Mawli. He didn’t have any faith in either Vitthala or any of His Vasudevas… He would argue angrily with whoever displayed devotion to Vitthala… To him, it was a blind faith… Vitthala was dead. So, young Mawli, just after getting married, is posted at Siachen ...

  “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...

  “We don’t see things as they are, we see them as we are.” — Anaïs Nin   T his morning, I met an old friend after several years. When he told me where he presently lived, I exclaimed, “Wow, that’s one of the most prominent locations.” “That’s what everyone says; but, not we who live there,” my friend said. The building, as I said, was located at one of the most expensive areas. The ground floor housed luxurious clothing and jewelry brands. Each floor had just one huge flat… Each flat owner possessed a matching car, as well… Then, why was my friend saying, “but, not we who live there”? My friend explained: “Ours may be a hot property and we may be owing flats worth several crores…   But, the irony is, that we can possess only one car even if we can afford to own more… To park our cars, to get them out and to get them in… it’s our daily challenge. Then, there is noise, dust, and endless honking… Visitors have to park their cars almost a mile away and come w...

  “With every breath, I plant the seeds of devotion;   I am a farmer of the heart. Rumi   S ome days ago, a friend of mine called me. He said, “I want to visit Mount Mary church (Bandra), today… What is the protocol?” Well, my friend is a Hindu Punjabi. I knew about some difficult times he has been recently passing through. So, the strong urge within his heart to visit a holy shrine did not come to me as any surprise. I have, always, gone to Mount Mary during the week days and sat there quietly, feeling overwhelmed with the surge of gratitude, humility and, above all, peace… Peace is what I have come back with. Thus, when my Punjabi friend asked me, “What is the protocol?”… probably, what he wanted to know was: “Can non-Catholics go inside the shrine?” … “Are there specific hours for the visit?” … “Should one keep the footwear outside?”… “Is offering of candles or cash mandatory?”… etc., etc. I said what I believed in: “Go there with your humble heart... Mot...

  “The most critical time in a battle is not when I’m fatigued; it’s when I no longer care.” Graig G. Lounsbrough   O ne of the powerful imageries, deeply imbedding in my mind, relates to this period of Lent... Jesus Christ’s prayer at the lonely place – Gethsemane Garden. He knew, what’s coming upon him... He had lost his courage... He was feeling his humanness completely... Thus, He had gone, accompanied by a few trusted disciples, to pray for courage... That prayer was so intense, the Holy Book says, that Jesus sweat blood... Down on His knees, He had prayed: “Abba, Father, all things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me: nevertheless, not what I will, but what thou wilt.” It wasn’t possible for Jesus Christ to arrive at this crucial stage before he could experience the courage and peace... He prayed hard before acceptance brought in Him – peace... Now, He was unafraid, he was ready to face whatever was supposed to befall upon Him... In Lent, we ...

  “To offer no resistance to life is to be in a state of grace, ease and lightness.” Eckhart Tolle   O ne of the surest ways to keep our peace is never to overplay our difficulties and challenges in life. While on the one side, you and I try to protect ourselves against Life’s unforeseen challenges, on the other side, Life, often, throws before us these challenges, and catches us off guard… Health crisis, financial crisis, relationship crisis – and a dozen more of them… Life is unpredictable… It throws before us fresh challenges, especially, when we really, really do not want to face them… Thus, I have come to this conclusion: No matter how big the challenge Life throws before me, I should never overplay it, never dramatize it… In other words, the lesser I resist, the more ease and peace I find. That’s the only way to find grace and courage… It is acceptance, the seat of peace. There is no answer to our angst: ‘Why me?’ The only sane answer, I have come to fi...

  “If you have much, give of your wealth; if you have less, give of your heart.” Anonymous   O n the New-year day, I had called to wish one of my elderly relatives. This woman had struggled hard all her life and given her children quite a cushioned life… In the process, she hadn’t kept anything for her old age or medical issues. For past few years, her health has been waning and making her fully dependent – financially as well as physically – on her married children. During my conversation with this woman, she mentioned about one of her nieces, who is in her mid-sixties. “Gerry, she had called me yesterday and told me, that she had been very sick and nobody was     helping her. I feel bad… Her dad had helped me when I was young and struggling… I want to help her financially. But, you know my situation… I can’t take any decision on my own… I am completely dependent on my children… I am scared to ask them to do anything in this respect.” I heard out my elde...

  “When things change inside you, things change around you.” Unknown     A t hindsight, the very things, which I once thought were responsible for my inner turmoil, now seem are responsible for so many fine virtues, such as patience, empathy, resilience, forgiveness, self-reliance etc. Yes, many years ago, I thought the behaviour of others affected me, that they had to change their behaviour. But, as years passed by, slowly and steadily, wisdom came to settle in me… Others behave as per their level of awareness and wisdom. I behave as per mine. There will, always, be this gap between our respective levels of awareness and wisdom… So, what is easier? What’s within my hands? “Peace be with you.” This is how the Priest reminds all of us towards the end of every mass in the church. Then, he reminds us to “Offer peace to each other.” True… How can we offer peace to others unless and until we experience it within us? Let me tell you this: We can experience p...

“You never appreciate your anonymity until you don’t have it anymore.” Jason Priestley   I am conscious of the two movements within me… One is a strong desire to be in the limelight – to be more and more famous, recognized, hailed. The other is an equally strong desire to be away from the limelight – to be anonymous, private and quiet… I think, it’s a strange irony in our lives: When we are away from these big cities, we desire to be here. When we are here, we desire to be away from these cities… Poor want to be rich – famous and powerful. When they reach there - and if they are in touch with the two internal movements I just spoke about – I am sure, they, most certainly, desire to go back to their quiet life… Of course, not to go back to the financial poverty, but to go back to the richness of their spirit… O ne of the things, my wife and I regularly do is walk along the beautiful Marine Drive promenade, mostly in the evenings… It’s packed with tens and thousands of pe...