Gerald D'Cunha

  “Let this Diwali remind you, that hope is the brightest light in the darkest times.” -      Unknown   Y esterday was a Sunday… the day of Diwali. Our Tai Chi session was held as usual at 8.15 in the morning. Only four of us were present besides our teacher, Mr. Rakesh Menon. But, then, whether four or forty –- our teacher, as always, went about guiding us with the same love and dedication… After the session, my friend and a fellow learner, Dr. Shankar Chawla, went for our cup of tea. For a change, he suggested a different tea stall… As we settled with our cups, I heard him asking a poor woman, “Chai chahiye?” He had noticed this poor woman with her hand stretched with a request for tea… The woman nodded; but, said, “Lekhe jaaneka hai.” My doctor friend ordered for a couple of cups, handed the parcel to the woman with the greeting, “Happy Diwali.” The glow on woman’s face made us both feel the ‘happiness’ of the greeting –- ‘Happy Diwali’… ...

    “Wear the old coat and buy the new book.” -      Austin Phelps   A gentleman, who’s in his seventies, came to visit me, a couple of days ago. He told me, that right since his college days, he had been an ardent follower of OSHO. OSHO was known as Rajneesh; later, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh; and, eventually, OSHO… Through all the decades that followed since this gentleman started following the mystic Guru –- from the ashram in Koregaon Park of Pune to Oregon ranch of America… the messy feuds and conspiracies among the devotees… the power struggle, the allegations of poisoning, crimes… the deportation and, eventually, the passing away of the enigmatic man –- yes, through it all, one thing remained unchanged: this gentleman’s devotion to OSHO… The gentleman, I am writing about, is a simple soul… He lives in a one-room kitchen house in my neighbourhood… He has a family. But, OSHO, his teachings, and the daily meditation -– yes, these have dom...

  "The more grateful I am,  the more beauty I see." – Mary Davis   T his morning, I saw two posts, from two of my favourite people… The first one was from my surgeon friend, Dr. Sanjay Sonar. He is a super specialist in laparoscopic surgeries (Minimal invasion). Eight years ago, almost during this very Diwali time, he had performed two back-to-back surgeries on me. A cancerous tumor was, accidentally, detected on my right kidney. The kidney was surgically (with minimum cut) removed. Dr. Sonar is blessed with fine hands… and, within ten days, I was all set to get discharged from the hospital. But, during those last few days, a blood clot in my leg caused something called ‘Pulmonary Embolism’. I hadn’t heard about this condition, nor I wanted to know what it was… or how life-threatening it could be! Dr. Sonar quickly deliberated with other specialists and decided, that night, to rush me into the OT and perform another surgery… This time, he cut me open right from the ...

"Our obsession with speed, with 'getting things done,' is a form of violence we do to ourselves." - Thomas Merton T wo days ago, I had couriered a copy of my new blog-book -- ‘FINDING EXTRAORDINARY IN THE ORDINARY’ -- to Malabika. Last night, around 9.30, I checked through a WhatsApp message: “Hello Mala, did you receive the book?” Mala replied, instantly: “Sir, when I reach home, I’ll check and let you know.” “Ok Mala,” I replied, “Are you still in office?” “Sir, I am at a concert in Sion,” she replied… And, I fell asleep. Early, this morning, I saw this response AI had kept it ready for me, as I fell asleep: “Mala, that sounds wonderful! Hope you have great time at the concert in Sion. Feel free to message once you’ve had a chance to check for the book.” Ever since, this Meta AI thing creeped into my phone, I kept ignoring its ready responses… I simply wanted it the good-olé way: “Type it with your heart… to each person.” But, Mala, being my good...

  “Men build too many walls, and not enough bridges.” ― Joseph Fort Newton   W e can’t have it all… This means, every achievement in life comes with a cost. Some, at huge costs! But, then, that’s how it has been for everyone who aspires to achieve something in life. Nothing -– I say, nothing -– comes without a cost. Now, did you hear me saying –- ‘Sacrifice’? O n this Dussehra day, my wife and I watched the latest Hindi film, ‘Prahaar’. This is the inspiring story of how Special Public Prosecutor, Ujjwal Nikam, fought his long legal battle (almost four years) to get Ajmal Kasab finally sent to the gallows. I was not surprised how audience clapped, whistled, chanted ‘Bharat mata ki jai’ , ‘Vande Mataram’ etc., while powerful dialogues were delivered, and, especially, when Kasab was hanged… It's like breathing a long sigh of relief… the anger and pain, bottled up for long, went out in that one moment… Ujjwal Nikam turned a Hero… and, rightfully so. But, what ...

“Do you know what we call opinion in the absence of evidence? We call it prejudice.” ― Michael Crichton   N one of us live in a vacuum… not in our private islands, not in our communes. We live right in the midst of a mass -– consisting of hundreds of cultures, customs, languages, religious beliefs, eating habits, and political affiliations… And, in my view, it’s not only a great beauty, but, it’s, also, a great blessing… Think of a citizen of this country like me –- a teacher. For decades, my life had been surrounded by young students from different parts of this country… who spoke different languages, wore their traditional clothes, ate their ethnic food, prayed to their respective deities… and voted to whom they preferred. I was born in a Christian family. In Christianity itself, there are a dozen denominations. I was raised in the coastal town, Mangalore… My neighbours, classmates, friends –- yes, our differences, as I said, did not make our minds narrow -– they only ...

  "Life doesn’t come with a manual; it comes with a mother." -      Unknown   T oday is the second death anniversary of my Mom. We called her ‘Mai’. The last two years or so, before Mom passed away, we saw the rapid decile of her health. She was unable to walk, talk, eat, or remember anything. But, through this ordeal, my elder brother Franklin, and his wife Merlyn, took exceptional care of Mom. Mom was 48 when our Dad (we called him ‘Baab’) died of a sudden heart attack. He was in his mid-fifties. We were five brothers. When Dad died, Franklin, the eldest of us, was 27, I was 25, Harry, the third of us was 23. Rony, the fourth and Vivek, the fifth -– they both were too young when Dad passed away. Imagine, our Mom’s situation… Her life had been full of struggle till then. Dad was a local mechanic, with his huge flaws -– excessive drinking and smoking. Mom endlessly guggled to make the two ends meet… Struggle continued till all her five boys could ...