Gerald D'Cunha

“There is no hope unmingled with fear, no fear unmingled with hope.” Baruch Spinoza   A n Irish proverb says, “Hope is the physician of each misery.” While, on the surface, it appears true, it’s also true, that when we hope for the best, we do not cease to fear the worst… Hope is hope when fear still stares at us, and scares us… Despite our worst fears, if we still hope for the best, it means, that we are living with gratitude and fortitude… The outcome is, certainly, not in our control… Hoping with gratitude and fortitude, always is. A wonderful woman, the mother of one of my students, battled brain cancer for a couple of years. The woman, a school teacher, was such a gentle and dignified soul… The one-who-wouldn’t-even-hurt-a-fly, kind. Yes, seeing this gentle soul go through the painful ordeal was heart-wrenching… Many of us asked: “Lord, why her? Why bad things happen to good people?” There is no answer to this question, I am sure… We can only interpret it with ...

“To be prepared against surprise is to be trained; to be prepared for surprise is to be educated.” James P. Carse I had to read the above quote a couple of times to fully comprehend its meaning. Let me read it one more time: “To be prepared against surprise is training; To be prepared for surprise is education.” Every summer, for last three decades, I and many of my associates at THE DAWN CLUB have been conducting Personality Development programme for young ones and little ones. The programme would spread over two months – roughly from April 10 to June 10. This summer, due to lockdown, the programme went for a complete toss. Many kept suggesting, that we should do something ‘online’. But, I was not at all convinced… nor ‘prepared’! Did I say, ‘I was not prepared’? Yes, I did. One of the standard features of our PD programme has been the release of one or two inspirational books on the day of certification. We would involve...

A few hours ago, one of my dear ex-students, and now a dear friend, Vikas, called me. “Sir, I ‘finally’ cleared ‘it’… I am a ‘full’ CA now!” Vikas is a truly hard-working student. He has a razor-sharp and practical bent of mind… His grip on technology is praiseworthy… He has been working for a CA firm, where he is immensely liked by his boss… He already has several clients whose IT and GST returns he files. Yet, for Vikas, the road to Chartered Accountancy was not a smooth ride by a chartered plane… It was tough, hard and long! Students, much below his caliber, have become Chartered Accountants with less struggle and frustration… Some of them, even, in the very first attempt! “That’s luck,” I hear some reasoning out... Maybe. But, I have known Vikas for too long a time. So, I, always, felt bad for him. Every time, he would tell me, “Sir, I couldn’t clear, this time, too,” my heart would bleed from inside… “Is it worth all that frustr...

“God does not create a lock without its key; And, God does not give problems without solutions…Trust Him.” -           Anonymous O ne of my favourite stories comes from the teachings of Gautama Buddha. The story is popularly known as ‘Kisa Gotami and the Parable of the Mustard Seeds’. Kisa’s young son had died. She was heart-broken… Carrying the dead son in her arms, she went from one door to another, pleading people to bring her little boy to life. But, her efforts seemed futile. Finally, someone suggested her to seek Gautama’s help. Thus, she presented herself before the Buddha. “O Master, I am unable to bear this loss,” she cried, “Have mercy on me and bring my son back to life.” The Buddha agreed. He advised the distressed woman to go back to her village and gather a fistful of mustard seeds from any household which was not touched by death. “From those mustard seeds, I shall prepare a med...

“In the end, it’s not the years in your life that counts… It’s the life in your years.” -           Abraham Lincoln   I love the names of Tai Chi exercises we do. One of them is ‘Walking in the Clouds’… I have chosen this name for today’s Post… S ome days ago, a dear friend of mine sent to me a video about an amazing woman by the name Anna Halprin. I hadn’t heard about this woman till my friend shared the video with me. I was so fascinated by the energy and charm of this graceful woman, that I was curious to know more about her. Anna Halprin is still ‘alive’, and, she is only 98! When I say she is ‘still alive’, I know what I am saying: there is still life in her years, at 98! Anna’s life revolves around dance... all forms of dance. She is surrounded by people – little children, young men and women and elderly. They either come to learn dance from her, or to watch her...

S ince last evening till this moment, a movie is being played – and replayed repeatedly – in my mind. I have been talking about it to my closest people. “Have you watched the film, “Hrudyantar’?"... I keep asking… “Which film?” “’Hrudyantar’… It’s a Marathi film.” “No, I haven’t heard about it,” many say… “How is it?” ask some… “What is it about?’ ask some others… “What is the meaning of ‘Hrudyantar?” ask me some more… “I don’t’ know myself,” I confess, “I think the meaning is ‘Change of heart’… Anyway, how does it matter? The film is just beautiful… Please don’t miss it! Y esterday, I was to attend some very important work at Fort area. So, I had adjusted my teaching schedule for the day accordingly. At the last hour, my visit to town got cancelled and I decided to watch any good movie which was being shown in cinemas around. On checking on the Net, I chanced upon this Marathi film which was released on 7 th July. Having got curious, I r...