Gerald D'Cunha

  “Walking is the exact balance between spirit and humility.” Gary Snyder   S rinath Shetty was my student when he was doing his T.Y. B.Com some 38 years ago. He came from a working-class family with zero business background. But, being a disciplined and determined young man, he went about acquiring one of the chemical factories his uncle had built… and, from there, he never looked back. Yesterday, Srinath and his wife Neeta had organized a puja to celebrate the house warming of their new abode… It’s a massive mansion with more than 4,000 S.F. From the 23 rd floor height, the large windows treated the beholders’ eyes to some of the breathtaking expanse… One could stand there and get immersed in the stunning silence, feeling small… I said – ‘Feeling small’… I expressed my joy and gratitude in a message I had typed on my way back home… Such an exclusive spread of delicacies… and such genuine warmth. Srinath had worked hard to deserve this height –- literally –- thr...

  “Be watchful... The grace of God appears suddenly. It comes without warning to an open heart.” Rumi   W hy certain things happen in our lives, in a certain way – yes, this is a real mystery to me. What looks, on the surface, as a good fortune, may end up being a bad one; similarly, what looks, on the surface, as a bad fortune, may end up being a good one... “A blessing in disguise”... It’s what a seemingly bad fortune delivered to our doorstep  with an amazing blessing concealed inside! Y esterday, my wife and I had visited the residence of an elderly uncle of mine, Frank, (my mom’s first cousin). He is 80 and lives with his affectionate wife, Cissy (75). Their children are well-qualified and wonderfully settled abroad with their respective families. Uncle and aunty had always been self-reliant, judicious in their conduct, very pious and great believers in serving the society in their own little way. Last afternoon, uncle and aunty were reflecting on several...

  “A clear mind heals everything  that needs to be healed.” Byron Katie   I think, Gratitude, Grace, Prayer, Blessing, Peace, Healing and many such words have entered our lexicon mechanically – yes, just like that. To be frank, you and I very, very rarely feel their profound meaning when we voice them, several times a day... The reason for that - again, I think – is, that we rarely get into a silence before we voice these words... Only in silence we can really feel the profound meaning of such words – Gratitude, Grace, Prayer, Blessing, Peace, Healing and many such... T wo days ago, I was waiting outside the Cath lab of Parel’s Gleneagles Hospital (earlier known as Global Hospital). My wife was taken inside for the angioplasty of her left coronary artery (LCA) which had ninety percent blockages. Just a month ago, she had under gone the angioplasty of her right coronary artery (RCA) which had hundred percent blockages. The long passage of that waiting area had ma...

  “And when the broken-hearted people Living in the world agree There will be an answer, let it be…” (From the song ‘Let it Be’ by The Beatles)   A s I write this Post, two contrasting scenes come before me… The first scene is from the film ‘Lagaan’… For long, there is a drought in the village and the people are heart-broken, anxious, and worried… They have come together with the last hope: a heart-wrenching plea to God… O Paalanhare, Nirgun aur Nyaare O Paalanhare, Nirgun aur Nyaare Tumre bin hamra kaunon naahin This song is my all-time favourites, as that’s how you and I have been praying – whether alone, as a family or as a community – just crying out to the Lord… ‘Have mercy on us, O Lord’… And does the Lord hear? The hope says, ‘He does’… our sincere trust and faith say, ‘He does’… The second scene that comes before me is from the villages of Punjab which are presently devastated by floods… And, we find ourselves pleading to the same merciful Lor...

  “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...

  “The chief proof of man’s real greatness lies   in his perception of his own smallness.” Arthur Conan Doyle   W ell, there are these super-wealthy, who are hailed as connoisseurs/patrons of art, and they are ready to buy a piece of art – a panting in particular – for any astronomical price. But, you see, the painting has to be a ‘original’… So, when an original painting of Picasso, Michael Angelo or M.F. Hussain goes for millions and crores, a thought hits me: “Who, in deed, is the original artist – the real Creator?” To grasp the depth of my question, just stop on your way home, this evening, and have a good look at a few stray cats… Behold the colours of their bodies, their eyes… every hair – the softness, the teeth and the paws of those little creatures. Ask: “Who made them?”… A Picasso, a Michael Angelo or a Hussain? So much for our great pride in feeling, that we are the original creators. Look, we, at best, can be the ‘original duplicators’. That’s i...

  “He is a wise man who doesn’t grieve for  the things he has not, but rejoices for those which he has.” Epictetus   T wo days ago, the mother of one of my Class-11 students was telling me, that she wanted her son to continue with me for Class-12 (Accountancy subject). But, she was saying, “Sir I want to send him for all subjects.” Well, this mother is a school teacher… The father is at home for years ‘doing nothing’… The family is starving for cash continuously… This was what I was told, and that’s the truth, in deed. I had reduced the fees for my subject by 75% in class-11, which was paid over 8 small instalments (one is still left)… So, when I heard ‘All Subjects’, initially, I tried to be courteous and advised against it. “Ma’am, it will make him more dependent… He needs to do things on his own, take risks, think on his own… This way, he will grow better, become more responsible and independent.” I wasn’t touching upon the family’s financial situation… “...