The King’s Hand and the Handful of grains: The Unseen Power of Small Perceptions and Actions
NV Paulose, Chairman, Global TV +91 98441 82044
In our final reflection on the wisdom shared by Rev. Dr. Melwyn DCunha, we move from the trustworthiness of individuals and the discipline of societies to the most personal realm: the power of our own perception and the profound impact of our smallest offerings.
Throughout our conversation, a powerful theme emerged: our obsession with the “big” often blinds us to the transformative potential of the “small.” This is as true in the pursuit of knowledge as it is in the conduct of our daily lives. Rev. Dr. DCunha introduced a fascinating concept to describe a deeper form of learning from experience.
He explained that while there is an orthodox method of research; meeting a guide, surveying literature, and following a structured path, there is another, more intuitive level. “Practice to learn; for a farmer, he will know many things with his experience in farming.” This is the knowledge born of keen observation and lived experience.
A farmer can predict rain by the intensity of the day’s heat; a seasoned traveller knows a road is safe because the usually aggressive dog is absent. This is a valid and vital form of research, a “personal experience that will help you.” It is the wisdom of paying attention to the small, subtle signs that the world offers us.
The Parable of the Unheeded Instruction
This timeless theme told by Rev. Dr. DCunha recounted a biblical tale where a prophet instructs a man to perform a simple, seemingly insignificant act: to wash in a small, local river seven times to be healed. The man was thinking, he will tell me some big things. In his pride, he almost dismisses the instruction, for he had “big big rivers” in his own country. He failed to understand that greatness often lies not in the scale of the action, but in the faithfulness with which it is performed. The miracle was waiting in the small act of obedience.
Tagore’s Poignant Lesson: The small little grain
This lesson finds its most beautiful and heartbreaking expression in Rabindranath Tagore’s Gitanjali, specifically in the 50th poem, as Rev. Dr. DCunha pointed out (you can find it at globaltv.in/g50).
He narrated the story: A king opens his hand before a subject and asks, “What do you have to give to me?” The subject is overwhelmed. His mind races with grand expectations. “I expected big things from the king,” he thinks, “and he is asking me only for this?” In his moment of indecision and self-doubt, believing his own resources to be too meager for a king, he offers only a small little grain of corn.
To his astonishment, the small little grain of corn turns to gold. The king then reveals the profound truth: “I would have taken whatever you gave and returned it to you a hundredfold.”
The poignancy of this parable is crushing. As Rev. Dr. DCunha reflected, “That is the message.” We look at the king; the universe, God, a great opportunity, and we feel we have nothing of sufficient value to offer. We dream of grander resources, bigger skills, and more perfect conditions. We hold back our “handful of rice”; our small skill, our simple act of kindness, our fledgling idea; deeming it unworthy. And in that hesitation, the moment passes. The golden potential within our small offering remains unrealized.
Be the One Who Makes a Difference
This connects directly to the modern parable Rev. Dr. DCunha shared of the person on the beach, picking up starfish and throwing them back into the sea. To a bystander, the action seems futile against the countless starfish stranded on the shore. But for each starfish returned to the water, it makes all the difference in the world. “One person makes a difference,” he said. “That will become a change reaction.” You may not be able to fix everything, but you can be faithful in the small thing before you. That one word of encouragement you offer, that one small task you perform with perfection, that one piece of garbage you pick up; these are your “handful of rice.” Do not despise them. For one day, “someone will say, ‘Oh, that particular day, you mentioned this particular word.’ That beam inspiration.” The collective wisdom from these conversations is clear: Trust is built in small tasks. Nations are built on small acts of discipline. And a life of meaning is built by faithfully offering our “handful of grains,” trusting that in the right hands, at the right time, it has the power to turn to gold.
