Dear Hanumat Presak Swami Maharaja,
Please accept our humble obeisances. All glories to Srila Prabhupada.
I have not written to your Blog for a long time.
HpS - AGTSP!! Whenever I walk along the bank of a river and forest I think of you and your movie! Not a long time for Brahma.
But this does not represent how much I think of you. Not a day goes by—rarely even moments go by—that I am not remembering your lessons, kindness and mercy, in some way shape or form.
TB - Hmmm! Maybe you are mad!
On the subtle level, you caught my heart. I feel very close. But now I am angry and curse this damn pandemic consciousness because physically the separation is becoming unbearable. Our border is apparently blocked until at least mid 2022. They say separation makes the heart grow fonder.
Krishna plays like that too. The Gopis curse Lord Brahma for making eyelids blink. I have to accept it and pray that we do get a reunion before the year strikes 2025. Regardless, we will follow you to the next universe.
Please allow me to update some of our activities:
Recently I graduated with my Bachelor of Arts with Distinction majoring in Philosophy and Cultural Anthropology.
HpS - Jaya!!! Fireworks attached. The house painter who became a cave art reader!
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I cannot thank you enough for pointing me towards Anthropology. All things considered; it was the sweet spot for my sankirtan that I was unaware of before our discussion on the plane from Arequipa to Lima 2018. This is a testament to your qualification as guru. You could see the appropriate path for me. I am eternally indebted to you for your suggestion to improve my devotion service.
HpS - Now you can have a monkey and not feel guilty.
My graduation ceremony was held in Victoria. My wife and I visited Dr Mabbett and his wife Jaccy at their home in the mountains, where we shared some friendly exchanges and some fond memories of you. He has fully retired now and is working on his biography.
HpS - Super!! I'll send the link to this letter to your esteemed guide, Professor Samaresha Bandyopadhyay! I feel that Prof. Mabbett is always welcome on magic carpet.
Currently, I am pursuing a Masters of Teaching degree, with teaching areas English and Mathematics, which will allow me to teach in high schools and eventually universities, anywhere in the world. If I cannot find a good school, I may build my own—Krishna willing. My father and I sometimes discuss an alternative Gaudiya Vaisnava school based in Mayapur.
I am too blind to see the future. But I am willing to give my life to Krishna regardless. That I can guarantee. He has already taken it. There is no other option. I just hold on and try to develop a good attitude. He always empowers me, and then He outdoes and overwhelms me.
Speaking of alternative schools, we took our daughter, Suryani, out of the local gurukula and put her in a local Steiner school because, although she was academically a top student in her class, her colours, her enthusiasm for life, were fading away.
I would be happy to share my observations of the professional, pedagogical, sociological and spiritual issues we encountered at the local gurukula in a future post if you are interested.
I was fortunate enough to do some sashtric teaching there last year and found there to be quite a few issues. I have very little experience in the field as a teacher, so I do not know exactly how to help just yet.
For now, we it is our duty to protect her. Fortunately for our daughter, two other top students followed her from the gurukula to the Steiner school where their vaisnava spiritual backgrounds are well admired and respected; they are already on sankirtan.
And, she got her colours back. Also very fortunately do us and her, she has a natural interest in devotional service. I believe she gets that from her mother. Every weekend we take her to the temple for morning program and she does different services in Radha Krishna’s paraphernalia room, getting invaluable impressions and blessings.
HpS - She must be a young lady now. Soon you will be "Old Grandpa Dhruva!". 😁
Our younger daughter, Sarasvati, is developing good qualities rapidly, absorbing the activities of the rest of her family.
My in laws are turning back the clock with regulated lifestyle, Seva and mantra.
My better half, your good disciple, Dhanesvari DD, has recently launched our new family business of lady’s and girl’s fashion dresses; block printed and stitched in Jaipur India. So far, dresses have been purchased and shipped, generating a nice atmosphere and income in the home.
Krishna is very kind to us.
All glories to you Maharaja; always inspiring and guiding devotees around the world in Krishna Consciousness. We pray we can meet with you in person again soon.
Your servant
Dhruvananda Das
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