Entry 1: A Heavy Heart

Today, I left my 12-year-old son, Deepak, at the Divya Bihar Gurukulam. My heart is heavy. My wife cried all morning. I worry. Will he forget us? Will he become a 'city boy' and look down upon our village life? I am a farmer. I wanted him to study, but I also wanted him to remain my son, connected to this soil. I hope I have not made a mistake.

Entry 2: The First Holiday

Deepak came home for the summer holidays today. I was waiting for him at the bus stop, and for a moment, I almost didn't recognize him. He stood straighter. His eyes were bright. The first thing he did was touch my feet and my wife's feet. He did it with such genuine respect. In the evening, I saw him washing his own plate after dinner. My wife and I just looked at each other, surprised.

Entry 3: A Lesson in Gratitude

Today at lunch, as I was about to start eating, Deepak stopped me. He closed his eyes and chanted a small Sanskrit prayer. I asked him what it was. He explained, "Baba, this is the 'Bhojan Mantra'. We thank Annapurna, the goddess of food, the farmer who grew the grain, and the hands that cooked it." I have been eating for 40 years and have never thought of this. I felt a lump in my throat. My son, whom I sent to learn, was now teaching me about gratitude.

Entry 4: The Story of the Mango Tree

I was about to cut a branch of our old mango tree because it wasn't giving much fruit. Deepak came running. "Baba, please don't! This tree gives us shade, it is home to so many birds. It gives us oxygen. It has served us for so long, we must serve it now." He then told me what his Acharya taught him about 'Vrikshayurveda' (the ancient science of plant life) and suggested some organic treatments for the tree. I looked at the tree, and then at my son, and I saw the wisdom of the Gurukulam shining in his eyes.

I sent my son to school to learn how to make a living. But the Gurukulam is teaching him how to live. He is learning science and math, but he is also learning respect, gratitude, and a deep connection with nature. He has not been distanced from his roots; he has learned to understand them more deeply. I thought I was making a sacrifice for his future, but now I realize, the Gurukulam has been a gift to our entire family.