At the U.
Durban, South Africa
After a short rest in the evening, I rose for the usual 4:30 AM spiritual program pre-empting it with a good circumambulation around the temple. At 10:00 AM I was driven along with some of our drama volunteers to the Kwala Zulu Natal University to speak to the theatre arts students. With some of the puppets made for our new drama, “The Three Lives of Bharat” our presentation added a new dimension to the course. The staff and students participated in a “wing-it workshop”. There was no apprehension about joining us in chanting mantras as a way to warm up for one of our standard sessions. I led them in pranati mantras to the guru, beginning with “Namah om Vishnu-padaya” and demonstrated surya namaskara (sun salutations). We played out one scene of the drama of Bharat, one of the very celebrated kings of India who had turned monk in his maturing years. It was a pleasure playing the role of a teacher of theatre while in my monastic cloth.
Baked potatoes as a prep called ‘Gauranga Potatoes’ was the main course of ‘the last supper’ during our stay in South Africa. Hugs, hugs and more hugs – appreciation of all kinds were exchanged. Bhakti Chaitanya Swami, presiding monk in Durban, gave blessings.
As Simon and Garfunkel had sung, “Homeward Bound” the mood for home was nudging me even though South Africa is almost like a second home for now. In all reality if you are an ascetic, all places you go are home.
6 KM
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