My Intellectual Life at Divyadaan

This was an essay I penned for the final exam of English in Divyadaan. Read on…

Divyadaan is a place that stands on the two pillars of study and prayer. The aim of the place is to sharpen and develop the fertile minds of the young seminarians, Salesians in particular. The journey to Divyadaan is pretty much pre-established for the Salesians belonging to the Mumbai and Panjim provinces. I belong to the Panjim province and so had no choice but to move here after completing the novitiate.

I remember asking my Rector when I was in the aspirantate, the purpose of these three years of study post-novitiate. He told me that it’s a time to broaden my outlook, sharpen my intellect, develop critical abilities and expose myself to new experiences. Looking back on these three years I’ve spent here in Divyadaan, I feel that all those things my Rector told me should happen have happened. I have broadened my outlook by being exposed to a diversity of philosophers and philosophies; I’ve kept my intellect sharp through multi-tasking, reading and taking on challenges; I’ve developed critical abilities through my encounters with philosophy and have developed a critical mind that seeks to augment the status quo to new heights; lastly, I’ve been exposed to a variety of experiences which have broken me down, built me up, shaken me and also strengthened me. I cannot but be grateful to God, my master formator, for accompanying me through the years and bringing me to this day.
I came to Divyadaan with the intention of learning as much as I can and this attitude has brought me a long way. In my first year, I was a bit timid and hesitant to take on new challenges but as time passed, I developed courage and dared to do things I’d never done before. I have never been a person who takes initiatives. I was the kind of person who would at most, do what is told, sometimes not even that much, but now, I’m a regular initiative-taker. The immense resources available in the library have allowed me to develop new interests, deepen previous one’s and feed my intellectual curiosity, not to mention aid me in my projects and assignments.



All in all, these three years spent at Divyadaan have been fruitful and enriching ones. They have helped me grow in all the facets of my personhood, particularly the intellectual. I’m grateful to God for the opportunity and to my fellow travelers for their encouragement guidance and assistance. Divyadaan has changed me and I now set out from here to carry that change wherever I go. 

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