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One Response to Hinduism~ Avadhutopakhyanam part-2 ~ What did Lord Dattatreya learn from these nine Gurus of him given below?

1. Python
   The ninth guru was a python. Seeing it eat only what came to it, not setting out in search of feed, Dattatreya learned the value of surrender.

   Ocean
   The ocean receives all rivers, all the waters of the earth, some clean, some polluted, yet it remains unaffected and retains its essential ‘oceanness’. Freedom from disturbance was the lesson from the ocean.

   Firefly
   Seeing a firefly drawn to its destruction by its infatuation with the glittering flame, the yogi realised how desire can lead to destruction.

   Bee
   The twelfth guru was the bee. Flying from flower to flower, taking honey only for its immediate need, leaving the flowers unbruised and unhurt, the idea of bhiksha was born to Dattatreya. Not storing for the future, taking what was given voluntarily and offering goodwill in return, was the concept of bhiksha.

   Elephant
   The thirteenth guru came in the form of an elephant that hurtled down to its trap by being drawn to the wooden image of a female elephant. Dattatreya learned that when one has a great passion for the highest truth, one should not be deluded by the distractions of sensual desire. Even a photograph, a thought of a woman, can pull one down from one-pointedness in one’s search.

   Honey-gatherer
   The fourteenth guru was a honey-gatherer. The bee speeds his time making honey which the honey-gatherer enjoys. Dattatreya realised that most often people spend their lifetimes gathering possessions in the faint hope that they will give them happiness and security- Not only do these possessions not give any inner security, but the majority of people are so busy gathering possessions that they do not have time to enjoy them. They are enjoyed by other people. What a waste of time, energy and emotional investment, felt Dattatreya. Precious time should be spent, not in acquiring but in reaching the inner self.

   Deer
   On one occasion the yogi watched a deer. Nimble and swift of foot, it was on guard and alert. A hunter who failed to catch it realised that the animal was interested in or distracted by music. Knowing its vulnerability, he distracted it and caught it. Any vulnerability is a weakness on the spiritual path. One loses alertness. Ekagrata or one-pointedness is lost. In no time, the sadhak who has raised himself with great effort is plunged into rajas and tamas. One should always be aware of one’s vulnerable point and be alert on the path so that one does not go astray.

   Fish
   The fish is caught because the bait with the worm is a temptation. One should be wary of the sense-organs and desires associated with them, whether it be taste, smell, vision, audition or touch. The yogi was alerted to this obstacle while watching the fish.

   Pingala
   The seventeenth guru was a courtesan called Pingala. On one occasion Pingala waited for her lover in great anguish and restlessness. Long did she wait, but he did not come. At one point she became utterly disgusted with herself and thought, ‘It is because of my desire and expectation that I suffer.’ At the height of suffering; she turned her awareness within and a great transformation took place in her. ‘Had I but sought the divine beloved with the same ardour, I would not be in this plight now/ she thought to herself.

   Thus a great vairagya arose in her. Leaving her desires aside, cutting asunder all expectations in one flash with the sword of viveka, she took to the spiritual path, Dattatreya was inspired by Pingala’s life, the lessons she learned from her suffering, the ease with which she dropped her ignorance, like the dropping of a garment and the heights to which her consciousness soared, free of desires, with the twin wings of viveka and vairagya.

   

   JaiKishan .
   August 12, 2013 at 2:45 am
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