Be Happy Like Dattatreya

From Sri Annamalai Swami's Diary Extracts

Continued from here

Sri Dattatreya continued..

The honey collected by bees over many days is stolen by the honey gatherer. From him I learned that wealth earned by great hardship is often stolen by other people. 

The deer gets caught in the hunter's net after being enticed by the hunter's music. Similarly, a sannyasin will fall into bondage is he gives way to moha (delusion caused by desire). Therefore, from the deer I understood that a sannyasin should not take notice of sense objects. 

Unable to conquer his tongue, the fish dies after getting caught on the hook. I learned from the fist that anyone who does not conquer his tongue (that is, his desire for tasty things) will suffer. One must conquer the tongue.

Pingala, the courtesan, after nicely decorating herself, was once strolling about while she was waiting for a lover who had promised to bring her money. When he didn't turn up she became very sad and dejected. Her face turned pale and her mind was distressed. She investigated the cause of her distress and understood the painful nature of petty pleasures. When she found that the source of all happiness is the supreme Self, she attained vairagya (detachment). By worshipping the supreme Self as her husband she attained the true happiness of jnana. From Pingala the courtesan I have learned that there is no happiness in anything external and that the only worthy attainment is the happiness of the Self.

I learned from the child that one should be oblivious to honor and dishonor.

Now I will tell you the story of the small girl. At a time when her parents were not in the village, a number of people came to take her in marriage. She wanted to feed them but when she started milling the paddy by herself to get rice to cook for them, she became shy because her bangles were making a lot of noise. After removing one from each hand there was no further noise. From this act of the small girl I understood that a yogi should remain alone.

From the arrow maker I learned that one should be one-pointed in one's aims.

The snake lives happily in the hole made by the rat. From that snake I learned to live happily in other's houses.

I have a twenty-fifth guru; that is my body. This body is the cause of my jnana and my vairagya. Having merged in Hari, the Self, with love and devotion, my state is now equal to the one who knows nothing.

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Sri Ramana continued..

In this way Dattatreya taught Yadu Maharaj all the jnana he had grasped through his 25 gurus and ended his story.

Having told the body all the upadesas (teachings) which Dattatreya told the king, Bhagavan asked him graciously, 'You are also called Dattatreya, aren't you? At least for your name's sake you must be happy.