Tripura Rahasya - The Mystery Beyond the Trinity

Points by Avadhutha Dattatreya to Parasurama 

• The man without discrimination is like a frog in the well; just as the frog in the well does not know anything either of good or of bad and so dies in his ignorance in the well-itself, in the same way men, vainly born in Brahmanda, (Egg of Brahma (i.e., the Universe)) do not know either good or bad regarding themselves and are born only to die in ignorance.
• Similar is the fate of the people who, deluded with the quest of happiness, have fallen into the snares of the task-master of action. They are bewildered in their frenzy and destruction awaits them.
• Indeliberation is the ever-present weakness of the Daityas and Yatudhanas (Asuras and Rakshasas); deliberation is the characteristic of the Devas (Gods), and therefore they are always happy.
• Investigation is the Sun for chasing away the dense darkness of indolence. It is generated by the worship of God with devotion.
• Listen, Rama! I shall now tell you the fundamental cause of salvation. Association with the wise is the root cause for obliterating all misery.
• Misery is of two kinds, external and internal. The former pertain to the body and is caused by the nerves, etc., the latter pertains to the mind and is caused by desire.
• Mental distraction is worse than physical pain and the whole world has fallen a victim to it. Desire is the seed of the tree of misery and never fails in its fruits.
• Overpowered by it, Indra and the Devas, though living in celestial regions of enjoyment and fed by nectar, are still slaves to it and work day and night according to its dictates.
• So whoever finds pleasure in anything, the beauty therein is only mental imagery.
• You find, my dear, that aimless discussions are fruitless and that earnest efforts are fruitful in the world.
• Yogis who practise control of breath conquer fate. Even fate cannot impose its fruits on yogis.
• As long as you contaminated with notions of me or mine (e.g., my home, my body, my mind, my intellect), the Self will not be found, for it lies beyond cognition and cannot be realised as 'my Self'.
• Realise with a still mind the state between sleep and wakefulness, the interval between the recognition of one object after another or gap between two perceptions.
• This is the real Self, inhering in which one is no longer deluded. Unaware of this Truth, people have become inheritors of sorrow.
• Since the Universe is only a projection from and in the mirror of consciousness, its unreal nature can become clear only on investigation, and not otherwise
• Just as the dreamer awakened from his fearful dream or the man attending the magic performance informed of the unreal nature of the magic creations, no longer fears them but ridicules another who does, so also one aware of the Self not only does not grieve but also laughs at another's grief. Therefore, O valiant hero, batter down this impregnable fortress of illusion and conquer your misery by realisation of the Self. In the meantime be discriminating and not so foolish.
• Just as a mirror, though, dense and impenetrable, contains the image, so also pure consciousness is dense and impenetrable and yet displays the universe by virtue of its self-sufficiency.
• Just as the mirror remains unaffected by the passage of different images and yet continues to reflect as clearly as before, so also the one consciousness illumines the waking and dream states which can be verified by proper meditation.
• Time, space, gross creations, etc., appear in it according to the imagery of the agent. "Therefore I say that this world is a mere figment of imagination.
• Consciousness is thus the screen and the image, and so yogis are enabled to see long distances of space and realise long intervals of time.
• They can traverse all distance in a moment and can perceive everything as readily as a gooseberry in the hollow of one's palm.
• Therefore recognise the fact that the world is simply an image on the mirror of consciousness and cultivate the contemplation of 'I am', abide as pure being and thus give up this delusion of the reality of the world.
• "Then you will become like myself one in being self-sufficient."
• "I understand that intelligence alone is real and single, and that objects are only unreal images like a city reflected in a mirror.
• Realisation of Self requires absolute purity only and no concentration of mind. For this reason, the Self is said to be unknowable (meaning not objectively knowable).
• Therefore it was also said that the sole necessity for Self-realisation is purity of mind. The only impurity of the mind is thought. To make it thought-free is to keep it pure.
• Absolute Reality is manifest in samadhi; a void or unmanifest condition distinguishes sleep and diversity is the characteristic of cognition in wakefulness.
• Samadhi is simply absence of thoughts. Such a state prevails in sleep and at odd moments of wakefulness.
• Ignorance cannot be eradicated by mere theory or by the casual samadhi of an ignorant man.
• The best among Sages can, without hesitation, give complete answers on matters relating to Realisation and the sublimest truths.

http://www.beezone.com/Ramana/tripura%20rahasya.pdf

Avadhoota Gita - Dattatreya Upanisad

Avadhoota Gita - from the Atharvaveda.
Chapter1
6. There is no doubt that I am that God who is the Self of all;
Pure, indivisible, like the sky.

7. I indeed am immutable and infinite - of the form of pure Intelligence.
I do not know how or in relation to whom joy and sorrow exist.

8. I have no mental activity, good of bad;
I have no bodily function, good or bad;
I have no verbal action, good or bad.
I am the nectar of Knowledge - beyond the senses, pure.

9. The mind indeed is of the form of space.
The mind indeed is omnifaced.
The mind is the past.
The mind is all.
But in reality there is no mind.
All - the phenomenal universe - including all time and space - cosmos.
In reality - In the highest realization of the Spirit there is no mind.

10. I, the One only, am all this, beyond space and continuous.
How can I see the Self as visible or hidden?

13. You are not born nor do you die.
At no time do you have a body.
The scripture declares in many different ways - the well-known dictum: "All is Brahman."

14. You are He who is exterior and interior.
You are the auspicious One existing everywhere at all times.
Why are you running hither and thither deluded, like an unclean spirit?

15. Union and separation exist in regard neither to you nor to me.
There is no you, no me, nor is there this universe.
All is verily the Self alone.

16. You do not belong to that which is composed of the five objects of sense, such as sound; nor does that belong to you.
You indeed are the supreme Reality.
Why then do you suffer?

17. For you there is no birth or death, for you there is no mind, for you there is no bondage or liberation, no good or evil.
Why do you shed tears, my child?
Neither you nor I have name and form.

20. All the scriptures say that the Truth is without attributes, pure, immutable, bodiless, and existing equally everywhere.
Know me to be That.

21. Know that which has form to be false, that which is formless to be eternal.
Through the instruction of this truth there is no longer rebirth into this world.

26. As the self is filled by the Self, so is all filled continuously by you.
There is no meditator or meditation.
Why does your mind meditate shamelessly?
Shamelessly - One should be ashamed to meditate, because meditation pre-supposes a shameful forgetfulness of one's true nature.
If one does not know The Self meditation is the way to realization.
After realization one will cease to meditate.

34. There are no Vedas, no worlds, no gods, no sacrifices.
There is certainly no caste, no stage in life, no family, no birth.
There is neither the path of smoke nor the path of light.
There is only the highest Truth, the homogeneous Brahman.

35. If you are free of the pervaded and pervader, if you are one and fulfilled, 
how can you think of yourself as directly perceptible by the senses or beyond the range of the senses?
In the highest state of realization, sense perception is no longer distinguishable from spiritual intuition.

39. Even my natural self appears to me as non-distinct from the supreme Self; 
it appears to be one and like space.
How can there be meditator and meditation?

40. What I do, what I eat, what I sacrifice, what I give - all this is not mine in the least. 
I am pure, unborn, undecaying.

41. Know all this universe to be formless.
Know all this universe to be without change.
Know all this universe to be of purified body.
Know all this universe to be of the nature of the Absolute.

44. I am free in the beginning, in the middle, and in the end.
I am never bound. This is my sure knowledge - that I am naturally spotless and pure.

48. The Self certainly does not become pure through the practice of six-limbed yoga.
It certainly is not purified by the destruction of the mind.
It certainly is not made pure by the instructions of the teacher.
It is Itself the Truth.
It is Itself the illumined One.

Six-limbed - consisting of six parts or steps, namely, posture, control of the vital force, self- withdrawal, concentration, meditation, and Samadhi.

49. There is no body made up of five elements; 
nor is there anyone who is disembodied.
All is verily the Self alone.
How can there be the three states and the fourth?

Three states, etc. - the waking state, the dream state, and the deep sleep state: the ordinary conditions of individuals when they are ignorant of their true nature, which is usually called the fourth or transcendental state.

51. As water, when water has been poured into water, has
no distinctions, so purusa and prakrti appear nondifferent to me.

Purusa, etc. - Purusa: Soul. Prakrti: Cosmos. Ordinarily considered to be opposite principles, conscious and unconscious, they are here recognized as identical in the highest spiritual experience.

52. If indeed you are never bound or liberated, how then can you think yourself with form or as formless?

With form, etc. - The Self, of course, is without form, but saying so implies recognition of form; 
therefore even the idea of the formlessness of the Self is repudiated.

58. There is no need of knowledge, reasoning, time, space, instruction from a teacher, or attainment of Samahdi.
I am naturally the perfect Consciousness, the Real, like the sky, Spontaneous and steady.

The Self, which is Consciousness Itself, can never lose consciousness of Its true nature and therefore Samahdi is superfluous.

63. You have no mother, no father, no wife, no son, no relative, no friend.
You have no likes or dislikes.
Why is this anguish in your mind?

72. This is my certain perception:
I neither perform nor enjoy past action, future action, or present action.

Chapter2 
1. Of the teacher-even if he be young illiterate, or addicted to the enjoyment of sense objects, even if he be a servant or a householder -none of these should be considered. Does anyone shun a gem that has fallen in an impure place?
Illiterate here refers to one who is not versed in the scriptures.

3. The unmoving One, who without effort possesses all that is movable and immovable, is consciousness, naturally calm, like the sky.

9. As pungency, coldness, or softness is nondifferent from water, so prakrti is nondifferent from purusa-thus it appears to me.

Prakrti-nature; relative existence.
Purusa-spirit, the Absolute.

15. One should successively take recourse to the objects of concentration, as mentioned by the yogis, in accordance with their subtlety, invisibility, and attributelessness.

Take, etc.-In order to attain to the Absolute (or dissolution in the Absolute, as is said in the next verse), one has to reach the state of infinite and undifferentiated Consciousness by eliminating all mental differentiation or movements.

But the object of concentration has to be chosen carefully.
The beginner chooses a gross object.

When he has dwelt on it continuously for some time, his consciousness becomes subtle and steady.
He then chooses a subtle object to concentrate on.

Gradually he reaches a high state of concentration, but some differentiations in his consciousness still remain-there is the consciousness of himself as the concentrator, of the object on which he is concentrating, and of the process of concentration. Next even these differentiations vanish.

For the object of concentration dissolves, and there remains only the pure, undifferentiated Consciousness, the Absolute.

16. When through constant practice one's concentration becomes objectless, then, being divested of merits and demerits, one attains the state of complete dissolution in the Absolute through the dissolution of the object of concentration, but not before then.

23. Whoever, whether he be ignorant or learned, attains to the full awareness of Truth through the grace of a teacher's wisdom, becomes detached from the ocean of worldliness.

26. It has been said that the destiny of those devoted to action is the same as their thought at the end, but it has not been said that the destiny of those established in yoga is the same as their thought at the end. 

End-the dying moment.

The belief in India, clearly expressed in the Bagavad Gita, is that the last thought in the mind of the dying person indicates the nature of his future existence.

This is not true, however, of one who has attained to the knowledge of the Self.

28. Knowing this, one never says that the yogis have any particular path. For them it is the giving up of all duality, The supreme attainment comes of itself.

Particular, etc.-Departing souls reach their destined worlds following either pitr-yana, the path of the fathers or deva-yana, the path of the gods.

The yogi, after death, does not travel along any path having already attained the Highest, which has nothing to do with any particular place or time, he has no world to reach.

31. He attains to the supreme Self, who is eternal, pure, fearless, formless, and supportless, who is without body, without desire, beyond the pairs of opposites, free from illusion and of undiminished power.

32. He attains to the supreme, eternal Self, in whom exists no Veda, no initiation, no tonsure, no teacher, no disciple, no perfection of symbolic figures, no hand-posture or anything else.

35. He attains to the supreme, eternal Self, in whom is no closing of nostril nor gazing nor posture, and in whom is neither knowledge nor ignorance nor any nerve-current.

38. He attains the supreme, eternal Self who is not mind, intelligence, body, senses, or egoism; who is neither the subtle elements nor the five gross elements nor of the nature of space.

Chapter3
2. Siva (The Absolute) is ever without white and other colors.
This effect and cause are also The Supreme Siva.
I am thus the pure Siva, Devoid of all doubt.
Oh beloved friend, how shall I bow to The Self in myself?

In that I do not exist in reality, I myself, am no Self yet there is awareness of Self as awareness in itself
I am thus nothing at all but pure consciousness existing as awareness. But the evidence of my existence is not known until there is consciousness.

The objective Cosmos, is nothing at all yet when "I", (as awareness) become aware of the consciousness
There is then the Cosmos, existing in awareness.

The known being known only in the awarenes, by Consciousness cannot otherwise be known or said to exist at all.
The known therefore depends upon the fact that awareness is aware of that of which the mind is conscious.

8. My child, I am not difficult to comprehend, nor am i hidden in consciousness.
My child, I am not difficult to perceive, nor am I hidden in the perceptible.
My child, I am not hidden in the forms immediately near me.
I am the nectar of knowledge, homogenous existence, like the sky.

9. I am the fire that burns the karma of one who is beyond all karma. 
I am the fire that burns the sorrow of one beyond all sorrow.
I am devoid of body.
I am the nectar of knowledge, homogenous existence, like the sky.

13. The creeper like growth of worldly existence is never mine. 
The joy of extended contentment is never mine. 
This bondage of ignorance is never mine.
I am the nectar of knowledge, homogenous existence, like the sky.

31. The Self devoid of life and lifelessness - shines forever. 
Devoid of seed and seedlessness - of liberation and bondage, it shines forever.
I am the nectar of knowledge, homogenous existence, like the sky.

35. Why dost weep thou friend? Thou hast no natural form.
Why dost thou weep friend? Thou hast deformity. 
Why dost thou weep friend? Thou hast no age.
I am the nectar of knowledge, homogenous existence, like the sky.

38. Why dost thou desire affluence? Thou hast no wealth. 
Why dost thou desire affluence? Thou hast no wife.
Why dost thou desire affluence? Thou hast none that is thine own.
I am the nectar of knowledge, homogenous existence, like the sky.

42. I have told thee all that is essential. there is neither thou, nor anything for me - or for a great one. nor is there any teacher or disciple.
The supreme reality is natural and exists in its own way.
I am the nectar of knowledge, homogenous existence, like the sky.

43. If I, the supreme, of the nature of the sky, alone exist, 
how can there be here the supreme truth - which is blissful reality, 
how can there be here the supreme truth which is not of the nature of bliss, 
and how can there be here the supreme truth of the nature of knowledge and intuition?

Chapter 4
1. There is neither invitation nor casting off;
How can there be flowers, leaves, meditations and recitation of sacred texts,
and how can there be worship of Siva - which is identity in non-difference?

2. The absolute is not liberated from bondage and obstruction.
The absolute is not purified, cleansed and released.
The absolute is not liberated by union or separation.
I am indeed the free One, like the sky.

4. Stained, stainless, divided, undivided - differentiated, none of these appear to me.
I am free from disease - my form has been extinguished.

6. It (The Self) does not appear to me as virtuous or sinful
as bound or liberated, nor does it appear to me - as united or separated.
I am free from disease - my form has been extinguished.

10. There is no one to understand and nothing indeed, to be understood. 
I have no cause and no effect.
How shall I say that I am conceivable or inconceivable?
I am free from disease - my form has been extinguished.

13. The Self is not separate or high - and it has not disappeared even to the extent of allusion.
Friend, how can I speak of it as identical or different?
I am free from disease - my form has been extinguished.

17. Never have I sleep or awakening.
Never do I practice concentration or hand-posture.
For me there is neither day nor night.
How can i speak of the transcendental and relative states?
I am free from disease - my form has been extinguished.

19. know me as endowed with all concentration.
Know me as free from any relative or ultimate aim.
How shall I speak of union and separation?
I am free from disease - my form has been extinguished.

21. Never do I have father, mother, family, caste, birth and death.
How shall I speak of affection and infatuation?
I am free from disease - my form has been extinguished.

24. The wise give up all meditations; they give up all good and evil deeds and drink of the nectar of renunciation.
I am free from disease - my form has been extinguished.

Chapter5
6. There is no pot, no individual body or individual.
There is no distinction of cause and effect.
Why dost thou, who art the identity in all, grieve in thy heart?

9. There is no distinction - of the different and the non-different.
There is no distinction of within and without - or the junction of the two.
It is the same in all- devoid of friend and foe.
Why dost thou, who art the identity in all, grieve in thy heart?

10. It is not of the nature of disciple or non-disciple;
nor is it the discernment of the difference between the living and the non-living.
There is only the state of freedom - The All - The undifferentiated.
Why dost thou, who art the identity in all, grieve in thy heart?

12. There is no bondage - due to fetters of good and evil qualities.
How shall I perform the actions related to death and life?
There is only the pure stainless Being - the same in all.
Why dost thou, who art the identity in all, grieve in thy heart?

17. Here verily is the conscious Being who is completely the All.
Here is the conscious Being who is the all-comprehensive and undivided.
Here is the conscious Being, alone and immutable.
Why dost thou, who art the identity in all, grieve in thy heart?

27. Here is the Self - which is more than dispassionate to virtue and vice
to substance and nonsubstance - to desire and desirelessness.
Why dost thou, who art the identity in all, grieve in thy heart?

Chapter6
3. The mind is verily supreme, undivided - all-pervasive and devoid of largeness and smallness.
The mind is indeed the indivisible, all-comprehensive absolute.
How can we do anything with the mind and speech?

5. The Self is that from which the distinction of desire and desirelessness of action and inaction are gone.
If there is only one indivisible, all-comprehensive absolute 
how can there be consciousness differentiated by exterior and interior?

10. If the Self is the negation of imagined worlds,
if it is the negation of imagined gods,
If there is only one indivisible, all-comprehensive absolute
how can there be discriminating consciousness of good and evil?

12. NO such distinctions exist as prakrti and purusa.
There is no difference between cause and effect.
If there is only one indivisible, all-comprehensive absolute
how can one speak of Self and not-self?

13. There is no coming of the third kind of misery or the second kind of misery due to the gunas.
If there is only one indivisible, all-comprehensive absolute
how can there be and old man, a young man and in infant?

15. The destroyed and the undestroyed are both false.
The born and the unborn are both false.
If there is only one indivisible, all-comprehensive absolute
how can there be the perishable and the imperishable?

22. There are never any "you" and "I".
The discrimination of family and race is false.
I am indeed the Absolute and the Supreme Truth.
In that case how can I make salutation?

24. There is no imagined division of bodies.
There is no imagined division of worlds.
I am indeed the Absolute and the Supreme Truth.
In that case how can i make salutation?

26. No distinction such as body and bodilessness exists,
nor is it true that there is false action.
I am indeed the Absolute and the Supreme Truth.
In that case how can i make salutation?

27. Where one knows nothing, there is verily no versification.
The Supreme One, pure of thought, absorbed in the consciousness
of the homogenous being - prattles about the truth.

Chapter7
7. Here is only the Absolute Truth indivisible and the All.
How can there be here union, disunion, or pride?
If thus there is here only the Supreme - the indivisible and the All -
how can there be here any substance or absence of substance?

9. The enlightened one is a yogi devoid yoga and the absence of yoga. 
He is an enjoyer, devoid of enjoyment and absence of enjoyment.
Thus he wanders leisurely, filled with the spontaneous joy of his own mind.

13. All this is magic, like a mirage in the desert. 
Only the absolute Self, of indivisible and impenetrable form exists.

14. To all things - from the practice of religious laws and duties to liberation, we are completely indifferent.
How can we have anything to do with attachment or detachment?
Only the learned imagine these things.

Chapter8
2. A sage is one whose intelligence is unsmitten by lusts -
who is self-controlled, gentle and pure -
who possesses nothing, who is indifferent -
who eats moderately -is quiet and steady
and has taken refuge in me.

3. The sage is vigilant and resolute -
has a profound mind and has conquered the six bondages;
he is not proud, but gives honour to others;
he is strong, friendly to all compassionate and wise.

4. The sage is merciful, non-violent and enduring of all.
He is pure hearted and is the essence of truth;
he is the same to all and beneficent to all.

6. The significance of the letter "A"
is that the Avudhuta is free from the bondage of hopes
is pure in the beginning, middle and end and dwells ever in joy.

7. The syllable "VA" is indicative of him
by whom all desires have been renounced
whose speech is wholesome
and who dwells in the present.

8. The syllable "DHU" is a sign of him
whose limbs are grey with dust -
whose mind is purified who is free from all diseases -
and who is released from the practice of concentration and meditation.

9. The syllable "TA" is significant of him
by whom the thought of Truth has been made steady
who is devoid of all thoughts and efforts
and who is free from ignorance and egoism.

10. This Gita or song is composed by
Dattatreya Avadhuta who is the embodiment of bliss.
Whoever reads or hears it has never any rebirth.
One who has realized the Self is never reborn.

Om Tat Sat

www.holybooks.com/wp-content/uploads/Avadhoota-Gita.pdf‎

Bhagwan Dattatreya and his 24 Gurus

One day when Dattatreya was still a child the  king of a neighboring country came to visit the ashram, and because his parents were away, the boy greeted the guest in the palace. As Dattatreya made arrangements for the visitor’s comfort, the king saw an inner joy radiating from the boy’s countenance. And realizing that this was a spontaneous expression of the intrinsic beauty of the boy’s soul, he was sure that Dattatreya was gifted with great wisdom. Curious to learn how someone so young could be so wise, the king questioned the child, and the following dialogue ensued.

King: You have been studying with your parents?

Dattatreya: There is much to learn from everyone and everything, not only my parents.

King: Then you have a teacher? Who is it?

Dattatreya: I have 24 gurus (spiritual masters).

King: Twenty-four gurus at such a tender age? Who are they?

Dattatreya: Mother Earth is my first guru. She taught me to hold lovingly in my heart all those who trample me, scratch me and hurt me, just as she does. She taught me to give them my best, remembering that their acts are normal and natural from their standpoint.

King: Who is your second guru?

Dattatreya: Water. This force contains life and purity. It cleanses whatever it touches and provides life to whoever drinks it. Water flows unceasingly. If it stops, it becomes stagnant. “Keep moving, keep moving” is the lesson I learned from the water.

King: Your third guru?

Dattatreya: Fire. It burns everything, transforming it into flame. By consuming dead logs, it produces warmth and light. Thus, I learn to absorb everything that life brings and turn it into the flame that enlightens my life. In that light, others can walk safely.

King: Who is your fourth guru?

Dattatreya: The wind is my fourth guy. The wind moves unceasingly, touching flowers and thorns alike, but it never attaches itself to the objects it touches. Like the wind, I learned not to prefer flowers over throne, or friends over foes. Like the wind, my goal is to provide freshness to all without becoming attached.

King: The fifth guru, sir?

Dattatreya: All-pervading and all-embracing space is my fifth guru. Space has room for the sun, moon and stars, and yet it remains untouched and unconfined. I, too must have room for all the diversities of existence and still remain unaffected by what I contain. All visible and invisible objects have their rightful place within me, but they have no power to confine my consciousness.

King: Who is your sixth guru?

Dattatreya: The moon. The moon waxes and wanes, and yet it never loses its essence, totality or shape. From watching the moon I learned that waxing and waning, rising and falling, pleasure and pain, loss and gain are simply phases in life. While passing through these phases I never lose awareness of my true Self.

King: Who is your seventh guru?

Dattatreya: The sun is my seventh guru. With its bright rays, the sun draws water from everything, transforms it into clouds, and then distributes it with out favor as rain. Rain falls on forests, mountains, valleys, deserts, oceans and cities. Like the sun, I learned how to gather knowledge from all sources, transform that knowledge into practical wisdom, and share it with all without preferring some recipients and excluding others.

King: Your eighth guru?

Dattatreya: My eighth guru is a flock of pigeons. When one fell into a hunter’s net and cried in despair, the other pigeons tried to rescue it and got caught, too. From these pigeons I learned that even a positive reaction, if it springs from attachment and emotion, can entangle and ensnare. 

King: Your ninth guru?

Dattatreya: My ninth guru is the python who catches and eats its prey, and then doesn’t hunt again for a long time. It taught me that once my need has been met, I must be satisfied and not make myself miserable running after the objects of my desire.

King: Who is your tenth guru?

Dattatreya: The ocean, which is the abode of the waters. It receives and assimilates water from all the rivers in the world, yet it never overflows its boundaries. The ocean taught me that no matter what experiences I go through in life, no matter how many kicks and blows I receive, I must maintain my discipline. 

King: Who is your eleventh guru, O wise one?

Dattatreya: The moth is my eleventh guru. Drawn by light, it flies from  dwelling to dwelling to sacrifice itself in the flame. It taught me that once I see the dawn, I must overcome my fear, soar at full speed, and plunge into the flame of knowledge to be consumed and transformed. 

King: The twelfth guru?

Dattatreya: My twelfth guy is the bumblebee, who takes only the tiniest drops of nectar from the flowers. And before accepting even that much, it hums and hovers and dances, creating an atmosphere of joy around the blossom. It not only sings the song of cheerfulness, it also gives more to flowers than it takes; it pollinates the plants and helps them prosper by flying from one to another. I leaned from the bumblebee that I should take only a little from nature and that I should do so cheerfully, enriching the source from which I receive sustenance. 

King: Who is your thirteenth guru?

Dattatreya: My thirteenth guru is the honeybee, who collects more nectar than it needs. It gathers nectar from different sources, swallows it, transforms it into honey, and brings it to the hive. It consumes only a bit of what it gathers and shares the rest with others. Thus, I should gather wisdom from the teachers of all disciplines and process the knowledge that I gain. I must apply the knowledge that is conducive to my growth, but I must be ready to share everything I know with others.

King: Who is your fourteenth guru, I wise seeker?

Dattatreya: Once I saw a wild elephant being trapped. A tame female elephant in season was the bait. Sensing her presence, the wild male emerged from its domain and fell into a pit that had been cleverly concealed with branches and heaps of leaves. Once caught, the wild elephant was tamed to be used by others. This elephant is my fourteenth guru because he taught me to be careful with my passions and desires. Worldly charms arouse our sensory impulses, and while chasing after the sense cravings the mind gets trapped and enslaved, even though it is powerful.

King: Your fifteenth guru?

Dattatreya: The deer, with its keen sense of hearing. It listens intently and is wary of all noises–but it is lured to its doom by the melody of the deer hunter’s flute. Like the deer, we keep our ears alert for every bit of news, rumor and gossip, and are skeptical about much that we hear. What I learned from the deer is that we become spellbound by certain words which–due to our desires, attachments, cravings and vasanas [subtle impressions from the past]–we delight to hear. This tendency creates misery for ourselves and others.

King: Your sixteenth guru?

Dattatreya: The fish who swallows a baited hook is caught by the fisherman. This world is like bait. As long as I remember the fish, I remain free of the hook.

King: Who is your seventeenth guru?

Dattatreya: A prostitute. She knows that she doesn’t love her customers, nor do they love her. She waits for them, and when they come she enacts the drama of love, but she isn’t satisfied with artificial love she gives or receives, nor with the payment she is given. Through her I realized that all humans are like prostitutes and the world, like customers, is enjoying us. The payment is always inadequate and we feel dissatisfied. This I determined not to live like a prostitute. Instead, I will live with dignity and self-respect. I will not expect the world to give me either material or internal satisfaction. I will find satisfaction myself by going within

King: Who is your eighteenth guru?

Dattatreya: My eighteenth guru is the little bird who was flying with a worm in its beak. Larger birds flew after him began to peck him. They stopped only when the little bird dropped the worm. Thus I learned that the secret of survival lies in renunciation, not possession.

King: Who is your nineteenth guru?

Dattatreya: My nineteenth guru is the baby that cries when it is hungry and stops when it suckles at its mother’s breast. When the baby is full, it stops feeding and nothing its mother does can induce it to take more milk. I learned from this baby to demand only what I really need. When it is provided, I must take only what I require and then turn my face away.

King: Who is your twentieth guru?

Dattatreya: A young woman whom I met when I was begging for alms. She told me to wait while she prepared a meal. Her bracelets jangled as she cooked, so she removed one. But the noise continued, so she took them all off one by  one until only one remained. Then there was silence. Thus I learned that wherever there is a crowd, there is noise, disagreement and dissension. Peace can be expected only in solitude.

King: Who is your twenty-first guru?

Dattatreya: A snake who makes no hole for itself, but rests in holes other creatures have abandoned, or curls up in the hollow of a tree for a while, and then moves on. From this snake I learned to adjust myself to my environment and enjoy the resources of nature without encumbering myself with a permanent home. Creatures in nature move constantly, continually abandoning their previous dwellings. Therefore, while floating along the current of nature, I find plenty of place to rest. Once I am rest, I move on. 

King: Your twenty-second guru?

Dattatreya: My twenty-second guru is the arrow-maker who was so absorbed in shaping his arrowheads that the king and his entire army passed nearby without attracting his attention. Thus I learned to be absorbed in the fast at hand, no matter how big or small. The more one-pointed my focus, the greater my absorption, the more subtle my awareness. The goal is subtle; it can be grasped only by subtle awareness.

King: Your twenty-third guru?

Dattatreya: My twenty-third guru is the little spider who built itself a nice cozy web. When a larger spider chased it, it rushed to take refuge in its web. But it ran so fast that it got entangled and was swallowed by the bigger spider. Thus I learned that we create webs for ourselves by trying to build a safe haven, and as we race along the threads of these webs, we become entangled and are consumed. There is no safety to be found in the complicated webs of our actions. 

King: And who is your twenty-fourth guru?

Dattatreya: My twenty-fourth guru is the worm who was caught by the songbird and placed in its nest. As the bird began to sing, the worm became to absorbed in the song that it lost all awareness of its peril. Watching this little creature become absorbed in a song in the face of death reminded me that I, too, must develop the art of listening so that I may become absorbed in the eternal sound, nada, that is always within me. 

Listening to Dattatreya, the king realized that the wisdom of this young sage flowed from his determination to keep the goal of life firmly fixed in his awareness as well as from his ability to discover the lessons of life everywhere he turned. 

Dattatreya’s teachings are preserved in the vast literature of the Puranas and in the Datta Samhita, Avadhuta Gita, Dattatreya Upanishad, and Advadhuta Upanishad. This story is from the Srimad Bhagavatam. Many of these works are available in English.

http://silenceofsoul.com/articles/Bhagwan-Dattatreya-and-his-24-Gurus-a160.html