The great saint continued, “Death (Lord Yama) always chases a human being. Such a human being can never escape bodily or natural afflictions which arise in his lifetime! A person can obtain freedom only through Spiritual Knowledge. In such a situation, what benefit can a person obtain by struggling and earning limitless wealth and comforts? I am observing the plight of the rich man who suffers due to greediness, who lacks mind-control, spends sleepless night due to fear, and who is eternally suspicious of others”.
Such persons spend all their time worrying about the safety of their accumulated wealth. Due to worry, fear and suspicion they cannot sleep peacefully. They worry that he could be murdered for wealth and hence don’t enjoy any happiness. Contrary to this, the poor man sleeps peacefully. He has nothing to lose as there is nothing worth stealing in his house. He can sleep on bare floor so does not panic that his bed or pillow is missing.
“The people who have an insatiable appetite for wealth and who desire to live long, live in constant fear that some harm could come to them due to the king, due to their own family members, dacoits, enemies, relatives, animals, birds, beggars and due to time. Moreover, they fear that they themselves can destroy their wealth.
Therefore, the person should give up his excessive greed (triṣhṇa) for wealth and for longevity. This is because sorrows, infatuation, fear, anger, helplessness, attachment and exhaustion arise purely due to greed and desires.
O king, in this world I have two supreme Gurus viz., python and honey bee. From honey bee, I have learnt detachment while from python I have learnt contentment.
After putting in a lot of strenuous effort the honey bee accumulates honey. However ultimately it is stolen by others. Likewise the wealth which is acquired by a human being after tremendous efforts is stolen by others. If need be the owner is killed for his wealth. Of what use is such wealth?”
The honey bee untiringly works night and day to collect honey without even enjoying the nectar that is procured. It builds a huge comb just to protect this honey for future use. It starves throughout the day while it is searches and collects honey. It drinks only those tiny drops that stick to its mouth. Thus it spends its entire lifetime accumulating honey. But one fine morning someone steals the comb smoking the bees in the process. Had the bee smartly consumed the honey then and there each day, the risk of losing its wealth would not arise. It would have at least lived long and would have enjoyed some comforts. After starving and working untiringly night and day throughout its lifetime it is left with nothing. In what way does it benefit by stinging the person who steals the comb? It could not drink the honey.
“O King, I am totally free from desires. I survive by eating that which is sent to me by providence. With this my mind is contented. Even if I do not get food for days, like the python I patiently wait without moving from here.
At times, I eat little quantities while on other days I consume sumptuous meal. At times, the food is very tasty and at other times I get tasteless food. On some days, I am offered food with respect. On other days food is thrown disrespectfully at me. At times, no food is given. At times, I survive on air. On some days people abuse me that I am wasting my life even after having a stout body. On some days food is available in the morning and on other days it is available at night. Whatever providence gives, I eat with equal relish.
At times I wear soft silken clothes. At other times I wear cotton clothing, animal skin, bark or jute clothing. Whatever is available I wear it without any prejudice. Going through all experiences that come to me due to my destiny, I live with total contentment”.
I take situations as they come. I am contented with what is destined for me. My goal is that I should never harm others. It is important to remember that Datta’s principles (tattva) are being explained here.
“At times I sleep on the hard barren rough surface while at other times I sleep on leaves or roll in ash. Sometimes I sleep in luxurious palaces on exquisite beds that are decorated with silken bedspreads. I do not differentiate between them.
At times people invite me home. They bathe me in perfumed water, offer me silken clothes and after feeding me sumptuously, beg me to sleep in their royal bed that is decorated with silken bedspread. I accept them all.
On other days I bathe in pure water and decorate my body with sandal paste. I mount beautiful chariots or elephants or horses and wander everywhere. At another time, I appear naked like a ghost. People fear me.
**As different people are of different attitudes, I do not curse the person who abuses me. I do not praise the person who glorifies me. I only pray that all of them obtain merger (kalyana) into the ultimate Lord. **
The spiritual aspirant should mentally merge the feelings of differentiation and duality (bheda) into the mental modifications (mano vṛtti). The mental modifications should be merged into the mind which causes the illusory experience of the multifarious creation. The mind should be merged into egoism (ahamkara). Ahamkara should be merged into the illusory energy (māya shakti)”.
The saint was none other than Dattatreya. How fortunate was Prahlada!
sankarṣanāya namah