Sri Guru Gita – 26 June 2014 – Episode 186

Jai Guru Datta Swamiji.

Jaya Guru Datta. Episode summary:

Jaya Guru Datta.
Honey bee. There is nothing wrong with earning wealth and material possessions. You’ve earned material possessions, you are earning wealth, what’s wrong with that? Nothing wrong with that. If you earn only as much as you need, that’s good for you. But, you are earning more, that’s okay. Just remember that earning more than you need brings problems. Even though there is nothing wrong with earning more than you need, it does pose dangers. It brings sorrows. Sometimes, the wealth you’ve accumulated to support yourself through life dwindles. We face great losses. Even after earning so much, if we get greedy for more and gamble like you would with a lottery, all the earnings are lost. A millionaire becomes a pauper. He makes his dependents helpless. This is the secret behind why great souls keep exhorting us to walk the path of Dharma.

Dharma protects us. It keeps our bad qualities in check. It increases the goodness in us and gives us happiness. Dharma makes people who seek refuge in it, fearless. Life goes on smoothly. The wise and the knowledgeable should understand these subtle aspects. Avadhoota Swamy taught to King Yadu what he learned from the honey bee, “A sage must not be interested in any object. A seeker must not hoard those objects, otherwise he develops attachment to those and goes down the wrong path. The mind gets destroyed. That is why, he must lead a life without any kind of ostentation. He must live, making his hands his begging bowl. A seeker who sincerely years for liberation should not hang a sign saying he’s renounced everything in the world while holding on to various belongings. That is why, if you say you have renounced everything, you must really let go of everything. Considering your hands as your begging bowl, you must eat from them whatever alms you receive and pray to God without any desire and with a calm mind. That means, such a seeker must live making his own hands his begging bowl. Swamiji, during his childhood, has been with such noble souls who lived that way.

One must eat only enough to fulfill his hunger. One must not have a desire to keep eating more once the stomach is full. Nor should he hoard for dinner the alms received, anticipating bad weather in the evening or owing to his inability to go out for alms. Be careful, you should only eat whatever you get and be content. Unless you implement such rigorous practices, breaking free from desires and attachments will be impossible.

The honey bee works very hard in gathering nectar from each flower. It flies to each flower, draws the nectar and stores it in one place. It hides the honey as if it’s a treasure. One day, someone else will steal the treasure. He will smoke out the beehive and take away the honey. All the efforts of the honey bee who was the owner of the treasure until them become futile. It cannot even enjoy anything. Keeping the honey bee in mind, a seeker should also earn only as much food as necessary.

Jaya Guru Datta