Sri Guru Gita – 8 May 2014 – Episode 137

Jaya Guru Datta. English summary:

Jaya Guru Datta.

Sloka:
Evam dhyayan param brahma sthatavyam yatra kutracit |
Kito bhrnga iva dhyanat brahmaiva bhavati swayam ||

One must meditate on the Absolute wherever he is. A wise spiritual seeker will sit still in one place just like a python does. In Datta Darsanam, there is a description of the python as one of the Gurus to Lord Datta. But, you cannot stay put in one place. You are in this samsara. Unless you achieve stability in meditation, the waves in the ocean of samsara will not recede. Unless the waves recede, you cannot bathe in the ocean. So, how do you get out of this tricky situation?
A Guru once took his disciple to the ocean and asked him to dip in the ocean along with him. The disciple said he wanted to wait for the waves to recede. The Guru went ahead and bathed in the ocean. The disciple was still standing by the ocean. When the Guru enquired, the disciple said he was still waiting for the waves to recede. The Guru went away saying that neither will the waves recede nor will the disciple bathe.

That is why, to encourage us, they are telling us that we can meditate wherever we are. In Datta Darsanam, Lord Datta is said to have 24 Gurus. Lord Datta, in fact, has 64 Gurus. In reality, everything that’s part of Nature is a Guru to Lord Datta. Wherever he is, whatever he is looking at, it’s drawing him towards the supreme truth. Hence, wherever you are, if you always contemplate on the supreme truth, you will become Parabrahman just as the fearful insect turns into a carpenter bee.

Let’s talk about Lord Datta’s 24 Gurus. We are being initiated into another secret of spiritual practice. This is very important. Listen carefully.

Sloka:
Yadrcchaya copapannam hyalpam bahula meva va |
Niragenaiva bhunjita abhyasa samaye muda ||
During the course of spiritual practice, one should not seek food, but eat whatever he receives cheerfully, without any particular interest in it.

We have a small bird that just sits (it doesn’t have support in its body to move about). It was one of the injured birds that we treated in the hospital. It just sits in its place. If someone goes and feeds it food, it’ll eat, but otherwise, it doesn’t ask or scream or flutter its wings to get attention. If someone forgets to feed it, it’ll just stay put. I sometimes call it “Ajagaram” (python). I say, “This is a python, give it some food, give it some water”. That is how one should be, like a python. Saints and hermits can do this. If you just stay put in one place at home, you will be smacked. Thinking, “Swamiji has said so, I will just stay put in a corner in the house like a python, the food will come to me. I will not enter the kitchen, bring the food to me here”, if you stay put in one place, you will be smacked by the rest of household.

Sitting still in one place is possible for Yogis. They don’t seek anything. They leave everything to God. If God sends them food, they’ll receive, if not they just sit still, meditating in the forests. The python Anaconda only eats the animals that come by, it doesn’t go out and hunt. Animals seeking shelter from rain think they are entering a cave when they fall into the Anaconda’s mouth. That is how one should be.

Jaya Guru Datta.