Here is this week's update.
"Om Saha Navavatu" (page 8 in My Prayers book)
The "24 teachers" comes from chapter 11 of the Bhagavatam.
Uddhava Gita -
Uddhava, a devotee asks Lord Krishna - how we should live in the world. Bhagavan narrates to Uddhava, his follower, the dialogue between King Yadu and Saint Dattatreya.
Who is Dattatreya? Sage Atri is blessed by the Lord and the Lord Himself was given to him, called Datta- hence the name Dattatreya. This dattatreya is a wandering monk. (keeps moving from place to place)
King Yadu sees the ever bright and glowing and happy Dattatreya and asks him how it is possible to always be happy. Saint Dattatreya tells him that he learnt this from the 24 teachers.
Uddhava Gita is a compilation of questions asked by King yadu and answered by avadhuta (Dattatreya) Avadhuta means wandering sage.
Dattatreya taught Yadu maharaj the essence of Uddhava Gita (first part is Avadhuta Gita)
Mother Earth is a symbol of patience, tolerance, endurance and forgiveness. Earth moves around the sun on a path called orbit. A man with self control should not move away from the chosen path even when is attacked on the way (facing any problems) . Earth is the first teacher who teaches to be patient and not to deviate from the path/task given. The qualities of Mother Earth that we have to learn can be explained in the form of stories.
Patience -
One story was about a Scientist. He did twenty seven years of research and had huge stacks of paper with all the notes written down. His maid/helper left the job, so a new person replaced her. The new helper is very enthusiastic about cleaning the house, so she throws away all the old stacks of paper in the garbage and keeps new paper in the scientist's room. The scientist sees all the years of work gone into the garbage. He calmly tells the helper not to remove any papers from his room, going forward but does not lose his patience and yells... because there was no use.
Forgiveness -
A boy loved mangoes and went everyday to a mango tree, threw stones at it, and enjoyed the fruit that fell from the tree. One day as he threw a stone, it accidentally hit the King who was going that way. The King is furious and orders the guards to imprison the boy and punish him. The boy had always thrown stones at the tree, he was never punished and in fact, rewarded with delicious mangoes. Just once he hit the King, and he was not ready to forgive. We hurt Mother Earth in so many ways, and she is always forgiving. But it is so difficult for us to forgive even a small mistake others make.
Next was the story of the Giving tree. It's about an apple tree that loved a little boy who came to her everyday and played with her leaves and branches everyday. The boy grows up and doesn't return for a long time. When he returns one day, he doesn't want to play with the tree anymore, but wants money, to buy a house and to get married. The tree offers her fruit and tells him to sell them and make money. The tree keeps giving the boy her fruits, her branches and everything she possibly can, to make the boy happy, until she remains just an old stump at the end.
This story shows how humans are greedy and keep taking from nature, from the earth, but don't give anything back in return.
Be steadfast like the thumb, an African folktale. Once all the five fingers were side by side on the hand. One day the fingers saw a golden ring. All the fingers except for the thumb wanted to wear the ring. The thumb firmly refused as the ring did not belong to them. The other four fingers did not like this, they complained and made fun of the thumb and asked it to stay away from them.
Mountains are an extension of the Earth, and symbolize steadfastness.
Sometimes we need to be steadfast like the thumb and erect like the mountain to uphold good values and principles.
The story of young Prahalada, the blessed child stood calm at every cruel act of his father Hiranyakasyapa's many attempts to kill him. This is a good example for being patient as the earth and steadfast in repeating Narayana name.
Krishna Krishna everywhere
