Thorns
““There is much to learn from everyone and everything.” ”
A story:
One day, when the sage 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 from my parents.
King: Then you have a teacher? Who is it?
Dattatreya: I have twenty-four gurus.
King: Twenty-four gurus at such a tender age? Who are they?
... ... ... (skip ahead)
King: Who is your fourth guru?
Dattatreya: The wind is my fourth guru. 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 thorns, or friends over foes. Like the wind, my goal is to provide freshness to all without becoming attached.
Read the full story, as recounted by Panditji of The Himalayan Institute HERE. Or check out the original texts: Dattatreya’s teachings are preserved in the vast literature of the Puranas and in the Datta Samhita, Avadhuta Gita, Dattatreya Upanishad, and Avadhuta Upanishad. This story is from the Srimad Bhagavatam.