“A kite with a fish in its beak was being chased by a flock of crows and kites trying to snatch away the fish.. The crows and kites followed it everywhere.
The tired kite finally dropped the fish that was instantly caught by another kite. The flock now turned to the new possessor of fish.
Left alone, the first kite calmly perched upon a tree branch.
Seeing it in this quiet and tranquil state,Dattatrerya, the Avadutha sage, saluted it and said:”You are my Guru,Oh kite.You have taught me that so long as man does not throw off the burden of worldly desires, he cannot escape from worldly distractions and be at peace with himself”.
A shy horse does not move straight till its eyes are covered with eye flaps..Similarly,the mind of a worldly person, when restrained from looking around, by the eye flaps of discrimination and aversion for worldly objects, will not stumble or stray into evil paths.
The soul, strained by the oil of vices and luxury is unfit for spiritual devotion.Discrimination and dispassion for worldly objects are purifying agents through which the worldly person ceases to be worldly and becomes pure.”
( Source: “Speaking Tree” column in the Times of India ).
The kite with fish is one of the 24 ‘teachers’ of Dattatreya, the Avadutha sage — Bhagavata Purana, Skanda XI, Chap.7 to 9 and Narayaneeyam D93.
By Admin
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