The Blissful Ascetic

By Staff

Thursday, January 15, 2009, 17:47

A king once passed through a jungle with a huge retinue in the most kingly fashion with pomp and show. In the course of his journey he came across a man devoid of even the least bit of clothing, a cod piece, lying on the ground with one leg cocked over the other. The man's total immersion in contentment, bliss and happiness that echoed in his laughter intrigued the king, that he sent for him.

The nude man who seemed happy with himself and all the world was nonchalant about the king's order and continued to be in his ascetic bliss. The king on hearing of the man's indifference, made out that the man whom he wished to encounter was no ordinary and went all his way to meet him. On finding the ascetic in the same state of bliss humbly asked him of the secret of his happiness and the guru who imparted the path to such a blissful state.

The ascetic said that he had picked up lessons from twenty four Gurus who comprised of this body, the earth, the birds, some instruments, some people etc who led him to this state. He further explained that all things in the world were classified as either good or bad. The good taught what he ought to follow and the bad those that he had to avoid.

The ascetic who imparted the knowledge towards bliss to the king was none other than Dattatreya.