24 Gurus Description

A sober person, when harassed by other living beings, should understand that his aggressors are acting
the earth helplessly under the control of God, and so should never be distracted from progress on his own path.
A self-realized soul may live in various material bodies, experiencing their various qualities and functions,
air but he is never entangled, just as the wind which carries various aromas does not actually mix with them.
The sky extends everywhere and everything rests within it, but it does not mix with anything, nor can it
sky be divided by anything. The spirit soul is also not actually affected by contact with the material nature.
A saintly person is just like water because he is free from all contamination, gentle by nature, and by
speaking creates a beautiful vibration like that of flowing water. Just by seeing, touching or hearing such
water a saintly person, the living entity is purified, just as one is cleansed by contact with pure water.
Just as fire manifests differently in pieces of wood of different sizes and qualities, the omnipotent
Supreme Soul, having entered the bodies of higher and lower life forms created by His own potency,
fire appears to assume the identity of each.
The various phases of one's material life, from birth to death, are all properties of the body and do not
affect the soul, just as the apparent waxing and waning of the moon does not affect the moon itself. Such
moon changes are enforced by the imperceptible movements of time.
When reflected in various objects, the sun is never divided, nor does it merge into its reflection. Thus,
sun although the soul is reflected through different material bodies, it remains undivided and nonmaterial.
One should never indulge in excessive affection or concern for anyone or anything; otherwise one will
pigeon have to experience great suffering, just like the foolish pigeon.
One should give up material endeavors and accept for one's maintenance food that comes of its own
accord. If at any time food does not come, he should understand that by God's arrangement he must fast.
python Thus, following the example of the python, he should remain peaceful and patient. `
During the rainy season the swollen rivers rush into the ocean, during the dry summer the rivers, now
shallow, severely reduce their supply of water; yet the ocean does not swell up during the rainy season,
nor does it dry up in the hot summer. In the same way, a devotee of the Lord does not rejoice in a
the sea flourishing condition, nor is he morose when poverty-stricken.
Being eager for sense gratification, a foolish person with no intelligent discrimination loses all intelligence
moth and is destroyed just like the moth who rushes into the blazing fire.
Just as the honeybee takes nectar from all flowers, big and small, an intelligent human being should take
honeybee the essence from all religious scriptures.
An elephant trying to enjoy a she-elephant is killed by other bull elephants also enjoying her company,
elephant one trying to enjoy a lady's company can at any moment be killed by her other lovers who are stronger.
The greedy man is like the bee who struggles to produce a large quantity of honey, which is then stolen
by a man who will enjoy it personally or sell it to others. No matter how carefully one hides his hard-
honey earned wealth or tries to protect it, there are those who are expert in detecting the whereabouts of
thief valuable things, and they will steal it.
the deer One should study the deer, who is bewildered by the music of the hunter's horn, captured and killed.
A fish, incited by the desire to enjoy his tongue, is fatally trapped on the fisherman's hook, similarly, a
the fish foolish person is bewildered by the extremely disturbing urges of the tongue and thus is ruined.
Prostitute Material desire is the cause of the greatest unhappiness, and its freedom causes the greatest happiness.
Pingala Therefore, completely cutting off her desire to enjoy so-called lovers, Pińgalā very happily went to sleep.
the Once a group of large hawks who were unable to find any prey attacked a kurara bird who was holding
kurara some meat. At that time, being in danger of his life, the kurara bird gave up his meat and experienced
bird actual happiness. Hence it is dangerous to possess things for others have a craving eye.
Those who do not worry at all about any family, nor care about honor and dishonor, enjoy only the life of
the child the soul, find love on the spiritual platform and wander the earth like a child.
the When many people live together in one place there will undoubtedly be quarreling. And even if only two
young people live together there will be frivolous conversation and disagreement. Therefore, to avoid conflict,
girl one should live alone, as we learn from the example of the bracelet of the young girl.
arrow When one's consciousness is completely fixed on God, one no longer sees duality. The arrow maker who
maker was intent in making a straight arrow did not even notice the king, who was passing right next to him.
When a person living in a temporary material body tries to construct a happy home, the result is fruitless
serpent and miserable. The snake, however, enters a home that has been built by others and prospers happily.
From within himself the spider expands thread through his mouth, plays with it for some time and
spider eventually swallows it, the Supreme God expands His personal potency from within Himself.
A wasp forced a weaker insect to enter his hive and kept him trapped. In great fear the insect constantly
meditated upon his captor, and without giving up his body, he gradually achieved the same state of
wasp existence as the wasp. One achieves a state of existence according to one's constant concentration.