Hagiography. Dattatreya
Since the holy mahasiddhas are always in the natural state, by listening to their qualities and performing Guru Yoga, we can practice integration with them. Thanks to this, dualistic states are eliminated in the mind, and we enter an even deeper natural state.
Dattatreya is the first of the masters of “crazy wisdom,” who manifested non-duality in all aspects.
Dattatreya incarnated in order to uphold order in the world. Even when he was a child, it became clear to the members of the ashram that Datta was an extremely unusual and outstanding boy. The ascetics were struck dumb when they realized that he possessed extraordinary spiritual powers. The little boy accomplished what aged sages could not accomplish even after many years of diligent practice.
One of those who received a direct transmission from Dattatreya was his own mother. When he decided to become a sannyasin (monk), he told his mother about it. She did not like this, since he was still a child; he was only six or nine years old. She said:
“Son, although you are an exalted being, you must respect me as your mother; the skin that covers your body was given by me, it belongs to me, so leave it to me.”
She wanted to hold him back with these words. But Dattatreya took off his skin like a jacket and manifested his Rainbow Body without skin. At the sight of this, his mother fainted and entered deep samadhi. Thus she became one of his disciples. Only after experiencing the luminous body did she understand that it was useless to regard him as an ordinary human being.
They realized quite clearly that he was endowed with boundless and wondrous powers, but they could not understand the true essence that stood behind Dattatreya.
Dattatreya is considered an incarnation of the three gods, especially the god Vishnu. He appeared as a result of the promise of the god Vishnu to incarnate in the world of humans. This is a well-known story in which the rishi Atri and his wife Anasuya were tested by the gods. When Anasuya passed this test, each of the gods promised in some way to honor them in future lives.
It was obvious that Datta was not an ordinary human being. They came to the conviction that he was worthy of worship and that he must be close to attaining Atma Yoga, the only thing capable of dispelling all sorrows.
Thus time passed. Dattatreya came to love solitude. One day he considered withdrawing from everyone and following the ascetic discipline of yoga. However, his companions understood this. They were worried about what would happen to them if Datta went into seclusion and never returned. They all surrounded Datta and pressed him to accept them as disciples. Datta decided to test them. In their presence he plunged into the water of a nearby lake. At the sight of this, Datta’s disciples were filled with reverential awe. They could not leave him because of their aspiration for yoga, their attachment to him, and their devotion to his person. Remembering again and again his divine auspicious form, worthy of being praised in the three worlds, they decided not to return to their homes until they saw Datta again. They remained standing on the shore of the lake, waiting for him. Thus one hundred divine years passed. Dattatreya was immersed in the bliss that arose as a result of deep meditation at the bottom of the lake. He was happy to see that after one hundred years the ascetics were still waiting for him, but he decided to subject them to a further test. Dattatreya is steadfast both in testing and in compassion. He emerged from the lake, embracing a beautiful maiden with one arm and holding a jug of wine in his hands. The very sight of the half-dressed maiden shocked the ascetics, not to mention the jug of wine. Dattatreya and the maiden seemed to have forgotten that they were being watched. Seeing Dattatreya in such circumstances, many young ascetics felt disgust.
Dattatreya is known as a great master of pranks, jokes, and direct introduction through shocking behavior, which in reality is a skillful means to awaken the awareness of living beings and lay bare their mind in non-duality. Often Dattatreya showed living beings their own defilements, since he was simply responding to their own dualistic thoughts. When their dualistic thoughts were eliminated, they suddenly saw that Dattatreya appeared in a dazzling radiant form. At times he assumed repulsive, disgusting forms. Only those who possessed commitment could discern the Clear Light behind these forms and discover his divine essence, and then he assumed his pure state.
They thought: “He may possess a little yogic power, but his righteousness has not withstood the tests. What a disgrace!” Thinking this, they turned and left. Dattatreya laughed at them and continued his provocative jokes in order to test the remaining devotees. It is impossible to recount all the antics he resorted to in the company of this outwardly shameless maiden. It seemed that nothing stood in the way of their indulgence in their desires. Seeing this, some young ascetics left.
As it later turned out, this girl was a manifestation of his illusory energy that had emerged from his body. It was an illusory body created from Dattatreya’s mind, but the ascetics were misled into thinking that she was a human being.
Only a few people remained; they rejoiced as they witnessed the amusements with which Datta entertained himself. Then, with folded hands, they began to implore him: “Lord Datta, O master, have mercy on us! You are the supreme god of the yogis! The wind that touches the flame of a lamp, in the next moment touches the tongues of a burning funeral pyre. The same wind blows upon a brahmarishi, and then it comes into contact with a chandala, yet the wind is stained by neither virtue nor vice; likewise, unrighteousness cannot touch you, the excellent one, who have attained Self-realization through the power of yoga. Foolish people, not knowing this, seek to confine you within worldly laws, which is like trying to bind a lion, the king of beasts, with pieces of thread. A few fools, bewildered by your unusual supernatural states, imitated you and strayed from the path of righteousness. Such ignorant people cannot comprehend you. Lord, out of compassion, reveal this subtle truth to us. Therefore, please put an end to all these tests and teasing; be merciful, save us.
To these devotees, who had preserved firmness of mind and clarity of inner vision and had realized the meaning of his stratagem, Dattatreya revealed his true universal form. He blessed them with the knowledge of the yoga of the Supreme.
Datta still maintains the habit of testing the steadfastness and devotion of his followers in various ways. He subjected many great devotees to tests: those who did not succumb to delusion or to the fickleness of the mind gathered a rich harvest of spiritual fruits from the Lord.
One day the god Indra came to Dattatreya, asking him to help in the battle against the asuras. The gods were suffering defeat after defeat, and then Indra was advised to turn to Dattatreya and told: “Be careful, Dattatreya is not so simple. He likes to lead those who come to him by the nose. If you judge him as an ordinary saint, you will not recognize him and will not reach him at all.”
When Indra came to Dattatreya, he looked completely like a madman: at times he spat on his own body, at times he spat in Indra’s face, as if he did not see him. Sometimes Dattatreya seemed like a drunken lunatic, but despite this, many living beings served him. Indra thought that he must not engage the dualistic mind, for if he began to identify and emotions arose, nothing would come of it. He appealed to Dattatreya with requests, but he said: “You are wasting your time! Do you not see that I am just a foolish madman; I cannot help you in any way.” When Indra insisted, he said: “Yes, I once attained some power of yoga, but that was long ago, and now I have completely lost everything. I cannot help you in any way; do not waste your time.”
It is said that Indra himself wavered, but he decided to go all the way, showing great steadfastness and faith. Finally, Dattatreya said to him: “All right, Indra. You are an important enough person, and I can no longer refuse you.” He decided to help Indra, and in the end the gods defeated the asuras.
Dattatreya embodies the highest aspect of the practice of laya yoga — self-recognition. Self-recognition consists in our recognizing ourselves and the external world as the Absolute. We must not “fall for” external appearances, succumb to various illusions and tricks that test our awareness. In the end, we must recognize the Absolute as the Absolute.
Living beings are constantly misled by external things. Self-recognition is available only to one who continuously abides in contemplation, who recognizes the Absolute behind any manifestations, and therefore will not be misled.
