Prakruthiya paata - Part 7

The Hunter

When the avadhuta came across a hunter, he quietly observed him draw an arrow out, place it in his strung bow and concentrate on the target. The avadhuta was impressed by the single-mindedness of the hunter, who remained unaware of even the king passing by. Like the famed story of Arjuna who said he sees only the eye of the decoy bird that his guru asked everyone to aim and shoot. The rest were disqualified because they said they could see the tree, the bird etc.
I learnt from the hunter that I must develop utmost concentration and become steadfast in order to achieve my goals, said the avadhuta. I must not succumb to frivolous distractions or flimsy desires.

A snake and a spider

The anthill is popularly called “snake burrow” and is often visited by snakes in search of rats and other small prey. Therefore they are believed to be inhabited by snakes*. The avadhuta was fascinated at the arrangement made by nature wherein the snake lives in the anthill made by hundreds and thousands of termites.
I learnt from the snake that nature provides shelter and I do not have to worry about building or owning a house, said the avadhuta**.

*That anthills are homes to snakes is a popular myth that has resulted in the mindless practice of pouring milk into the holes of the anthill on certain days of religious significance. This is based on another myth that snakes drink milk.

**This learning is exclusively the avadhuta’s who owns nothing and sleeps under trees or on any ledge, etc.

The avadhuta noticed that unlike the termites which create a house for the snake to inhabit, humans destroy another’s to keep their own homes clean. When a cobweb is brushed away, a spider’s house is destroyed.
I learnt two lessons from the spider...this world is a spider’s web and we are the flies. We get entangled in the affairs of the world unable to extricate ourselves.
The silk that the spider uses is produced from its stomach and when it wants to dismantle the web, it withdraws the silk into its stomach**, just like the divine lord who contains the entire creation within his cosmic belly when he sets in motion the destruction of the universe.*

*specialised organs called spinnerets located on their abdomen

**some types of spiders ingest the silk as they dismantle their webs in order to recycle the amino acids that make up the silk proteins

The wasp

The avadhuta observed a wasp nest made of mud. He noticed that the wasp had trapped an insect inside and was then constantly feeding it. He assumed that the trapped insect felt a kind of deep attachment to the host insect. Finally he observed a wasp emerge from the nest, and assumed that the insect trapped earlier had transformed into a wasp. I learnt from watching the wasp and the insect held captive that whatever we become extremely attached to, we become that. So if I become wholly absorbed in God, I will become God-like (not God!) This is the ultimate secret revealed to me by nature, it is Mokshada Rahasya (secret to salvation) said the avadhuta!

The actual story of the wasp: Many predatory wasps are also parasitic by nature. The female wasp captures an insect, and injects the prey with venom which paralyses it. Once rendered immobile, the female wasp lays its egg/eggs on the captive insect. The hapless insect becomes a living food source for the hatched larva and is kept alive by the wasp for a while. It ultimately dies, and the larva forms a cocoon and pupates, often inside or on the remains of the host. Once fully developed, the adult wasp emerges from the nest.

Concluded