Once Dattatreya was sitting in meditation when King Yadu passed by and saw this young person sitting unaffected, happy and calm.
King Yadu approached Dattatreya and humbly asked, “ How do you remain unaffected by troubles, happy and calm? Why do you always seem to be floating in bliss (happiness)? What has made this possible?”
Dattatreya replied, “O King Yadu I have observed the world closely and obtained a little knowledge from a number of gurus (teachers). Listen carefully! I will tell you what I have learnt.”
Datta said, “O King Yadu, listen carefully to what I learnt from the Moon.”
Sometimes when you look at the sky you will see the moon. How does the moon look? Is it full and round? At times, only a part of the moon is seen, is it true that the light of the moon is less or more depending on the size of the moon? The moon appears to wax and wane.
Rise and fall, pleasure and pain, and loss and gain are impermanent like the phases of the moon.
Is the moon one and the same at all times or smaller at times and bigger at times?
The moon is the same all the time, I see it as changing because of the position of the earth in relation to the moon.
In the same way I have five senses, what are the five senses?
Sometimes I feel hungry, then I am full. Sometimes I hear nice bhajans (hymns) and mantras, other times different sounds. All the sense perceptions affect my feelings and thoughts. However, I who observe the feelings and thoughts remain the same.
Man appears to go through various moods and stages in life.
Yet his Self remain unchanged through eternity.
Changes affect the body not the Soul.
When I was a baby my body was very small. Now I am fully grown, my body has changed from a baby to a youth, then an adult!
I observe and I am aware of my body, senses, objects, emotions and thoughts as they go through changes. This means I am different from the body, senses, feelings and thoughts, isn’t it?
The Moon reflects the Light of the Sun. Man’s Awareness reflect the Consciousness of the Soul.
Datta learnt from the Moon that the Body is Different from Himself.
He learnt that the SELF does NOT change.