A Guru is a person who guides or gives us solutions during our challenging times. Today, we are suffering because of the excess pollution spread in the environment.

Lord Dattatreya is also known as the ” Guru of Environmental Education”.

His teachings should be learnt and imbibed by each one of us.

Lord Dattatreya said “Nature” was his teacher.

If you see Lord Dattatreya’s picture, he is always surrounded by nature. He is sitting under a banyan tree. There is a cow, who provides food (milk and dairy products) and four dogs, who are his protectors.

He has described his 24 observations or learnings from nature which are so insightful and knowledgeable.

His 24 teachings about nature and the values he learnt from them are: –

1. Earth – patience.

2. Wind – the breath of life.

3. Sky – gain infinite knowledge, think big

4.  Fire – heat/spreading/ gaining knowledge

5. Water – cleanse, purify your heart

6. Ocean – Stillness by achieving deep and vast knowledge

7. Sun – be a giver, gives light as well as helps in forming clouds for the rains

8. Moon – phases of the moon – reveals that nothing lasts forever.

9. Pigeons- not to be obsessive

10. Bees – be active and work hard to gain success(honey)

11. Hawk – the power of letting go.

12. Beekeeper – not to be materialistic

13. Butterfly – was once a caterpillar, small steps lead to larger goals

14. Snake – moulting, change is the only constant

15. Python – eats whatever it gets, be content

16. Moth –  it dies because it is drawn to fire, control your senses

17. Elephant–sensory fulfilment leads to deception

18. Deer – to not surrender, not to be in a hurry

19. Fish – not to be greedy

20. Spider – do not get entangled, abandon

21. Arrowsmith – the power of concentration.

22. Courtesan – do not be dependent on external factors.

23. Child – be happy and carefree

24. Maiden – does her work in solitude

Everything around us teaches us something!