Kundakunda Acharya and Jain Philosophy

SR No.: 007643
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Jayantilal Jain
Publisher: Research Foundation for Jainology Chennai
Publication Year: 1997
Total Pages: 66
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 3 MB

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lil LIFE OF ACHARYA KUNDAKUNDA
Southern Region of India is well known in the world for its culture and civilisation. It is the blessing of the nature for this land that it is the birth place of many Jain saints also. Long, long ago there lived an innocent cow-man named Kaundesh here. He used to take the cows of his master to the jungle for grazing. He used to let the cows free in the jungle and he himself used to enjoy the nature near a cascade in an isolated place. One day Kaundesh was surprised to see some well-to-do people coming to the jungle. Such a happening was a rare thing. Hence it caused a curiosity in Kaundesh to know the reason for their visiting the jungle. Out of anxiety he followed them. Those delicate bodied and well-to-do people were bare footed. On noting this, Kaundesh thought that there must be something special. Then he saw that a Jain Muni was sitting near a tree. He thought -- who should be this man?" Then Kaundesh heard applausive shouts. The ascetic started his discourse. "All creatures are God. If everybody knows his self, all will be happy and nobody will be in sorrow."
Kaundesh tried to understand the theme of the discourse and there arose a question in his mind, "But I am a grief-stricken cow-man. Is it possible that I am God?" He thought and thought till evening. "All others are calling me fool, but this ascetic has called me God". In the evening he was returning to the village. On the way, it started raining and he was soaked. Kaundesh did not take his dinner and, on his bed, he went on thinking about the discourse and a thought fiashed in his mind. "In case I become God, who will take care of the cows?" Immediately he thought, "The cows can also become God". When in the morning Kaundesh did not get up, his mother woke him up. She observed that he had fever. The mother called in the doctor and with the help of medicines Kaundesh was alright in a week, but he could not take the cows to the jungle. The mother asked him to take rest for a few days.
Kaundesh went to the jungle after fifteen days, but by that time the jungle was burnt. He was worried about the cows. He started seeing all around and he saw that a tree was unburnt. What could save this tree from the fierce fire? he was curious to know. He was thinking, "who has set the jungle to fire and who has saved this tree?" Then he recollected the Ascetic's discourse, "the changes in the livings and the non-livings take place of their own in this world". Nobody is the controller. All are independent. When
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