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Jain Society of Greater Detroit PRATISHTHA MAHOTSAV JUNE 27-JULY 6 1998
जैन मुनि
KOORGADUKSWAMI (before the era of Mahavirswami)
Stories Of The Sadhu
rince Koorgaduk, upon taking diksha, vowed to eat only rice and renounced all other food. Once, in the middle of a terrible monsoon his fellow sadhus undertook severe penances but Koorgadukswami continued to consume food every day. Samvatsari came and as was the custom in such times, the sadhus had undertaken month-long fasts. However,
Koorgaduk continued to bring back bhiksha from the local community As was the practice, he offered to share the rice with his fellow sadhus who began asking of him, "What are the strength of your convictions, Koorgaduk, that you can't even fast for one day? Today is Samvatsari, the greatest of religious days." Koorgaduk sat down with his meal, lost in
thought. "I don't know what sort of sins I must have committed in my past life that in this life I cannot do without my staple of rice," the young sadhu mused. “I can't even think of fasting like my fellow sadhus." It was with this level of pure and unobstructed thinking, that Koorgaduk attained omniscience. Hearing the sweet sound of the angels' trumpets from the sky, the other sadhus paid homage to Koorgaduk. Penances through physical action alone do not yield the same results that do true and pure thinking.
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