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F02 Story - Ganadhars and Acharyas
04 - Ächärya Sthulibhadra
toll on his body, but the brightness inherited from his illustrious father still glowed on his face. Seeing Sthulibhadra's determined and humble state, the learned Ächärya saw in him a great future for the religious order and accepted him as his pupil.
Sthulibhadra quickly adjusted to the new pattern of his life. The ambition that he had lacked in his youth soon emerged in his adulthood. Keen to make up for lost years, he devoted all of his energy to spiritual upliftment. He worked diligently, and in no time gained the confidence of his guru. He had successfully overcome his senses of attachment and lustfulness and gained control over his inner enemies. It was time for his faith to be tested.
The monsoon season was approaching and the monks had to settle in one place during the rainy season, which generally lasted four months in the Indian climate. Sthulibhadra and three other sädhus who had attained a high level of equanimity wanted to test their faith and determination by spending this time under the most adverse conditions. Each one chose the most adverse conditions for themselves. One of them requested permission from his Ächärya to stay at the entrance of a lion's den. Another wanted to spend the time near a snake's hole. The third wanted to spend the four months on top of an open well. The Ächärya knew that they were capable of withstanding these hardships and permitted them to do this. However, Sthulibhadra humbly asked to spend the monsoon in the picture gallery of the residence of Koshä. The Ächärya knew how difficult this test would be for Sthulibhadra, but he also knew Sthulibhadra's determination and felt that spiritually, the monk would not progress any further without passing this test. Therefore, he permitted Sthulibhadra to spend the monsoon at Koshä's house.
Sthulibhadra approached Koshä and asked her for permission to stay in the picture gallery during the monsoon season. Koshä was surprised to see him. He had left her in such an ambivalent state that she had not been sure if she would ever see him again. At this time, she was missing him and was happy to see him again, not knowing the true purpose of his return. For that monsoon season, they each had different goals. Koshä endeavored to win him back into her life, using all of her seductive skills. She felt that having him live in her picture gallery was to her advantage. In contrast, Sthulibhadra's goal was to overcome the strong temptation of Kosha's beauty. Who would win? Sthulibhadra's strong faith and determination served him well during this test. He focused his mind on spiritual meditation, contemplating the transitory nature of life and the need to break away from the cycle of birth and death. Ultimately, Koshä realized the wastefulness of her life and became his disciple, and Sthulibhadra emerged spiritually stronger from this experience.
At the end of the monsoon, all the monks returned and described their experience. The first three monks described their success and they were congratulated. But when Sthulibhadra reported the success of his test, the Ächärya actually rose from his seat in all praise and hailed Sthulibhadra for performing a formidable task. The other monks became jealous. Why was Sthulibhadra's feat so much more impressive than theirs? After all, they had endured physical hardships while he had spent the monsoon in comfort and security. The Ächärya explained that it was an impossible feat for anyone else. The first monk then boasted that he could easily accomplish the same task the following monsoon. The Ächärya tried to dissuade him from his intent, knowing that it was beyond his capability. The monk, wanting to prove his spiritual strength to the Ächärya, persisted and was reluctantly given permission for the next
monsoon season.
The next monsoon, the monk went to Koshä's place. The immodest pictures in the gallery were enough to excite him. When he saw the glamorous Koshä, his remaining resistance melted away and he begged for her love. After seeing the pious life of Sthulibhadra, Koshä had learned the value of an ascetic life. In order to teach the monk a lesson, she agreed to love him only if he gave her a diamond-studded garment from Nepal, a town 250 miles north of Patliputra. The monk was so infatuated that he left immediately for Nepal, forgetting that monks were not supposed to travel during the monsoon. With considerable difficulty, he procured the garment and returned to Patliputra, confident of receiving Koshä's love. Koshä accepted the beautiful garment, wiped her feet on it and threw it away in the trash.
The monk was stunned. He asked, "Are you crazy, Koshä? Why are you throwing away the precious gift that I have brought for you with so much difficulty?" Koshä replied, "Why are you throwing away the precious life of monkhood that you have acquired with so much effort?" The humbled monk realized his
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Compendium of Jainism - 2015
