Jain Stories 01

Author(s): Mahendramuni, K C Lalwani
Publisher: A B Jain Shwetambar Terapanth Samaj

Page 75

MUNIPATI
51
The king at once shared his thoughts with the queen, who not only approved of them, but suggested that they should be given effect to as early as possible The king abdicated in favour of the crown-prince and went into voluntary retirement
Now, when you have a sincere will, a way comes of itself Just about the time, the king went into retirement, Acharya Dharmaghosa visited the city The retired king became very happy He came to pay his homage and obeisance to the monk and received fresh inspiration from his words He joined the holy order and began to propitiate knowledge and conduct These were duly supplemented by penances and meditation Having thus acquired considerable scriptural knowledge and many qualities, Monk Munipati obtained permission for wandering alone.
The life of a monk is a life of hardship and ordeals , but one who is intent on self-realisation relishes these as inevi-table to spiritual life In the course of his wanderings, one winter, Munipati reached a park outside the city of Avanti In the midst of bitter cold and chilly wind, he sat in meditation in a comer of the park, Totally unmindful of physical pain, he fixed bimself on a higher spiritul plane Just at that time a few cowherd boys were on their way home after the day's work When they saw the monk wholly exposed to cold, they erected a screen round him with their wrappers They thought, they would pick them up next day on their way to the pasture The boys went to their respective homes
In the same city, there lived a brahmin named Bodhibhatta, who was rich, popular and kind Farming was his principal occupation Besides, he was a big oilseed merchant which earned him the nickname 'Tılabhatta' (tıla=sesamum, oilseed) But his wife Dhanashree was the reverse of the merchant, being cruel, narrow-minded and ill-tempered. But he held his wife in the greatest esteem and love !!