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Monks' Dilemma
Monks' Dilemma
195
FOURTEEN
undertake penance as ordained in scriptures. After such a humiliation I have been left with no other option but to leave my position of Acharya and hand it over to the senior most monk. There have been similar instances in the past also. I shall put the proposal tomorrow during my discourse in the morning."
Shree was stupefied and was unable to speak a word in response. However she was trying to understand the inner truth behind such an extreme decision by the Acharya. May be it was a pretext for his subsequent step to revert back to household life.
Deepak and Deepti decided to stay for a few days at Jhadol to draw and finalise the future development plan for the project which Vibha was implementing very deftly. Shree stayed at Udaipur to meet her parents and also the Acharya.
She went to see the Acharya and entered his room unnoticed, paid obeisance and kept standing till the Acharya signalled her to sit. Without showing any anger or annoyance he asked her, "What brings you here now?"
Shree, "I have come to apologise for anything wrong or unpleasant committed by me. I did not utter a word except the brief approved by you."
Acharya, "It was you who coaxed and goaded me repeatedly to organise the conference. You articulated your statistical jargon to prove us wrong. It gave advantage to our opponents. I have fallen in the eyes of my followers. They expressed strong opposition to my consent. The members of the Managing Committee here and the delegates from other sects gathered here last night and forced me to cancel the conference. It has never happened in my life before. My decisions have always been respected and never challenged like this. I have been disgraced and hurt badly. I have to
Next morning Acharya did not preach as usual. He put forth his plan or decision, "I accept that I committed a blunder by agreeing to organise the conference, the very object of which was to question the relevance of monkhood and similar institutions. All this happened mainly because the parents of former monk Sadhwi Shradha now Shree, continued to stay here as a monk and a nun. I would have asked them to go back the way Shree has gone. I now ask and urge both of them to leave the religious order and reverse back to household. I hope they are listening. Shree is here. I request her to take her parents with her. I apologise to all of you here and also my other followers all over for the mistake I have committed. As a penance I am renouncing my position as Acharya of this order giving it to Muni Sheetal who is the senior most."
The rest was a formality. Acharya Vinay got down from his seat and personally led his successor to the seat of the Acharya. Shree was amazed at such a turn of events so swiftly as if all this happened within the twinkle of an eye. She was
