Shantidoot Amrender Muniji

Author(s): Padmini Atal
Publisher: Universal Ahimsa Foundation

Page 15

Amar was surprised to see the Jain monks there... clad in white robes with their mouths covered, they looked quite strange to him. He wondered what kind of trip this was turning out to be!
His friend bent down to touch the saint's feet as a gesture of respect, and Amar politely followed suit. Up until then he had never met a monk or ascetic“ close up".
The Jain saint who was presiding there was the respected Gurudev Shri Shukal Chand Ji Maharaj. As Amar bent and touched his feet, the saint blessed him by putting his hand on the boy's head. Amar had the strange sensation of something flowing into him at the saint's touch. He recognized it as something divine and sensed that the simple Jain saint sitting in front of him was actually a realized master.
Gurudev's discourse and the "Saintly” Dog
That momentous day in Amar's life seemed to fly by. It became afternoon and time for Gurudev Shri Shukal Chand Ji Maharaj's discourse. Everyone present assembled for the discourse. Amar noticed that when the saint started speaking, a dog would come and sit nearby to listen to him. People would try and shoo it away but it would not budge as long as the saint was speaking. After he had finished his discourse, the dog would quietly go away, and come back again the next day. People later told him that the dog would even fast on the holy day of “chaturdashi”. If someone gave it food it would bury the food and only eat it the next day when the Jain monks would eat!
This incident greatly influenced young Amar. He saw with his own eyes the power of a realized saint...even animals were influenced by his presence. Amar felt that he too was being profoundly affected. He felt very happy in the company of the saints. In fact he felt that he had come to his rightful home.
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amrender muni ji maharaj