Stories From Jainism

Author(s): Mrugendramuni
Publisher: Jain Yoga Foundation

Page 81

Then he jumped down the hill but was soon saved by that god, who advised the monk that it was meaningless to end life abruptly. He must undergo the full cycle of birth and death.
Muni Nandisen practised hard penances; including going to a harlot's house to beg food. She asked for money and not the empty blessings of a monk. So this Muni pulled out a blade of grass as an act of vanity. As a result of his good merits, there soon began to fall, from the air, no less than twelve crores of gems.
As he prepared to leave her place, she asked, “Have you conquered lust? If not, you must fulfil your lust through me. I shall die if you don't grant me this request."
Realising that he had to shatter the bonds of 'Karmas,' he agreed to accept her. But he pledged to himself that he would reform ten dissolute persons everyday and convert them into monks while living with her. He would give up food on the day when no convert was found. He carried on this mission of conversion for a long period of twelve years.
Once the Muni was, however, not able to convert the tenth person to monkhood, though his dinner time was well nigh over. So the harlot told the Muni to regard himself as the required person for conversion. Thereupon, he immediately left her and did not pay heed to all her entreaties not to abandon her. He went straight to his Guru and again embraced monkhood. He got liberation after practising hard penance in the end.
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