STORIES
Anathi Muni
Oh human blessed souls ! I
bowing to the monks preach real and religious sermons, please hare.
Some day enjoying spiritual
benefits the king Shrenik with a riew to training his horse went to the
temple chaitya named Mandi-Kuxik for pleasures and prayers.
In the forest like a garden
full of various trees he saw a highly enlightened ascetic looking like an
incarnated religion under the tree.
On seeing the lustre of the
monk brighter eron than the Sunlight he was astnoshied and inspired to
pray to him with a crystal speech.
Oh what a wonderful lustre
is on this respectable Muni, what a great physical figure and feature ?
what a great tolerance and selflessness ! How detached he is to the
worldly affairs !
The King - Shrenik bowed to
the monk and took a holy round thrice . He stood neither too far not too
near and asked him with folded hands.
Maharaj ! People mostly
enjoy the temporal pleasures in youth but you accepted non attehment and
initiation. What is the reason behind it ? I am keen to hear it from you.
Muni- Maharaj replied,
"Swami ! I am an orphan. None in this world is to protect me. I have no
friends. No body is found to show meroy upon me."
On heaving the shelterless
Monk's words Shrenik the king of Magadh laughed and said, "Even though
being rich with such a spiritual power how can you be helpless ?"
Maharj ! enjoy the
pleasures with your family and friends. I shall protect you from fear,
because the human life is a rarity.
Muni said, "Oh king Shrenik
! you yourself are unprotected how can you be my protector ?
On hearing his
unprecedented words Shrenik - the king got illusioned and asked with
cariosity.
Mahraj ! I possess
elephants, horses, servants, queens and the powers. I enjoy all the
possible pleasures. Mine is a great prosperity, than how can I be
considered sheltevles ?
Oh Maharaj ! I am quite
compertent to satiate my all dreams and desires. Inspite of this all how
can be helpless ? Please, do not tell a lie.
Muni spoke, "Oh king ! you
dont know the meaning of unprotected. How can a human being become a
mastery. How I behaved, I tell you everything, hear me attentively.
Here lies a city named
Kaushambi surpassing the old ones. My father lived here with best riches.
Oh King ! during my youth
because of my misdeeds burns developed in my all limbs. So I was pained
too much.
As a very sharp weapon
pinches extremely into a body, or a furious foe pains one on all the four
sides in the same way it pained me intolerably.
My brain and body
experienced a pain excessively. Then I suffered too much like wounded with
God - Indra's main weapon - Vajra.
My preceptors who were
expert in various therapies came to help and heal me.
These specialists treated
with four types of therapy including vomiting, laxatives etc, but they
could not heal me. The same is trouble with me.
My father disbursed and
offered lots of wealth but I could not be cured. This is my helplessness.
My mother was weeping for
me but she also could not relies me of the pain. The same is my
helplessness.
My younger and elder
brothers also could not help me. This is my helplessness.
My sisters also could not
heal or help me. This is my orphanage.
My beloved and faithful
wife could only weep for me but all in rain.
Moreover my wife in my
presence or absence did not use food, water and cosmetics for this reason.
She was never for at last
at all from me. In spite of this all she could not make me free from
sufferings. The same is my helplessness.
Then I said, ""I can not
tolerate my pain so if once only I get cared I would accept ascetism -
initiation.
Oh King ! on saying thus I
slept down. After the night was over I was realized from my pain.
On the next morning having
been cared, healthy, to learn, controlled and detached I asked permission
from my kiths and kin's for accetision initiation.
After adopting ascetism I
became the master of all the living beings on soul.
The soul itself painful
like a river - Vaitarani and a tree - Kootshalmali. It is on the other
hand like a heavenly cow - offering every thing desired and a garden of
gods giving all the types of pleasures.
This soul it self is an
experienced of both happiness and hardships. This soul is a friend if it
is led to right path and an enemy if on the wrong one.
Oh king some timid people
adopt ascetism but can not follow it fully. It is the second sort of
shelterlessness. You please hear and realise it completely.
One who adopts the five
types of great - main - muni does not observe them properly and gets
absorbed into tasty pleasures can not untie the bonds of attachment and
hatred completely.
If a monk can not refrain
from the five types of vices like enemy, ambition etc can not succeed in
leading a life demonstrated by the previous saints.
One who for long practices
a penance but deviates later on from the right path gets corrupted
ultimately. In spite of all penance he can not cross the world the sea of
sufferings.
He proves himself to be
useless like an empty fist and a bogus coin. As a piece of glass turns out
of no value before the diamond - Vaiduryamani, he too be comes of no
importance.
A man who keeps with him
the symbols of asceticism and gets himself defined as an ascetic receives
hell pains for a long period.
Oh King ! after hearing
this speech blended with knowledge and power quit the path of the wicked.
You should follow in the steps of the great saints.
The wise and virtuous monk
observing the vigilance gets tree from evils, destroys the deeds done in
the past and ultimately realises the study position of salvation.
This very prudent and
proficient monk preached the king Shrenik detail according to the holy
scriptures by detached monks.
On hearing the proper inter
predation of helplessness Shrenik - the emperor was convinced and agreed
with folded hands saying, "You explained me nicely the real helplessness."
Oh Maharishi ! well you are
incarnated as a man well you received luster, power and coolness. On the
path to the truth you only are shielded and sheltered.
Maharishi ! you only are
the saviour of the shelterless souls. You only are the protector of all
beings. I agree and accept you advice, Muni !
aharishi, very frequently
asking about your past life I have disturbed your meditation and alluved
you to enjoy the temporal pleasures. You kindly pardon my all offences.
Shrenik like a lion among
all kings praised Shrman sangh with a deep devotion and took a holy round
of the monk with his queens, kiths and kin and went home.
Then the virtuous penancer
protected with three types of gupti's and void of three kinds of
punishment Dand Anath - shelterless - sarint having been free like a bird
began to wander willingly on the earth place.