________________
Harikesh Bal
The ascetics complained
One day the guru advised Som muni
Gurudev ! Som muni is very proud of his beauty and caste. He belittles other ascetics.
Som muni! It is not proper for a shraman to be proud of his own physical appearance and insult others. The castes like
Brahmin or Shudra are of this body only. Soul has no caste. Al shudra engaging in austerities is great and a Brahmin indulging
in sin is lowly.
But Som muni could not get rid of his pride. Even the gains of his austerities and spiritual practices were nullified by his pride. After death he reincarnated as a god.
Sitting under the tree, Bal was lost in his thoughts
After the life as a god I was reborn in this slum as mother
Gauri's son.
Jain Education International
For Private & Personal use only
