Monks and Acharyas
Acharya Kundakunda
आचार्य कुंदकुंद · આચાર્ય કુંદકુંદ
A cowherd boy who cared for an old book, and the great teacher he became
- 5 min full story
- 2 min children's telling
- For all ages
- Digambar telling
Digambar Jains name Acharya Kundakunda in their morning blessing, right after Mahavir and Gautam Swami. This is the traditional story of his life, from a cowherd's small act of care in a past birth to the Samayasara, his great book on the soul.
What it teaches Knowledge of the soul Reverence for scripture Inner purity
The opening of the children's telling
Once upon a time, a poor cowherd boy was walking his cows through the forest. He found some very old books lying forgotten in the forest. He could not read, but he knew books are precious. So he cleaned them gently and kept them safe.
One day a wise monk came by. The boy folded his hands and gave him the books. The monk smiled and blessed him. The boy felt warm and happy inside.
Read the whole story See plans
To carry into the day
Your true self is like a clean mirror; anger and greed are only dust on its surface.
To talk about together
What does it mean to take good care of knowledge, and of books?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.