Monks and Acharyas
Annikaputra Acharya
अर्णिकापुत्र आचार्य · અર્ણિકાપુત્ર આચાર્ય
The teacher whose last thought, in the middle of the river, was for others
- 4 min full story
- 2 min children's telling
- Best shared with a grown-up
- Shvetambar telling
An old acharya learns that a nun he has guided has already reached perfect knowledge, and she tells him where his own will come. It happens in the most unlikely place.
What it teaches Compassion Humility Equanimity
The opening of the children's telling
Long ago there was a wise old teacher named Annikaputra. He was a Jain monk, and many people learned from him.
One of his students was a kind nun named Pushpachula. She worked very hard to make her heart pure. One day her heart became so pure that she knew everything, all at once. But she stayed humble, and she still brought her old teacher his food every day.
Read the whole story See plans
To carry into the day
Even in his own trouble, a great soul asks first whether he is hurting anyone else.
To talk about together
Pushpachula knew more than her teacher, but she kept serving him. Why do you think she did that?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.