Monks and Acharyas
Kshullak Muni
क्षुल्लक मुनि · ક્ષુલ્લક મુનિ
Forty eight years a monk, one night of doubt, and a song at dawn
- 5 min full story
- 2 min children's telling
- Best shared with a grown-up
- Shvetambar telling
A young monk who was born and raised among nuns longs for the life outside, and his mother asks him to wait just a little longer. Many years later he finally sets out for a king's palace, and a single verse sung in the middle of the night changes more lives than his own.
What it teaches Steadfastness Patience Turning Back
The opening of the children's telling
Long ago there was a boy named Kshullak. He grew up with kind nuns and monks, and when he was older he became a monk too. He learned to walk softly, speak gently and be kind to every creature.
But one day Kshullak felt tired of being a monk. He told his mother, I want to leave and live outside. His mother said gently, Please wait a little longer for me. So he waited.
Read the whole story See plans
To carry into the day
When the night is nearly over, do not stop dancing.
To talk about together
Have you ever wanted to give up something just before finishing it? What helped you keep going?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.