Monks and Acharyas
Shitalacharya
शीतलाचार्य · શીતલાચાર્ય
A great teacher bowed to his young nephews in anger, and then bowed again with his whole heart
- 4 min full story
- 2 min children's telling
- For all ages
- Shvetambar telling
Four young monks set out to meet their famous uncle, Acharya Shital, but arrive too late to enter the city. When the uncle comes to them the next day and they do not rise to greet him, he is offended, and what happens next teaches him the difference between a bow of the body and a bow of the heart.
What it teaches Humility Anger True respect
The opening of the children's telling
Long ago, there was a prince named Shital who did not want to be king. Instead, he became a monk. He grew wise and kind, and many monks learned from him.
Shital had a sister, and she had four sons. Every night she told them stories about their good uncle. When the boys grew up, they became monks too. "Let us go and meet our uncle," they said, and off they walked.
Read the whole story See plans
To carry into the day
A bow that comes from the heart can change the whole heart.
To talk about together
What is the difference between saying sorry with your mouth and saying sorry with your heart?
Retold for JainStory from the traditional narrative and checked against published Jain sources. Details vary between tellings.