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काल-निर्णय
मनुष्य स्वभाव से ही जिज्ञासाशील प्राणी है । जिज्ञासा से ज्ञान बढ़ता है और ज्ञान से जिज्ञासा बढ़ती है। ज्ञान और जिज्ञासा का यही क्रम जीवन का निःसीम आनन्द है। ज्ञान और जिज्ञासा का यही युग्म सत्य-प्राप्ति का अविकल सोपान है। इतिहास के प्रथम दृष्टिपात में भगवान् महावीर व बुद्ध एक प्रतीत हुए' व कुछ विद्वानों ने प्रथम गणधर गौतम स्वामी को ही गौतम बुद्ध माना । २ जिज्ञासा के दो डगों ने स्पष्ट कर दिया, वे एक ही काल में होने
१. S. B. E., vol. XXII, introduction, p. XV. P. According to the Jains, the chief disciple of their Tirthankara
Mahavira was called Gautama Swami or Gautama Indrabhuti (Ward, Hindus, p. 247 and Colebrooke's Essays, vol. II, p. 279) whose identity with Gautam Budha was suggested by both Dr. Hamilton and Major Delamaine and was accepted by Colebrooke. This is what Colebrooke says in his Essays, vol. II, p. 276 :-"In the Kalpa Sutra and in other books of the Jains. the first of Mahavira's disciples is mentioned under the name of Indra bhuti, but in the inscriptions under that of Gautam Swami. The names of the other ten precisely agree. Whence it is to be concluded that Gautama, the first one of the first list, is the same with the Indrabhuti, first of the second list. It is certainly probable, as remarked by Dr. Hamilton and Major Delamaine that the Gautama of the Jains and Gautama of Buddhas is the same personage." Two of eleven disciples of Mahavira survived him viz. Sudharma and Gautama. Sudharma's spiritual successors are the Jain priests, whereas the Gautam's followers are the Buddhis. - Manmathnath Shastri, M.A., M. R. A.S., Budha: His Life,
His Teachings His Order, 1910 (second edition), pp. 21-22.
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