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54
Mahāvīra and Buddha
have lived at least for some years after the event of Buddha's utterence of harsh words to Devadatta. It should also be noted that Devadatta had made the schism in Buddha's order after Ajāta satru's accession and that the news of Mahavira's death had reached Buddha during the life time of Sariputta. The Buddhist writers are unanimous about the fact that Sariputta had died during the life time of Buddha.1
"Now, all these fragments of truth, supplied by the Buddhist texts, when joined together, at once manifest that the event of Mahavira's Nirvāņa must have taken place in between the event of utterance of harsh words by Buddha and that of the death of Sariputta. Again, it is believed that Buddha died in the eighth year of Ajataśatru's reign. If this is true, Mahāvīra's death should have taken place not later than this period of Ajataśatru's reign, and not ealier than the commencement of his reign.
"Let us see, what conclusion we reach if we assume that Mahavira attained the Nirvana in the first year of Ajātaśatru's reign. This would mean that when Mahavira died at the age of 72, Buddha was 73 years old. Secondly, when Mahāvīra attained omniscence at the age of 42, Buddha was 43, and when Mahavira was initiated into the ascetic life at 30, Buddha was 31. Lastly, when Mahāvīra was born, Buddha was one year old."
The conclusion drawn by Shri Rampuria in the above passage holds good only if the belief that Buddha died in the eighth year of Ajātaśatru reign, is true. But Shri Rampuria has himself based his calculation on the dubious, statement "If this is true'. As already sh own before, the above belief
1. The Life of Buddha, by Edward J. Thomas, pp. 140, 141.
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