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he declared he had observed between the two religious, Are these analogies really so numerous ? They are principally either in reference to the times of Mahāvīra and of Buddha, or with regard to the doctrines.
As regards the first of these, the list of similarities is easy to make out (a) Mahāvira, like Buddha was of the ksatriya caste. (b) Both of them abandoned the honorific stage to which they were entitled by birth in order to lead the severe life of the ascetic.
But how many from amongst their contemporaries became mendicant Monks? And also, we know that most of these monastic orders appealed strongly to the ksatriyas by a reaction against the exclusiveness of the Brahmanas. On the other hand, the differences between the life of Mahāvtra and that of Buddha are much more numerous. Here are a few of the most impor. tant ones :
age,
Mhāvira
Buddha 1 Born at Vaišāli in 599 B. C. Born at Kapilvastı1 about 557
B. C. 2 His parents lived to a good His mother died soon after giv
ing him birth. : Assumes ascetic life with the Makes himself a Monk against consent of relatives.
the wishes of his father. 4. His preparation in the asce. Obtains illumination at the end
tic life lasts for twelve years. of five years only. 5 Dies at Pāwā in 527 B C. Dies at Kusinagara about 488
BO.
Thus it seems scarcely possible to relegate Mahāvīra to the domain of myths, if you consider the Buddha to be a historical personage. They both, no doubt, existed and their careers differed as much as it was possible for two contemporaries of the
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