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blance between the reputed founders of the two religions and Weber refused to give the Jain an origin independent of Buddhism, only allowing them to be one of the oldest sects of Buddhism, saying "the number and importance of co-incidencies in the tradition of either sect regarding their founders is on the whole overwhelming.” But the recent discoveries of the Jain literature and the discovery of pillar.edicts and stuppas have put the matter on a very clear basis, and it is now almost unanimously believed that the account given by the Jains themselves of Mahavira, and which is corroborated by the Buddhist sacred books is substantially true ; though some incidents might have been stated in a very exaggerated form. As for Buddha, recent excavations and investigations of the famous pillar edicts of Asoka and the openings of the Topes or religious edifices dedicated emphatically to Buddha, and Dhagobas or “relic shrines', have shed such
a light on Buddha and his life that no one Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat www.umaragyanbhandar.com
