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for Huen Siong, the famous Chinese traveller, knew them, as Dr. Rudolf Hoernle points out, even so late as the seventh century A. D. under no other name. Now we shall examine whether the Niganthas or Nigranthas, who were originally the followers of Parsvanath,—Mahavira's predecessor accord. ing to the Kalpa Sutra by about 2 centuriesand who already existed as an important sect at the time when the Buddhist church was founded, and who afterwards went over to Mahavira in a body, had beliefs and doctrines in many respects siinilar to Mahavira's teachings. From the Anguttara Nikâya quoted by Jacobi in which is found an ac. count of some of the Nigantha doctrines, we learn that the Niganthas believe in the annihilation by austerities of the old Kar. man, and the prevention by inactivity of new Karman. They believe that when • Karman ceases misery ceases, when misery ceases perception ceases, when perception'
ceases every misery would come to end. In Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat www.umaragyanbhandar.com