Abhidharma And Jainism

Author(s): Johannes Bronkhorst
Publisher: Johannes Bronkhorst

Page 1

Abhidharma and Jainism*
Johannes Bronkhorst
It has been known for a long time that Buddhism and Jainism (the latter in the form preached by Mahavira) originated more or less at the same time and in the same region of India. The early Buddhist texts in particular describe various encounters between the Buddha and Jainas (called nirgrantha/ nigantha in these texts), they know Mahavira (Nigantha Näthlaputta) and report his death. It is not therefore surprising that Jainism has exerted an influence on Buddhism in its early phases. The question whether and to what extent Buddhism has influenced Jainism has not so far received much attention. This question will be addressed in this paper.
We begin with a passage in Süyagada I, one of the oldest canonical texts of the Svetämbara Jainas, which shows familiarity with Buddhism. Süyagada 1.1.1.17 speaks of the five Buddhist groups (skandha) which join up for a moment (khana.joiksemawagin). This passage clearly is not just acquaint. ed with the early Buddhist notion of the five skandhas, it also knows the much more recent theory of momentariness. The chronological and other implica tions of this fact deserve attention.
Momentariness did not characterize Buddhism from its beginning. The earliest clear references to it appear to occur in the (Maha-) Vibhāså of the Sarvåstivāda tradition, composed several centuries after the beginning of the common era. This does not necessarily imply that it did not exist before that date. Indeed, it seems likely that the theory of momentariness finds expression in the so-called samskylalakines of the Pancavastuka, which may go back to the middle of the second century before our era. The above-cited passage from the Süyagada must date from that period at the earliest.
This is not the only conclusion we can draw. Momentariness appears to be indissociably linked to the systematization of Buddhist doctrine carried out
113
598