Book Title: Ahimsa and Jainism
Author(s): Vijayvallabhsuri
Publisher: Vallabhsuri Smarak Nidhi

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Page 106
________________ ( 99 ) theory other scholars built new theories whose boldness is proportionate to and may easily be explained by the scarcity of original materials, illustrative of Jainism. Now a change was brought about in the sixties and seventies of last century. In that time Dr. Buhler, then educational Inspector of Gujarat, succeeded in collecting manuscripts of the sacred books of the Jains; manuscripts which became the possession of the Deccan College library and some libraries in England and on the Continent. I myself was able to acquire with the help of my friend Dr. Buhler manuscripts of the principal Angas and Upangas. At the same time the investigation of the Budhist scripture had been carried on with great zeal and had made great progress. It was my good fortune to commence at this juncture my studies of Jainism; they soon made me reject the old theory and brought on the conviction that Jainism was entirely independent of Budhism. INTERNAL EVIDENCE I found in the Jain scriptures the names of the contemporary of Budha, the Kings of Magadha and some religious leaders of the time as being contemporary with Mahavira, the twenty fourth Trithankar of the Jains. And in the Budhist Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat www.umaragyanbhandar.com

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