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Jacobi, states in his article on Jainism in Encyclopaedia of Religion and Ethics (Vol. II, pp. 465-74):
"Notwithstanding the radical difference in their philosophical notions, Jainism and Buddhism being outside the place of Brahmanism, present resemblances in outward appearance, so that even Indian writers occasionally have confounded them. It is therefore not to be wondered that some European scholars who became acquainted with Jainism through inadequate samples of Jain literature easily persuaded themselves that it was an outcome of Buddhism. But it has since been proved that their theory is wrong."
According to Jain beliefs, the universe was never created, nor will it ever cease to exist. Time is divided into Utsarpinis (Progressive Time Cycle) and Avsarpinis (Regressive Time Cycle). An Utsarpinis and an Avsarpinis constitute one Time Cycle (Kalchakra). Every Utsarpinis and Avsarpinis is divided into six unequal periods known