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COMPENDIUM OF JAINISM
Such opinions apart, the Buddhist history and literature establish that after he had renounced the world, the Buddha was for sometime an ascetic following the Jaina cult of Parsva who was the twentythird Tirthankara of the Jaina religion. In Buddhist literature Mahavira has been described as Nigantha Nätaputta. In the Majjhima Nikaya, there is a reference to the ascetics who were the followers of Mahavira telling that their Master was Omiscient and that he had disclosed to them details about their previous births. There is also a narration by the Buddha himself to his disciples about his experiences when he went naked, took food in his own palms and followed the various restrictions regarding the taking of food. It is obvious that the course of conduct first followed by him is quite identical with ordinances of the Jaina ascetic life. That book also contains a reference to Upali who was first a devotee of the Buddha, had a difference of opinion with him about comparative gravity of the bodily and mental Karmas and was ultimately converted to Jainism.
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The Dhammapada is the Bible of the Buddhistic religion. It is an anthology of verses collected from the different books of the Tripitaka which stand for the sacred scriptures in Pali containing the orginal teachings of the Buddha. Both Jainism and Buddhism belong to the stream of Śramanic culture, and naturally there is an attempt to redefine the term Brāhmaṇa, not based on heredity but on individual good qualities (See Dhammapada 393). Vṛṣabha, Mahavira and the Buddha belonged to the same Śramanic culture and were Brāhmaṇas by virtues. That is what is stated in verse 422 of Dhammapada :
"Usabham pavaram Viram Mahesim vijitavinam
anejam nahatakam Buddham
tamaham brūmi brahmanam.
"The most excellent (pravara) foremost Vṛṣabha, the victorious and the great saint (vijita and maharși) Vira (i. e.
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