Historical Facts About Jainism

Author(s): Lala Lajpatrai
Publisher: Jain Associations of India Mumbai

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Shri Mahavira. But we submit that the statement is not historically true, as best European scholars consider Shri Parswanatha also as a historical personage, 25 and also say that the Jain religion had been in existence even prior to Shri Pars wanatha. having regard to the development it had reached in the time of Shri Gautama Buddha and the way in which the Jain sect is referred to by the Buddhists in their scriptures. The references are clearly to a well established sect of long standing whose philosophy was worth discussion even in the most holy scriptures of Buddhist religion. Moreover Shri Mahavira is referred to therein as Nataputta and Niganthanayaka but not Niganthasthapaka.20 The Buddhists have wilfully misrepresented many Jain doctrines and would not have missed to make a point if the sect was new. Besides the Makhaliputta Goshala a contemporary of Shri Mahavira (according to Jains a rebellious pupil) who was the leader of Ajiwaka sect divided mankind into six classes and gave Jainism a higher rank therein than even the Bhikshus (Buddhists).27 Yet the Buddhists say that the Ajivaka sect was of long standing.28 The discussion of Sachchaka who was the son of a famous Nigantha still more decisively establishes the fact.29 There were so many as sixtythree different sects or schools of philosophy amongst which Jainism has been discussed in greatest details. Chaitanyavada i.e. believing
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