Jain Journal 1974 04

Author(s): Jain Bhawan Publication
Publisher: Jain Bhawan Publication

Page 61

APRIL, 1974
fact came to the ears of the followers of the Nigantha. Glad to have found an occasion to damage Buddha, they hurried in great numbers through the town, crying out, that Siha had caused a great ox to be killed for Buddha's entertainment; that Buddha had eaten of the flesh of the animal although he knew it had been killed on his account, and was, therefore guilty of the death of the animal. The accusation was brought to Siha's notice and was declared by him to be a calumny. Buddha however preached a sermon after the meal, in which he forbade his disciples to partake of the flesh of such animals as had been killed on their account. The legend also corroborates the account in the Jaina works, according to which Vardhamana often resided in Vaisali and had a strong following in that town. It is probably related to show that his sect was stricter, as regards the eating of flesh, then the Buddhists, a point, which again agrees with the statutes of the Jainas.27
The account of Nataputta's death is still more important. "Thus I heard it", says an old book of the Singhalese canon, the Samagāma Sutta, "once the Venerable one lived in Samagama in the land of the Sakya. At that time, however, certainly the Nigantha Nataputta had died in Pava. After his death the Nigantha wandered about disunited, separate, quarrelling, fighting, wounding each other with words."28 Here we have complete confirmation of the statement of the Jaina cannon as to the place where Vardhamana entered Nirvana, as well as of the statement that a schism occurred immediately after his death.
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The harmony between the Buddhist and Jaina tradition as to the person of the head of the Nirgrantha is meanwhile imperfect. It is disturbed by the description of Nataputta as a member of the Brahmanic sect of the Agnivesyayana, whilst Vardhamana belonged to
27 S.B.E., Vol. XVII, pp. 108-117.
The passage is given in the original by Oldenberg, Zeitsch. der D. Morg. Ges., Bd. XXXIV, S. 749. Its significance in connection with the Jaina tradition to their schisms has been overlooked until now. It has also been unnoticed that the assertion, that Vardhamana died during Buddha's lifetime, proves that the latest account of this occurance given by traditions 407 B. C. is false. Later Buddhist legends (Spence Hardy, Manual of Buddhism, pp. 266-272) treat Nataputta's death in more detail. In a lengthy account they give as the cause of the same the apostacy of one of his disciples, Upali who was converted by Buddha. After going over to Buddhism, Upali treated his former master with scorn, and presumed to relate a parable which should prove the foolishness of those who believed in false doctrines. Thereupon the Nigantha fell into despair. He declared, his alms-vessel was broken, his existence destroyed, went to Pava, and died there. Naturally no importance is to be given to this account and its details. They are apparently the outcome of sect hatred.
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