Jain Journal 1988 10

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

Page 18

Salient Common Features between Jainism and Buddhism
B. H. KAPADIA
Jainism and Buddhism are two great religions which are considered as heterodox religions of ancient India. In the initial days of the study of Jainism and Buddhism it was generally believed by Western scholars that Jainism is an offshoot of Buddhism, that it is a branch of Buddhism. Some Indian scholars followed the foot-steps of the Western scholars, but as a result of patient research and a proper study of these two religions which was solely based on the study of original literature of these religions this myth has been now thoroughly exploded and it is thrown to the wind.
These two powerful religions considered as heterodox by the school of Indian philosophy do not believe in the authority of the Vedas i.e. they consider the Vedas as composed by human beings like the works of Kalidasa, Bhavabhuti, Shakespeare, Milton, Shelly, Goete, Schiller, etc. They also do not believe in a god who is responsible for the creation of the universe though they believe in gods. The promulgators of these two religions, Mahavira1 and Buddha were Ksatriyas, both hailed from a royal family, both preached in the language of the people with a view to appeal to their heart, both lived the worldly life for a definite period of time and on suitable opportunity both renounced the world full of misery with the intention to find the highest and the ultimate truth. Both lived and enjoyed the married life (there are two traditions in the case of Mahavira), both were fathers, both were full of detachment towards the worldly life which goaded them to renounce it. Mahavira preached in Magadhi or Ardhamagadhi and Buddha in Pali. Both these are the dialects of the same province, viz, east and west Magadha. Both were contemporaries. Buddha lived a life of 80 years and Mahavira lived upto 72 years. Eastern India, to begin with, was the main seat of their religious activities. Now it has come to light that both belonged to the Sramana Sampradaya. Buddha was the eminent leader of the Bauddha Sampradaya and Jnatrputra Mahavira was the Tirthankara of the Nirgantha Sampradaya. Not only were
1 Mahavira was born in 598 B.C. and died in 526 B.C.