Jain Journal 1988 10

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

Page 20

OCTOBER, 1988
one tradition) whose husband became a monk under him but later became antagonistic to him while Rahula was accepted by Buddha himself, much against the wish of his father, as a disciple. Thus both relinquished the world after the birth of an issue. Mahavira evinced a desire to become the monk at the end of 28 years that is after the death of his father but waited for two more years in honour of the request of his elder brother Nandivardhana. Buddha turned a reclause and went out for his mahābhiniṣkramaṇa after seeing the face of his newly born son. The father of Buddha was against his son becoming a monk while Mahavira turned a recluse only after the death of his father. Buddha with a view to get the full enlightenment met various teachers of different schools but they did not satisfy him while Mahavira found out his path for salvation on his own. Both led a wandering life and carried to completion the ideal life of a Sramana and a Bhiksu. Buddha did not reform any previous existing religion like Mahavira who reformed the religion of his predecessor Parsvanatha but Buddha innovated a new religion in terms of his own findings and discoveries. Therefore he was required to quote and fight against old doctrines while Mahavira had not to do so. Before Mahavira there was already in existence the cāturyāma religion of Parsvanatha. Only in view of the new and changed conditions he remodeled the vrata of aparigraha, and gave birth to a new vrata known as brahmacarya (which was implicit in the earlier). Mahavira laid down five mahāvratas for the monks and the nuns, five aṇuvratas for the laymen and lay-women whereas Buddha prescribed pañcasīlas of which the fifth one is little different as it included madyapāna, etc. In the Jaina religion women had free entry and so nuns were there in the Mahavira's Samgha while Buddha had to ultimately yield as his step-mother Mahaprajapati was not able to endure the death of her husband. Buddha thrice rejected the request of his mother but on the intervention and the plea of Ananda he had ultimately to give way and allow the entry of women in the Sangha. But both the religions consider a nun inferior to the monk. Even a nun of hundred years standing has to obey, respect and not to enter into verbal discussion with a monk of a day's initiation.
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The circumstances which made Buddha turn a monk were quite different from those of Mahavira. At the birth of Buddha it was predicted that he would become a recluse and so his father took every possible precaution to make his life as comfortable as possible. But through the intervention of divine agency he saw ugly sights which
This is referred in the 2nd sutra of Samannaphalasutra of Dighnikaya and in Jaina Sutras.