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GREEK CULTURE AND CIVILIZATION Since the times of Lord Parshvanath and Lord Mahavira many Greek philosophers like Pythagoras, Pirra-Ho, Plotinus etc came to India and took lessons from Jain saints ( who were called as gymnosophists). An historian Strebo mentions that in 6th and 7th century BC, Shailmosis and Pythagoras spread the principles of non-violence in his country and the result was that many greek people remained Brhmachari and lived on vegetarian food only. Brahamachari Sheetal Prasadji was of the opinion that Greek Philosopher Pythagoras, a name which every school boy knows by the Pythagoras theorem, known after him, joined a jain saints group in india and later became famous as Muni Pihitrasava. He laid stress on keeping silence and was a pure vegetarian.
The ancient Greeks worshipped nude images like Jains and their mythology also advocates the self-same teachings of soul's potential immortality A disciple of Muni Pihitrasava named Buddhakirti lived in Palash city at the bank of Sarayu river. Muni Buddhakirti was the original name of Lord Buddha. This statement is mentioned in Buddhist book "Mazzhim Nikaya" Chapter 12 Mahasihanaad." It is alos written in Buddhist books that there were jain shravaks among the disciples of Buddha. Lord Buddha's uncle 'Bappa' was a jain shravak.(Ref: Angyttar Attakakatha, Syan publications 2/474). A Greek philosopher Aristotel was also of the view that the type of food one eats eaten influences the life style and thinking of the person, This type of thinking proves that he had a good control on his senses. Philosophers like Pirra-ho, Diogenes, Plato, Epiqurous etc spread further the principle of non-violence. Pirra-ho came to India at the time of Lord Mahavir and studied the principle of Syadvad- philosophy of relativity).
After returning back to Greece, he practiced the ascetic life, staying at a place called Alicefor a long time, based on Jaina rituals. in a place called Alice. A naked (digamber Jain) saint used to be present in the Brhma parliament of Emperor Vikramadtya.[36A] Plato (427-347 BC) was called as Aflatoon by Indians. He was a disciple of Sukrat but he joined the Pythagoras group in India and spread the principle of non-violence. Epiqurous (342-270 BC) also believed that there is no God like entity as it is believed ib Jainism also, whereas in other world faiths God is believed to be the controller of this earth. On the basis of Atomic theory he believed that the earth has neither the beginning nor any end.
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