Jaina Philosophy Historical Outline

Author(s): Narendra Nath Bhattacharya
Publisher: Munshiram Manoharlal Publisher's Pvt Ltd New Delhi

Page 192

A Comparative Study 171 they differ in specific points, have a common basis. In their incipient stages, though not in the sophisticated, they stood for same or similar principles. Both these systems deny the existence of an intelligent first cause, adore deified saints, insist upon moral values, right conduct and self-discipline, oppose the authority of the Vedas and the supremacy of the Brāhmaṇas, and think it sinful to take life of the animals. Both these systems use more or less similar terminology to denote their religious concepts. That is why there was once a tendency among some of the ninteenth century European scholars to treat Jainism as an offshoot of Buddhism or the latter as that of the former.
But inspite of their common basis, Buddhism and Jainism in the religious history of India became rival creeds. In the Buddhist texts there are numerous references to the Jains and their doctrines, just as in the Jain texts we have references to Buddhism. In the Anguttara Nikāya' we come across a reference to Mahāvira as one who knows and sees all things and claim perfect knowledge and faith and also to Jainism which teaches the annihilation by austerities of the old Karma and the prevention by inactivity of new Karma. It is further stated that according to Jainism, when Karma ceases, misery ceases; when misery ceases, perception ceases, when perception ceases all sufferings come to an end and a man is saved by pure annihilation of sin. In the Mahayagga' it is stated that one Siha, a general of the Licchavis, was a lay disciple of Mahāvira, and that he was dissuaded by him when he tried to pay a visit to the Buddha. The story of Upāli's conversion from Jainism to Buddhism is mentioned in the Majjhima Nikāya. The Anguttara records some practices of the Jain laymen. Buddhaghoṣa in his commentary on the Digha Nikāyat mentions the differences between Jainism and Ajīvikism and also treats the famous Sāmaññaphala-sutta passages of the same text which mistakenly ascribes the four vows of Pārsva to Mahāvīra. Likewise in the earlier Jain works like the Süyagada6 the Buddhists are described as fools believing in the doctrine of the five skandhas (rūpa or substances and their qualities, vedanā or feelings as pleasure and pain,
'cf. Barth, RI, pp. 148-50; Colebrooke, ME, II, p. 276. 2III, 74. 'VI, 31.
Sum. Vil., 119, 168. 5ibid, 57. I. 1. 17.