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Jaina Religion: Its Historical Journey of Evolution 29
was not fully developed. This text mentions a list of about forty five sages which include sages like Nārada, Asitadevala, Angirasa, Parāśara, Aruņa, Nārāyaṇa, Yajñavalkya, Uddālaka, Vidura, Sāriputta, Mahākaśyapa, Makkhali Gośāla, Sañjaya Velatthiputta, etc. and all of them are called Arhatrşis, Buddha-rșis or Brāhmaṇa-rșis. Rşibhāṣita contains a collection of their spiritual and moral discourses. The writing of this text in Jaina tradiţion clearly indicates the fact that the tradition of Upanişadic sages and that of Jaina sages have a common source. This text not only indicates the religious open mindedness of Jaina tradition but also points to the fact that all Indian spiritual traditions have one and the same source. All the streams, Upanişadic, Buddhist, Jaina, Ajīvakas, Sāṁkhya, Yoga etc. are just different streams from one and the same original source. Just as Rşibhășita of Jaina tradition contains the discourses of different traditions, so also Theragāthā of Buddhist tradition contains the teachings of sages (sthaviras) of different traditions. It, likewise, includes the names of many Upanișadic and other Acāryas of śramaņa tradition while including the name of Mahāvīra. All these descriptions are pointers to the fact that Indian thought has been magnanimous and tolerant right from ancient times. This magnanimity and tolerance is running through
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