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Jainism
theories of both of them there is no difference between them as regards the original concept of soul. This means that there is unanimity between them regarding the theory that the soul which is in bondage has to work out its emancipation putting forth hard labour and has to cut down the succession of rebirths by total annihilation of the Karmas.
Penance :
It is a fact that both Mahavira and Buddha practised external and internal penance. But that also is a fact that Buddha had to give up the austere way of life based on hardest penance. It is necessary to consider why this development occurred. When taking into account the biographies of both of them, one thing becomes immediately and amply clear that Mahāvira accommodated in his system the external penance inasmuch as it helped internal penance. He undertook long fasts but his aim was one of meditation and tranquility of mind. In other words, he did this as it helped him in ensuring and securing meditation and mental peace and when it did not serve this purpose of his, he broke his fast. His biographies bear this out. It was a different thing altogether that he resumed fast when he did not get alms on the day when he broke his fast. It is also a kind of penance when one observes a fast on his not getting the alms during his begging-tour. This is an exercise in austerities to reduce a fascination for body. But Mahavira did accept a theory that what is necessary for the bare sustenance of the body even must be given to it. While begging, even if he did not get he was neither angry nor dissatisfied and if he got he was not at all elated.
Remaining naked, whatever experiences he had either on account of heat or cold, or of the stings of mosquitoes or gnats, he remained unaffected throughout. These were the austerities preached by Mahāvira, give them whatever name you like. In short, the physical mortification as preached and practised by him had a definite role to play in ensuring equilibrium of mind and peace. Both the types of penance-external or internal as well ran simultaneously but accent was laid on the internal and therefore he was able to ensure and develop detachment, and renunciation and as a climix he got omniscience also.
Looking to the life of Buddha, we find that he seems to have given greater attention to meditation and contemplation before baptism. Due to this, Buddha's father had to create an atmosphere of luxury and lust in order to distract him from that path. But he was by nature contemplative and unattached. This urged him to betake to the path of renunciation and immediately adopted a meditational way of life. Having received what he could from one teacher, he goes to onother to add to his knowlege, to enrich
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