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have discussed the uposatha ceremony while he was neu Savatthi at Visakha's house. Visakhā, the Migāra's mother, was perhaps, Dot perfectly converted from Jainism to Buddhism at that time. One day she, having observed the U posatha, came to meet the Buddha at noon. Then the Buddha described to her three types of U posatha. It is to be noted here that the Uposatha is the tenth vow in Jainism.
fi) Digvrata
The Buddha says to Visakha : "There is a sect of naked ascetics ( Nigantho nama Samarajatika ), who exhort a disciple thus : "Now my good fellow, you must lay aside injury (Dandan nikkhi pähi ) to beings that exist in the East beyond the yojana from here, likewise to those in the West, North, and the South beyond a yojana from here. Thus they exhort them to kindness and compassion towards some creatures only 19" This is a corect description of the Digurata which is a life long vow to limit ones mundane activities in all directions from well-known objects, 20 But in subsequent lines the Buddha os reported to have criticised the doctrine saying : In this way they enjoin cruelty by making them not spare other living beings ( ekaccanan pāņānam namiddayāya nanukampaya samadapenti). This criticism is made only for the sake of cnticism. For, he who confines his activities within a limited sphere, follows a complete vow of Ahimsa as regards what is beyond those limits, because of total absence of non-restraint there21. He, therefore, tries to follow the vow of Mahavata":24.
Thus, this is undoubtedly an unfair attack on the Jainas. Jacobi says in this respect : "we cannot expect one sect to give a fair and honest exposition of the tenets of their oppogents: it is but natural that they should put them in such a form as to make the objections they want to raise against them all the better applicable. In the Jaina Agamas28 also we find misrepresentation of Buddhist ideas",
Another reference to this vow is found in the Digha Nikaya. It is mentioned there that the Buddha met at Vesali a certain
