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that they formed a kernel of Mahāvīra's teachings. Therefore, it appears that these difficult passages recorded as Nigantha's sayings in the Buddhist Canon, are actually based upon Jaina sources as stated in the text itself. They can be understood when compared with the old Jaina Āgumas.
2.9 Although the words are slightly different, the concepts and purpose of the texts are very close to each other. We can recognize from the comparison that both Buddha and Mahāvīra sought the avoidance of all sinful acts, and control of the mind, in order to ward off karmic influx via the sense organs: they renounced the world. It is quite possible that the thoughts of both the Buddha and Mahāvīra, who flowered within a similar socio-religious tradition -- samana mahana religious thought -- were just the same at the starting point of their religious careers. I
ENDNOTES * This article is based on my Japanese papers: "Niganța Nātaputta setu Saiko. Jainakyo bunken kara mita Shamongakyo no rokushi" (N.N.) Sayings reconsidered, The Six Heretics in the SPS according to Jaina Literature): Sanko Bunka Kenkyujyo Nenpo. vol. 13 (1981). "Vāram to-vari wo megurite" (Some Notes on vāram and vāri-): Indogaku Bukkyogaku Kenkyu Vol.34. no.2. 1986. pp. 917 912.("Jainakyo to Bukkyo niokeru Shoakumakusa" (Dhap. 183 and Ayār. II.15), in Japanese, Journal of Religious Studies, Vol. LXVIII 4.No.303. Japanese Association for Religious Studies. The University of Tokyo, 1995. [This paper was presented at the 53th Conference of the Japanese Association for Religious Studies held at the Rissho University in Tokyo, Japan. (September 9 -11, 1994)). On my English papers: K.WATANABE: "Some notes on the expression sabba värilsavva vāram," Bulletin d'Etudes Indiennes, no. 5 (1987), Paris.K.WATANABE:"Avoiding all sinful acts by both Buddha and Mahāvīra" (Dhammapada 183 and Ayarangasutta II.15) Bulletin d'Études Indiennes, nos. 11,12 (1993-94) Paris. These papers owe much to the thoughtful comments and encouragement of Nalini Balbir.
About an investigation of the close parallels which can be traced between Pāli and AMg: Hajime Nakamura: Common Elements in Early Jain and Buddhist Literature (Indologica Taurinensia. Proceedings of the
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