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Lord Mahavira
(iii) Buddha and his contemporary pupils have described so many matters of the Nirgrantha cult as if they were eye-witnesses, even though the description might be only incidental and critical. The references therefore to the thought and conduct of the Nirgrantha cult that we come across in the Bauddha Pitakas, is historically very important. Later on we have references in the works of the Buddhist sects about the Nirgrantha cult and we have references to the same in the Agama literature. If the two are compared, we have no doubt that both are equally authentic even if there be two opposed sides. The composition and collections in the Bauddha Pitakas and the ancient Nirgrantha Agama are more or less the same.
Buddha and Mahâvîra
Buddha and Mahâvîra were near contemporaries. Both supported the Sramana cult. We cannot yet derive any conclusions without knowing the distance of time between the two. The first difference is this. Starting with his great voyage-Mahabhiniskramana he propagated his new path or dharmacakra. He continued acceptance and rejection of the different tapasvi and yogi sects during the course of these six years. The path of dharma, however, which Mahâvîra had acquired in his family tradition was accepted by him. He proceeded further on the same path, brought about change and improvement in it according to his own understanding and capability. The path of Buddha was that of rejection of old sects and the establishment of a new religious order; the path of Mahâvîra was simply that of reconsideration and research in his family-religion. We therefore see that Buddha evaluates at several places, the thinking of the sects rejected or accepted by him and states: "the leader of this particular sect holds this belief, another holds this. I do not agree with them; I hold this view" etc., Nowhere in the Pitakas does Buddha state thus-"What I hold is only inherited from the old; I am only its propagator." There is only one sentiment at the root of all statements of Buddha. It is that "My path is the result of my own pursuit." Mahâvîra does not say so. The proof is that once a few followers of Parsvanatha asked some questions to Mahâvîra quoting the authority of the words of Parsvanatha who brought them to his own fold!1 This is
