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Lord Mahāvira and His Times The Mahāvagga and the Chullavagga of the Vinayapițaka are noteworthy. The Mahāvagga is mainly concerned with the formation of the Samgha and its rules, but its incidental refereces are valuable in that they throw considerable light on the daily life of the people. The rules of the procedure and debates of the assemblies of the republics during this period seem to be the same as those of the Buddhist Samghas which were modelled on Samgha or Gana States. While describing the rules for the Bhikshus, the Chullavagga gives an idea of the articles of furniture, utensils and other amenities of the common dwelling-house,
The Sutta Pitaka comprises the following five collections called Nikayas: (1) Dīgha, (2) Majjhima, (3) Samyutta, (4) Angilttara, and (5) Khuddaka. In the Digha, Majjhima and Anguttara, there are references to Nigantha Nātaputta, to his teachings and to the Nirgranthas. These parallel references sometimes prove the correctness of the traditions preserved in the Jaina texts, and thus they are valuable for the history of Jainism during the time of Mahāvīra. This also leads us to believe that in the days of Buddha, Mahāvīra was considered to be an important personality and Jainism a strong living religion.
. The Brahmajālasutla of the Dighanikaya is important for the history, not only of Buddhism but of the entire religious life and thought of ancient India. The Samaññaphala Sutta is a valuable piece of evidence for the life and thought at the time of Buddha, as it appears from the views of prominent nonBuddhist teachers and founders of sects. From the Mahaparinibbāna Sutta, it is known that in reply to Varshākāra, the Chancellor of Magadla, Buddha indicated the seven points of excellence of the Vajjis which may be regarded as the directive principles of State policy. In the Mahāsudassana Sutta of the Digha Nikāya, there is a description of the palace of King Mahā-sudassana.
The Majjhima Nikāya throws considerable light on the life of Buddhist monks, as also on Brahmanical sacrifices, various forms of asceticism, the relation of Buddha to the Jainas and other systems of the day, the superstitions and the socio-political conditions of the time. The Angutlara Vikaya
