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Jainism in Buddhist Literature
Dr Bhagchandra Jain 'Bhaskar'
Jainism belongs to the Sramana cultural system of India which is based on the socio-spiritual equality of human beings, nay, on the basic identity of all life It discounts ritual as a means of emancipation and establishes the path of moral, mental and spiritual development as the only means of escaping from the misery of Samsara
Nearly more than hundred years ago, Weber, on the basis of some superficial similarities, came to the conclusion that Jainism is an off-shoot of Buddhism In 1884 Jacobi corrected this view and with a thorough investigation into the historical and traditional records of the two religions, established the fact that Jainism is an earlier and independent religion of India On the grounds of the latest researches it can be said that the Sramana cultural system led by Jainas existed perhaps prior to Brahmana cult and that most of the leaders of different sects of that time were influenced by the Jaina dogmas
The Buddhist Pali Canon refers to Nigantha Nataputta, (Mahavira) as an elder religious teacher and is also familiar with some characteristics of Parsvanatha tradition Besides, the Buddhist literature mentions Rsabhadeva, Padma, Canda, Puspadanta, Vimal, Dharma and Aristanem, as the Jaina Tirthankaras
The Pali Canon does not mention anything of the early life of Mahavira, but refers to the period of his mission as a religious teacher His teachings have also been mentioned, sometimes criticised, in the Pali Canon Itmp, nt to note that both Jainism and Buddhism arose and grew up in t India Though the leaders of both the sects were some yet they never met personally Their followers, hc sions and conversations with one another
In this paper, it is not possible to occuring in the Pali and Buddhist 1 of them The philosophical referen su " follows
