Studies in Buddhist and Jaina Monachism

Author(s): Nand Kishor Prasad
Publisher: Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology & Ahimsa Mujjaffarpur

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STUDIES IN BUDDHIST AND JAINA MONACHISM
Twenty-second Twenty-third Twenty-fourth Next-three Twenty-eighth Twenty-ninth Thirtieth Next two Thirty-third Thirty-fourth Thirty-fifth Thirty sixth Thirty-seventh Thirty-eighth Next two Next one Last one
Rājagsha Vanijyagrama Rajagraha Mithila Vānijyagrama Rajagsha Vanijyagrāma Vaišali Rajagrha Nalanda Vaisali Mithila Rajagsha Nalanda Mithila Rajagļha Pava.
Rājagrha, Nalanda, Śrāvasti and Vaibali were some of the places where both Lord Buddha and Lord Mahāvīra observed their rain. retreat. Besides, this table reveals a significant point. It is a fact that I ord Buddha considered Magadha, specially Rajagļha and its suburb, the best place for the spread of his religion as King Bimbisāra had already promised him to patronise his teachings. It was, there. fore, natural that in his early career as a religious preacher, the Buddha spent as many as three rainy seasons at Rājagsha. But in his last days, he preferred Śrāvasti to Rajagsha and passed the maximum number of his retreat (i. e. twenty-five) there. Most probably the reasons which induced the Buddha to change his preference was the loss of royal favour. King Ajatasatru who succeeded his father King Bimbisāra is said to be a king with Jaina leanings and as such he might have patronised Jainism. This remark is also corroborated by the fact that Lord Mahāvīra passed the maximum number of his retreat at Rajagpha and at its adjoining places.
In this connection it may not be out of place to consider the chronology of the Buddha and Mahavira on the basis of the lists of the places of rain-retreat of the two teachers. The Buddha spent the twentieth retreat at Rajagrha, and he was obviously fifty-five (thirtyfive+twenty) at the time. He did not pass any rainy season at
1. Kapp (SBE. Vol. XXII), p. 264; Pt. Kalyan Vigayaji, Sramana Bhagavāna
Mahavira, Prastāvonā.