Human Values in Jainism and Human Values in Buddhism (An Old and Rare Book)

Email

Whatsapp

Facebook

Pinterest

Twitter

Copy link

Indian Culture has often been at cross-roads in its recorded history. One of such momentous periods was two thousand and five hundred years ago, marked by political uncertainty, economic upheaval, social unrest and spiritual anarchy. It was then that six great teachers made their presence felt, in answer to the pressing needs of the times. Their names and teachings have been incorporated in the Buddhist Canon: Gosala, Ajita, Sañjaya, Katyayana, Kashyapa and Mahavira. Add to this list Gautama the Buddha, who was a contemporary of all of them, and we have seven teachers who were all eminent path-makers (tirthankaras), wandering ascetics (parivrajakas) and masters of discipline (śramanas). Each of them had a large following (ganāchārya) and a distinct message (våda). Of these seven, two became celebrated during their own lives and world-teachers in course of time: Gautama the Buddha and Vardhamana-Mahavira.

It is remarkable that the two, who were not only contemporaries but hailed from the same region (Magadha) and their wanderings look them to selfsame places in a limited area, did not chance to meet each other. But their disciples met, and kept the masters informed of the teachings. Neither the Buddha nor Mahövira had any intention of founding a new religion or dispensation. In fact, each of them regarded himself as an exponent of the eternal and immutable religion (sanatana-dharma), the religion taught by the ancient sages (in the words of Buddha 'isi-ppavedito dhammo'). Their disciples also regarded them as only successors of long lines of twenty-four masters in each case: twenty-four Buddhas, the last of whom was Gautama, and twenty-four tirthankaras (or jinas) the last of whom was Mahavira. Religious identities of Buddhism and Jainism were not known even during the days of Asoka (270-232 B.C.). Whose inscriptions speak only of sects among śramaņas.