Jainism and Buddhism: A Comparative Study

Although the Jains acknowledge one philosophy there have now been two divisions among them, Digambar and Svetambar, similarly the Buddhist order was established separate from the Jain order on allowing clothes to monks by Goutama Buddha even at the time of Lord Mahavira, i.e. bfore Mahavira began to preach in his age of 42 when he became arhat and omniscient. At the time of Mahavira there appears to have existed some rivalry between them, which is proved from some Buddhist sutras which do not speak favourably of some Jain views; although this unfavourable description will be found to be incorrect when Jain literature is consulted properly and compared with the Buddhist sayings. I give below the names of some of the sutras in which Mahavira has been spoken of as Nigantha Nataputta. These are the instances of rivalry which existed between the Jains and the Buddhists at least at the time when the Buddhist literature was compiled in the first century A.D. in Ceylon.