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At that time nigantha nattaputta with a_ great assembly of Niganthas (Jain Saints) was roaming at Nalinda—”’’ | ‘“ Lord Buddha said to Upali,” ‘“ Your family has been serving the Niganthas for a very long time, when they arrive, you should not refrain from serving them with alms.’’— “O Lord! Goutam orders me to give alms to Niganthas.” “A great ascetic went to where Nigantha Natta- putta was sittiag.”’ (9) Page 456 Abhaya Raja Kumar Sutta (M.N. 3-1-8). INTRODUCTION Vv ‘“ Abhayarajakumara went to where Nigantha Nattaputta was sitting.” (10) Page 459. Samanja phala sutta (M.N. 1-1-2). “Some one said Nigantha Nattaputta.” (11) Page 481. Samagamasutta (M.N. 3-1-4). Once Goutama Buddha was touring in Sakya country, then Nigantha Nattaputta (Jain Tirthankara Mahavira) had his Nirvana at Pava. Note. According to “ Buddha Charya” (505 V. S.—428). Goutama was then 77 years of age. His full age was 80. (12) Page 520. Mahaparinibbana sutta (D.N. 2-3 “The famous dignified Tirthankara Nigantha (13) Majjhim Nikaya Chula Saropam Sutta 30. “Sa at draa aan aren afaat aorattar aaaateaa erat anata aguaea azaeag fara aagat:. ” “Ve ime bho Gotama samana brahmana sangino gana chariya jndtad yasassino titthakar sadhu sammata- bahujanassa seyyathidam nigantha nathputto.” “OQ Goutama, those who have an assembly of saints and Brahmans, leader of assembly, knowing, famous, well honoured by many people, just >as Nigantha Nathaputta.”’ (14) Digha Nikaya III 29 Basadika Suttanta. Vi INTRODUCTION “Eka samayam Bhagava sakkesu viharati—tena kho pana samayena Nigantha Nathputta pavayam adhana kala kato hoti............. es “Once Lord Goutama was touring in Sakya country, then Nirgrantha Nathputta breathed his last at Pave o:..--. Tae (15) Majjhim Nikaya mahasachchikasutta 36. ““Sachchaka Nigganthaputto-mahavanam upasan- kami. ‘“ Nigantha natha puttam vaden.” ‘‘ Sachchka, the follower of Nirgrantha went to the 99 great forest. Nuirgrantha nathaputra by discussion...... From the above quotations it also appears that at the time of Goutama Buddha the followers of Nirgrantha were prevalent from a very long time and that Lord Mahavira was recognized as Tirthankara and Omniscient. Just at the present time we see in India Digambar and Svetambara Jains following their religious duties side by side, but with rivalry, in the same way the Jains and Buddhists were living side by side, but with rivalry in the olden days. From “ Buddha Charya”’ page 577 it appears that Mahendra, son of Asoka went to Ceylon in V.S. 190, when 236 years had passed after the Nirvana of Gotama. It is als6 known that either Jainism was prevalent in Ceylon, before this time or the preachers of Jainism must have gone to Ceylon along with Mahendra. INTRODUCTION Vil The Buddhistic Book Maha-Vansa says that there were Nirgranthas at Anuradhapura in Ceylon. A Buddhist king was displeased with them and turned them away and in their religious place he. con- structed a Buddha temple. The Pali words are :— Mahavansa chapter 33. “ar faat a aat ara cxatara carga ara qatad fara fiitarat vara aera dieaiia wactaa, gata aan fasaa waca ert aearATe- eq rag Graiaat Sh FAS Sea BA Tat ARIE AAT faataaa 4 sae aetaa: Maras aea gta “Va stto va sadd dst eka visati rajasutam dis vana palayantam Nigantho Girindmako palayati maha- kala sihaloti bhasam ravi tam sutana maharaja siddhe- mama mano ratha Viharam ettha karessam ichchevam chintaitada Ddathikam damalam hattva sayam rajjam akdrai tato nigganthiramam tam viddhansetva mahi patih vihara karat tassa doa dasa pariveni kam.” “The 21st Raja was living (at Anuradhapura) a Nirgrantha (Jain whether saint or layman) seeing him fleeing away said loudly that Maha Kala Sinhala was fleeing. Hearing this, Maharaja Sinhala resolved in his mind that when his object would be fulfilled, then he would construct a temple here. He killed Ddthika Damila and ascended the throne himself> then he des- troyed the shrine of Nirgranthas and constructed (Buddha) temple with twelve pravinas.”’ Vill INTRODUCTION Note. This is said to have occured about 2 cen- turies B.C. The above statement shows that there were Jains along with the Buddhists in Ceylon, but they were not in good terms. On reading this book it will be known that whatever philosophy is described in the old Pali books has been explained in details in the Jain Scrip- tures. On consulting the Jain literature, the glory of the Buddhist Scriptures can be realised better. The present-day scholars also maintain that old Buddhism was somewhat different from the present Buddhism. Some of their statements are given below:— I. Sacred Books of the East Vol. XI (1881). Translation by W. Rhys Davids from Pali edited by Max Muller :— Intro. Page XXI. “It will be acknowledged that the suttas have preserved for us at least the belief of the earliest Buddhists—the Buddhists of India—as to what the original doctrines taught by the Buddha himself, had been.” Page XXII. “The first record we have of the Buddhist Scriptures being reduced into writing is the well-known passage in Dipa Vansa, which speaks of their being recorded in books in Ceylon towards the beginning of the first century before the commencement of our era.” The date of Dipavansa may be placed about the 4th century A.D.” Buddhism of the Pali Pitakas is not only a different thing from Buddhism as hither-to commonly received, but is antagonistic to it. : INTRODUCTION 1X Page XXXIV. No record of his actual words could have been preserved. It is quite evident that the speeches placed in the Teacher’s mouth, though formu- lated in the first person, in direct narrative, are only intended to be summaries, and very short summaries, of what was said on these occasions.” II. ‘ The Doctrine of the Buddha” by George Grimm. Preface page XVI. ‘‘ The fixing of the Tipitaka in writing followed only a few decades before the beginning of our era under King Vattagamini in Ceylon, to which island the Canon had been brought by Mahinda, the son of King Asoka. This definite fixing of the Pali Canon took place about 400 years after the Buddha’s death.” The present work sets forth the original genuine teaching of the Buddha. Ill. The life of the Buddha by Edward J. Thomas, M.A., (1927). 7 , Intro—Page XVIII. *‘ As the authoritative teaching represented by the dogmatic utterances and discourses of the Founder were not recorded in writing, but were memorised by each school, differences inevitably began to appear.”’ Page XXII. ‘“‘ They (the Pali Chronicles of Ceylon) are corroborated in their main out-lines by the Puranic and Jain traditions. The chronological relations with ‘general history have been determined by the discovery of Sir William Jones that the Candagutta’ (Candragupta) of the Chronicles and Puranas is the Sandrocottos of Strabo and Justin, the Indian King who about 303 B.C. B x INTRODUCTION made a treaty with Seleucus Nicator and at whose court Megasthenes resided for some years as ambassador.” Page 204. ‘‘ They all agree in holding that the primitive teaching must have been something different from what the earliest Scriptures and commentators thought it was.” If the philosophies of the Jains and the old Bud- dhists were the same with only difference in some external conduct of monks, especially in this that Nirgran- tha saints were naked and the Buddhist monks wore clothes, then it is to be found out whether Mahavira began his preaching or not when Goutam Buddha left home and followed external conduct of a Digambar Jain Saint for some time. Whether Lord Mahavira had commenced _ his preaching or not it is certain that knowledge of Jainism was prevalent before Lord Mahavira began his sermon. Buddha Charya P. 481 Samagama Sutta (M. N. 3-1-4) says “When Goutama Buddha was 77 years of age Mahavira attained Nirvana in his age of 72. It is evident from the Jain Scriptures that Maha- vira did not begin his preaching before his age of 42. He preached during his last 30 years. It means that when Goutama Buddha was of 47 years of age, Maha vira’s teachings were commenced. Goutama Buddha left home in his age of 29 and began his preaching after 6 years t.e., at the age of 35. It proves that the: Preaching of* Mahavira began 12 years after the commencement of the preaching of Goutama Buddha. Then whatever conduct of Digambar Jain Saints was INTRODUCTION xl prevalent in India at the time when Goutama left home at 29 and began preaching at 35, was due to the teach- ing of some one previous to Mahavira. The Jaina Saint Dévasena writes in his Darsanasara that Goutama Buddha became the disciple of Pihitasrava Jain saint, who was in the line of Lord Parsva Nath, the 23rd Tirthankara of the Jains. This proves that Parsvanath flourished before Mahavira. The period of 250 years is the interval time between the Nirvana of Parsva and that of Mahavira. When Mahavira was born, Parsva had attained nirvana only 178 years before. As yet the name of Parsva has not been found in many inscriptions or historical records; therefore he may not be taken as a historical great man; but it is perfectly proved that Jainism or the old Buddhism was prevalent before Lord Mahavira and Goutama Buddha began their teachings. In my opinion there is not any difference between Jainism and Buddhism. Whether we speak of Jainism or Buddhism before Gautama Buddha we speak of one and the same thing. Gautama Buddha made easy the external conduct of the monks only. He maintained the same philosophy which was prevalent in Jainism or old Buddhism. This fact will be known to the readers if they study these books carefully.