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That there was jainism before the preaching of Buddha was commenced, will be known from some of the opinions of the scholars, given below :— ‘ P. 25. I. The life of the Buddha by E. J. Thomas (1927). KII INTRODUCTION Intro. P. XIV. ‘There were gymnosophists or naked saints in India, but they were not Buddhists.” II. Ancient India as described by Magasthenes and Arrian (1887). Page 104. ‘‘ Philosophy, then with all its blessed advantages to man, flourished long also among the Indians, the gymnosophists.”’ P. 105. Sarmanes called Germanes by Strabo and Sumarians by Parphyrius, are the ascetics of a different religion, and may have belonged to the sect of the Jains or to another. Page 115. When Alexander arrived at Taxila, and saw the Indian gymnosophists (Jain Munis), a desire seized him to have one of these men brought into his presence. The oldest of these sophists with whom the others lived as disciples with a master Daulanus by name, not only refused to go himself, but prevented the others going. He is said to have won over Kalanus one of the sophists of the place. P. 122. Socrates speaks of the soul as at present confined in the body as in species of prison. This was the doctrine of Pythogoras, even in its most striking peculiarities, bears such a close resemblance to the Indians as greatly to favour the supposition that it was directly borrowed from it. There was even a tradition that Pythogoras had visited India. III. Science of Comparative religions by Major General J.G.R. Forlong, F.R.S.&., F/R.A.S.M.A.I. etc. (1877). INTRODUCTION ; Xili This book shows that Jainism and old Buddhism Were one and the same religion, and that this religion was prevalent in India and outside of India from a very, very long time and that its influence was impressed upon the Jewish religion and Christianity also. Intro. P. XIV. “The selection of these Short Studies has enabled us to virtually embrace and epito- mize all the faiths and religious ideas of the world, as well as, to lay bare the deep-seated tap root from which they sprang, viz., the crude yatism, jati or asceticism of thoughtful Jatis or Jinas, who in man’s earliest ages have in all lands separated themselves from the world and dwelt from pious motives in lone forests and mountain caves.”’ Intro. P. XIX. “It is clear also that the Gotama of early Tibetans, Mongols and Chinese must have been a Jaina; for the latter say he lived in the 10th and 11th centuries B.C. Tibetans say he was born in 916, became a Buddha in 881, preached from his 35th year and died in 831 B.C. dates which closely correspond with those of the saintly Parsva.” Page 2, “Through what historical channels did Buddhism influence early Christianity ?. We must widen the inquiry by making it embrace Jainism—the undoubt- edly prior faith of very many millions through untold millenniums—though one little known in Europe except to the few.” ° Page 20. “ So slight seemed to Asoka the difference between Jains and Buddhists that he did not think it XIV INTRODUCTION necessary to make a public profession of Buddhism till about his 12th regnal year (247 B.C.) ; so that nearly if not all his Rock inscriptions are really those of a Jaina Sovereign.” P. 29. From Aini-akbari of Abul Fazl it is clear that Asoka supported Jainism in Kashmir, when Viceroy of Ujjain about 260 B.C., as had his father Bindusara and grand-father Chandragupta throughout the Magadha Empire. Buddhism was apparently for about a century after Gotama’s death thought, by all who did not trouble themselves with details to be a mere form of Jainism. Among and beyond these millions, Asoka laboured assiduously to propagate his mild and kindly Jainism, especially concerning the sacredness of all life, as well as peace, charity, and universal brother-hood. In all his rock-inscriptions he designates himself by the favourite Jaina title “‘ Deva nam piya,” the Beloved of God ? ‘This then was the theory and practice of the great Jaino-Buddhist religion which flourished in India many centuries before and after the teaching of Gotama Sakya DAM Gic'sics os. It was certainly long prior to Parsva and Mahavifa....i.ici.. Whilst India was certainly the fruitful centre of religion from the 7th century B.C., yet Trans Himalaya, Oxiana, Baktria, and Kaspiana seem to have still earlier developed similar religious views and practices; and Indian Jains and Buddhists claim and almost historically show, that about a score of their saintly leaders perambulated the Eastern World long prior to the 7th Century B.C. We may reasonably believe that Jaino-Buddhism was very anciently preached by INTRODUCTION XV them from China to the Kaspian...... It existed in Oxiana and north of the Himalayas 2000 years before Mahavira. Page 32. In these moves, we see how Baktrian faiths passed West and how in the 7th and 6th centuries B.C. or earlier, Nalmoxis and Pythogoras were preach- ing and teaching like the Butha gurus of Jains and Buddhists. Strabo says “ They were a Thrakian sect who lived without wives. Their brethren the Masi religiously abstained from eating anything that had life.” Homer, of the 7th century B.C. or earlier, called them,”’ most just men...... livers on milk...... devoid of desire for riches. John the Baptist, Jesus and their disciples are common examples of Essenik life in Asia. Josephus says the Essenik brethren like the ancient Dacae neither married, drank wine, nor kept servants, living apart. They offer no sacrifices and teach the immortality of the soul as do Jains. P. 35. He (Zalmoxis) taught more than the Jaina doctrine of the immortality of the soul. P. 36. “He taught the Indian doctrines of........ transmigration etc.......... and considered no animal should be injured—all having souls like men.”’ P. 40. “The Savans of Alexander found Jaino- Buddhism strongly in the ascendant throughout Baktria, Oxiana and all the Passes to and from Afghanistan and India.” ° P. 46. Aristotle saying (about 330 B.C.) that “the Jews of Czle-Syria were Indian philosophers called XVI INTRODUCTION in the East Calani and /kshvaku or sugar-cane people and only Jews, because they lived in Judea. These Jews (evidently Essenes) derived from Indian philoso- pbhers wonderful fortitude in life, diet and continence. They were, in fact Jaina-Bodhists, whom the great Greek confounded with Syrians. Page 67-202-193 B.C. Rise of Chinese Han dynasty, béfore which say compilers of Sui dynasty of about 600 A.C. Buddhism was unknown in China, so that all prior to 200 B.C. was Jain-Bodhism. From the above statements also the readers will know that the philosophy of the Jains and Buddhas is the same and that this Jain-Buddhist religion was prevalent in the world many thousand years before Christ and that the Jewish and the Christian religions were also influenced by it. Both Jainism and Buddhism flourished side by side in many places. There are many old places in India which have old relics of both the religions. Let me enumerate a few. (1) Sarnath (Benares). It is the birth place of 11th Jain Tirthankar Sri Sreyamnsa Nath. Still there is a Jain temple and Dharmsala. Jains visit this as a place of pilgrimage. Just opposite to the Jain temple there is an old Buddhist stupa. This is the place where Gautama Buddha preached his first sermon of middle path. On excavations along with many Buddhist images, Jain idols are also found; which are kept outside the museum. (2) Rajagraha (Bihar). Here are five mountains on which there are Jain temples. Here the Buddhists INTRODUCTION XVil also visit and generally they pay respect to the Jain images. (3) Sravasti or Saheth Maheth (Gonda U.P. in Balrampur State). This is the birth place of Sambhava Nath the third Tirthankara of the Jains. Some Jain images were found here. They are kept in the Lucknow Museum. This is the chief religious place of the Buddhists also. (4) Ndstk (Bombay P.) Pandulena Caves. Here are many Buddhist caves with images and stupas. There is also a Jain cave with Jain images. (5) Ellora caves (near Aurangabad, Hyderabad, Nizam state). Here are many caves of the Buddhists and the Jains side by side with their own images. (6) Taxila (Rawalpindi). Here are many Buddha stupas and images. Some sites are found out which appear to belong to the Jain temples. Vide Guide to Taxila by Sir John Marshall (1921). Page 7. At Jandial a little to the north of Kachcha Kota are two conspicuous mounds, on one of which is a spacious temple dedicated, there is good reason to believe, to fire worship, and a little beyond these again, are the remains of two smaller stupas which may have been either Jain or Buddhist probably the former. P. 68. Sircap city—Among these buildings is a spacious apsidal temple of Buddhist and several smaller shrines belong either to Jain or to Buddhist. P. 74. In several houses, is a stupa shrine occupy- ing in each case a court which opens with the high C XVlil INTRODUCTION : street. The best preserved of these shrines are to be seen in blocks G and F—both probably of Jain origin. The reason for regarding these stupas as of Jain rather than Buddhist origin is that they closely resemble certain Jain stupas depicted in reliefs from Mathura. As far as the old literature of Jainism and Buddhism will be comparatively and minutely studied, so far there would appear similarity in their root principles. I could not read Svetambara Jain literature which is in Prakrit. I have compared Buddhism only with what is known from Digambar Jain literature. If any scholar will take up the task of comparing Buddhism with what is given in the Svetambara Jain literature there will appear a special glory of their similarity.