Overview for A Comparative Study of Jainism and Buddhism
Jainism is older than Buddhism. Vardhaman Mahavira, the last Tirthankara of the Jainas was the contemporary of Gautam Buddha. The sects organised by the two leaders flourished for centuries together, before the after the Christian era. Although there were differences in the conduct of their monks in as much as the Jaina saints remained naked and the Buddhist monks wore cloths, there were closer resemblances between the two. This book on Jaino-Buddhist religion places stress on the common factors on the religious life of the Jaina and Buddhists. On comparing the literature of both, the writer has come to the conclusion that coming in close association each sect has either borrowed from the other or both have derived material from common source. The work is an analytical account of Jainism and Buddhism. It is full of references. The author has exploited all the relevant material in discussing the subject. He has tried to show similarities between old Jainism and old Buddhism and prove that both were one and same at their base; that the old Buddhism was nothing but old Jainism and that Gautama Buddha must have preached the same philosophy that was preached by old Jainism. He has shown that the nature of Nirvana and its path as found in Buddhist Pali books are not different from the nature of Nirvana and its path as given in old Jaina works. He has also thrown light on their concept of Karma and Ahimsa and shown reasons why the two sects are so alike. As no records of factual words of the teachers of both these sects are preserved and the speeches placed in their mouths are only the summaries of what they had said, he has attempted to collaborate the oldest records in the main outlines by the Pauranic tradition and other sources. He has tried to trace the influences of these sects upon Jewish and Christian religions also.
Sital Prasad (Author)
No info for this author
Bagchee
