[Advaita-l] Jainism and Buddhism.

[srikanta]

Dear sunil Bhattacharya,
So you are bent on knowing history from me!.Jainism historically preceded
Budhism.The 24 th Tithankara Vardhamana Mahavira was born was born before
500BC which has been estimated by the Historians roughly as the birthdate
of Gautama,the Buddha.Though Mahavira was born in Vaishali,and Buddha was
born in Lumbini,now in Nepal,some of the places in and around Bihar was
the places frequented by the two great saints.Vaishali,Rajagruha,Kushinara
are some of the places mentioned in books of both Jainism and
Buddhism.These two greats must have had only a century or few decades
separated between them.Before Mahavira there had been many
tirthankaras,starting from Vrushabhadeva.I read from a book on Jainism
that Vrushabhadeva and Shiva in Hinduism had many things
common.Vrushabhadeva had three eyes much like Shiva,he rided a Vrshabha,a
bull,like Shiva.Buddhism also believes that there had been many Buddhas
before Gautama,the Buddha.They hold that the future Budha is Maitreya.

Regards,                                                  N.Srikanta.