Difference between gautama buddha and mahavira biography

There are many similarities between the life of Mahavira and the Buddha.

• Both were born in the northeast of the Indian subcontinent in the 6th Century BC.
• They both were born to royal families living an early life of material comfort.
• They both married and a had a child.
• In their 20s, they both renounced worldly possessions and left their families and kingdoms to pursue spiritual enlightenment as ascetics.
• After a period of intense spiritual discipline and asceticism, both attained spiritual liberation and after began to teach and preach on a practical spirituality which emphasised a path to spiritual liberation.
• There were many similarities in their teachings – ending caste distinctions, teaching ahimsa, meditation, reincarnation and compassion to living beings.
• They both spoke in the common language and taught in simple parables, downplaying Sanskrit texts.
• They are both pictured sitting in the lotus posture.
• Both overcame religious convention to accept women as disciples and initiate them into a new monastic order for women.
• Both teachers experienced hostility from those who wished to injure them because they were jealous of their spiritual popularity.
• Both died in their 70s, leaving behind disciples to continue their religion.

Differences between Jainism and Buddhism

Despite many similarities between Jainism and Buddhism, there are also important differences betwen the life of Mahavira and the Buddha and as a consquence difference between Jainism and Buddhism.

• The Jains place greater emphasis on the concept of the soul and its importance.
• Jains are more strict in their observance of ahimsa
• Jains place greater importance on the existence of God, whilst
• Buddhist place greater emphasis on personal liberation and often don’t mention God.
• After a long fast, where the Buddha became emaciated, he forsook the path of extremes but advocated the middle path of avoiding either extremes. Mahavira veered towards the advocation of austeri

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Indian religions

Buddhism and Jainism are two Indian religions that developed in Magadha (Bihar) and continue to thrive in the modern age. Gautam Buddha and Mahavira are generally accepted as contemporaries.Jainism and Buddhism share many features, terminology and ethical principles, but emphasize them differently. Both are śramaṇaascetic traditions that believe it is possible to attain liberation from the cycle of rebirths and deaths (samsara) through spiritual and ethical disciplines. They differ in some core doctrines such as those on asceticism, Middle Way versus Anekantavada, and self versus non-self (jiva, atta, anatta).

History

Jainism is an ancient religion whose own historiography centres on its 24 guides or Tirthankaras. Of the 24, the last two tirthankaras – are generally accepted as historical persons, with the 23rd Tirthankara pre-dating the Buddha and the Mahavira by probably some 250 years. Buddhists believe Gautama Buddha, the historical buddha, rediscovered the long forgotten dharma around the 5th century BCE, and began to teach it again. In Buddhism there were previous buddhas, too, 24 in total as described in the Buddhavamsa, the 14th book of the Khuddaka Nikāya. Buddhists also believe that Gautama Buddha had many previous rebirths as described in the Jataka Tales.

Buddhist scriptures record that during Prince Siddhartha's ascetic life (before attaining enlightenment) he undertook many fasts, penances and austerities, the descriptions of which are elsewhere found only in the Jain tradition. In the Majjhima Nikaya, the Buddha shares his experience:

Thus far, Sāriputta, did I go in my penance? I went without clothes. I licked the food from my hands. I took no food that was brought or meant especially for me. I accepted no invi

Sometimes the mendicant life of Lord Mahavira and the Buddha brought them into the same vicinity. On at least three occasions, they were preaching in the same village at the same time, but destiny did not allow them to meet personally.

Because of their tremendous respect for each other, Lord Mahavira and Lord Buddha were both interested in each other's philosophies. They used intermediaries to send and receive messages from one to another.

There are more than sixty references to Lord Mahavira in Buddhist literature. This has added considerably to our knowledge of Mahavira's life.

Now, thousands of years after these two immortal spiritual lions lived on earth, their light has spread in different ways. Buddhism is found mostly outside India, in Sri Lanka, Thailand, Japan, Cambodia, Myanmar and other places. But Jainism is found only within our Indian subcontinent.

We can say that Buddhism has gone out of India to spread India's lofty message of spirituality, whereas, Jainism has remained within the boundaries of India to proclaim India's spirituality.