Jainism, Mahavira, Buddha and Nirvana

Summary

Prof. N. M. Kansara traces the origins and evolution of Jainism and compares it with Buddhism to illuminate the concept of nirvāṇa. He begins by emphasising that Jainism is an ancient religion, traditionally traced to the age of the first Tīrthaṅkara Ṛṣabhadeva and preserved through a succession of twenty‑three other arhats, culminating with Vardhamāna Mahāvīra. The Jain tradition teaches the ‘Science of Salvation’ and views Tīrthaṅkaras as pathfinders who instruct disciples known as Gaṇadharas to preserve and transmit the doctrine. Kansara notes that Mahāvīra lived in the fifth century BCE and was a contemporary of the Buddha; both spiritual leaders were reformers who criticised ritualism and emphasised ethical conduct. The essay outlines Mahāvīra’s life as a prince who renounced worldly pleasures, practised austerities, attained omniscience and taught for thirty years. It then discusses the Buddhist depiction of the Buddha as a ksatriya prince who similarly left his family to seek enlightenment. Kansara highlights the commonalities between Jain and Buddhist teachings—such as an emphasis on self‑effort, non‑violence and ethical discipline—while explaining key differences in doctrine. Jainism posits the existence of eternal souls (jīvas) bound by karma and liberated through strict asceticism, whereas Buddhism is generally non‑theistic and denies a permanent self. The author compares the concept of nirvāṇa in both systems, observing that both traditions use the term to refer to liberation from the cycle of birth and death but interpret it differently: in Jainism nirvāṇa is a state of the perfected soul freed from karmic bondage, while in Buddhism it is sometimes portrayed as the cessation of suffering and desires. Kansara also notes that Mahāvīra is sometimes called Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta by the Buddhists because he belonged to the Jñātṛ clan. He concludes that despite doctrinal differences the two traditions share ethical foundations and have influenced one another through centuries of coexistence.