Tribes in Ancient India c50.385

c50.385

Nālandā was often visited by the Buddha.⁴ Mahākassapa, who was at first a follower of a heretical teacher, met the Buddha for the first time while he was seated on the road between Rājagṛha and Nālandā. He declared himself a follower of the Buddha.⁵ The Majjhima Nikāya tells us that once Nigaṇṭha Nātaputta was at Nālandā with a large retinue of his followers. A Jaina named Dīghatapassī went to the Buddha, who was in the Pāvārika ambavana at Nālandā, and the Buddha converted many of Mahāvīra’s followers.⁶ In the Jaina Sūtras we read that there was at Nālandā a householder named Lepa who was rich and prosperous. Lepa had a beautiful bathing hall containing many hundreds of pillars. There was a park called Hastiyāma. Once Gautama Buddha lived at Nālandā. He had a discussion with Udaka, a nigaṇṭha and follower of Pārśva, who failed to accept Gautama’s views as to the effect of karma.⁷ It was at Nālandā that Mahāvīra spent the second year of his asceticism, and here, too, that he found many rich supporters. The Kalpa-sūtra (p. 122) informs us that Mahāvīra spent as many as fourteen rainy seasons at Rājagṛha and Nālandā.