Early Monastic Buddhism v1.c14.s2.t2.6

v1.c14.s2.t2.6

There was at Kāḷasilā on the side of Isigili mountain in Rājagaha a large number of Jaina ascetics who were undergoing severe self-mortifications to eradicate their past sins and to attain mukti. Buddha failed to convince them of the inefficacies of such mortifications and of their faith being based on wrong views.¹ But this was not the case with Upāligahapati and Abhayarājakumāra.² Upāli was convinced that Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta was wrong in putting more stress on kāyakamma (= daṇḍa) than on manokamma while Abhayarājakumāra failed to establish that Buddha was lacking in anukampā (compassion) by citing the instance of Devadatta. Both became lay-devotees of Buddha. Dīghatapassī, the Jaina monk, though convinced like Upāli, did not change his faith.³ Asibandhakaputta, a gāmaṇi, was also convinced of Buddha’s viewpoint that killing, stealing and such other crimes do not always lead the sinners to hell as Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta teaches and that these sins can be counteracted by repentance and knowledge.⁴ A few other converts were made from among the followers of Nigaṇṭha Nāṭaputta at Vesālī and Kapilavatthu.⁵