Buddha’s first sermon at Sarnath is called Dhammachakra Pravartana (Turning the Wheel of Law).

Mahavira practiced extreme asceticism and attained Kevalajnana (omniscience) at age 42.

Both religions used Prakrit languages (Pali for Buddhism, Ardhamagadhi for Jainism) instead of Sanskrit to reach common people.

Jain monks are divided into Digambaras (sky-clad/nude) and Shvetambaras (white-clad).

Ashoka sent his son Mahinda and daughter Sanghamitta to Sri Lanka to spread Buddhism.

Chandragupta Maurya spent his last years as a Jain monk at Shravanabelagola (Karnataka), practicing Sallekhana (fasting unto death).

Buddha was born under a Sal tree in Lumbini grove.

Queen Maya Devi died seven days after his birth; Buddha was raised by his maternal aunt Mahaprajapati Gautami (who later became the first Buddhist nun).

He meditated under the Bodhi tree at Bodh Gaya for 49 days before enlightenment.

The symbol of the wheel (Dharmachakra) represents his first sermon at Sarnath.

Buddha never claimed divinity; he called himself the ‘Tathagata’ (one who has thus gone or attained the truth) and emphasized the human potential for enlightenment.

The Panchamahakalyan events are depicted on Buddhist stupas like Sanchi and Bharhut.

Lumbini, Bodh Gaya, Sarnath, and Kushinagar are called the ‘Four Great Pilgrimage Sites’.

Samkashya (Sankisa) is less known but equally sacred for the descent miracle.

Shravasti is where Buddha is said to have performed the ‘Twin Miracle’ showing fire and water simultaneously.

Emperor Ashoka visited all the Asta Mahasthanas and built stupas at these sites.

Buddhism was the first Indian religion to spread internationally.

Ashoka sent missionaries not only to Asia but also to Greece and Egypt.

Nalanda and Vikramshila universities became global centres of Buddhist learning.

Chinese pilgrims Faxian and Xuanzang preserved much of Indian Buddhist history.

Theravada Buddhism dominates in Sri Lanka & SE Asia, while Mahayana spread to China, Korea, Japan, Tibet.

Buddha avoided metaphysical questions (like existence of God) and focused on practical ethics.

The word ‘Nirvana’ literally means ‘blowing out’ of desire and ignorance.

First Council preserved teachings orally; writing of scriptures happened much later in Sri Lanka.

Kanishka’s Fourth Council gave rise to Mahayana Buddhism.

Ashoka’s missionaries spread Buddhism as far as Sri Lanka, Central Asia, and Greece.

Theravada (Hinayana) is the only surviving Hinayana sect today, dominant in Sri Lanka & SE Asia.

Mahayana introduced celestial Buddhas like Amitabha and Bodhisattvas like Avalokiteshvara.

Vajrayana Buddhism incorporates Hindu Tantric elements like mantras and mandalas.

Nagarjuna’s Madhyamaka is considered the philosophical backbone of Mahayana.

Yogachara’s ‘mind-only’ theory inspired deep meditation practices in Tibet and Zen in Japan.

Avalokiteshvara transformed into female form (Guanyin) in China.

Maitreya is still awaited as the 'future Buddha'.

Ashoka’s missions are recorded in his rock edicts.

Bamiyan Buddhas (destroyed in 2001) were key symbols of Buddhism in Central Asia.

Xuanzang’s records from India are major historical sources for Buddhism.

Milinda Panha records a dialogue between Greek King Menander and monk Nagasena.

Jataka tales later influenced Panchatantra and Indian folklore.

Nalanda University once housed 10,000 monks and vast Buddhist manuscripts.

Buddhism declined in India but flourished in Sri Lanka, Tibet, East Asia.

Buddha declared as the 9th avatar of Vishnu helped absorb Buddhism into Hinduism.

Rishabhanatha (Adinatha) is considered the first Tirthankara and is mentioned in Rigveda traditions.

Parshvanatha (23rd) preached 4 vows; Mahavira (24th) added the 5th (Brahmacharya).

Mallinatha (19th) is believed to be female by Shvetambaras, male by Digambaras.

The life of a Tirthankara is ritually reenacted during consecration ceremonies (Pancha Kalyanaka Pratishtha).

Mahavira was called 'Nirgrantha' (without bonds).

He preached in Ardhamagadhi Prakrit, accessible to common people.

Mahavira’s Nirvana at Pawapuri is commemorated as 'Diwali' in Jain tradition.

Parshvanatha (23rd Tirthankara) taught 4 vows; Mahavira added 5th vow (celibacy).

Jainism does not believe in a creator god but stresses on eternal souls (jiva).

Jains are among the strictest practitioners of Ahimsa; many cover their mouths to avoid harming insects.

Syadvada’s seven-fold logic is unique to Jain philosophy.

Mallinatha (19th Tirthankara) is a point of debate between Digambaras and Shvetambaras.

Sthanakavasi and Terapanthi sects reject idol worship, unlike mainstream Digambara & Shvetambara.

Umasvati’s Tattvarthasutra is the only Jain text accepted by both Digambaras and Shvetambaras.

The colossal statue of Bahubali at Shravanabelagola (built in 10th century CE) is the tallest monolithic statue in India.

Jains were influential in trade and banking in medieval Gujarat and Rajasthan.

Hemachandra, a Jain scholar, was an advisor to King Kumarapala of Gujarat (12th CE).

Jains produced some of the earliest Tamil epics like Silappadikaram.

The Gommateshwara Bahubali statue at Shravanabelagola (57 ft) is an iconic Jain monument.

Hemachandra, a Jain scholar, was instrumental in shaping the Gujarati language and grammar.

Jain merchants were among the biggest temple-builders in medieval India.

Both Jainism and Buddhism are part of the Shramana tradition, parallel to but distinct from Vedic Hinduism.

Both traditions use the lotus as a symbol of purity and detachment.

Jain Diwali commemorates Mahavira’s Nirvana, while for Hindus it marks Rama’s return to Ayodhya.

Buddha and Mahavira were contemporaries in the 6th century BCE, both from Kshatriya clans of eastern India.

Buddha and Mahavira were contemporaries (6th BCE) from Kshatriya clans in eastern India.

Buddhism spread outside India rapidly; Jainism remained more localized.

Jains strictly avoid root vegetables to prevent killing microorganisms, while Buddhists allow limited meat.

Both influenced Indian art, architecture, and ethics deeply.

Unlike Buddhism, Jainism never spread widely outside India, except small communities in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia.

Jain Diwali celebrates Mahavira’s Nirvana — a tradition that continues despite overall decline.

Merchant guilds played a key role in Jainism’s survival during medieval India.

Some of the world’s most beautiful temples (Dilwara, Ranakpur, Shravanabelagola) belong to Jainism, even after its decline.

The Gomateshwara statue at Shravanabelagola is bathed with milk, saffron, and gold coins every 12-14 years in a ceremony called the Mahamastakabhisheka.

The Dilwara Temples were originally built between the 11th and 16th centuries.

Jain architecture often features small, tightly clustered temples on hilltops (like Palitana) to symbolize the path to liberation.