An ancient Jain attempt to assimilate the Buddha

Having read this discussion, I find the history of it all to be awe inspiring.

The 5th Century BCE. must have been an unbelievable time in India. I have to wonder if I am more privileged to view that time from the 21st century or, perhaps, if living at that time might have been just as incredible.

As someone who feels comfortable with his readings of the Buddhist Tripitaka and currently has a fairly good meditation routine - I wonder this:

Is it a good decision to invest my time in reading Jain texts? With my affiliation to Buddhism being very strong I wonder what a new comer to Jain knowledge could gain by delving into their texts.

Obviously, this bit of text suggested by the OP is *extremely * tantalizing from a historical perspective. Does a reading of Jain texts offer other interesting insights into the contemporary world of the Buddha?