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Goshala attained Ashtanga Nimita
THE ATTAINMENT OF ASHTANGA-NIMITTA
BY GOSHALA One day, some disciples in the succession of Lord Parshvanatha met Goshala. They were very proficient in the knowledge of Ashtanga-Nimitta, i. e. prognostication. Goshala remained with them for some time and consequently an intimacy grew between them. Goshala wanted to obtain the knowledge of "Ashtanga-Nimitta" from them, and hence he talked to them on this point one day. The hermits thinking him to be a fit man agreed to give him that knowledge. Goshala learnt it from them, and was thus the possesser of two spiritual powers: Tejoleshya and the knowledge of Ashtanga-Nimitta. This made him very proud, and being puffed up with his knowledge he began to call himself Jineshvara, and roamed about under the same disguise and name. GOSHALA ESTABLISHES A RELIGIOUS
• COMMUNITY, NAMED AJIVIKA
After his separation from the Lord, Goshala had succeeded in obtaining two Siddhis ( miracelous powers ) and it was on the strength of these two Siddhis that he wanted to extend his field of activity thus to spread his fame throughout the world. He began to preach the principles of his own community which he styled as Ajivika, talked to the people on the questions of life and death, profit and loss, happiness and sorrow, and thus tried to win their hearts. The innocent public which was passing through a period of great distress at that time, found some relief in the teachings of Goshala. It was the time when people were expecting the birth of the twenty-fourth Tirthankara. From the condition
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