Lord Mahavira and His Times

SR No.: 011080
Original Sutra Author: N/A
Author: Kailashchandra Jain
Publisher: Motilal Banarasidas
Publication Year: 1974
Total Pages: 427
Language: English
Classification: Book_English
File Size: 20 MB

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Lord Mahāvīra and His Times
that Kachchāyana never used to touch cold water. He never even crossed a river or a marshy pathway, lest he should transgress his vow.
THE DOCTRINE OF SEVEN CATEGORIES
In the Buddhist Sāmañña-phala-sutta,2 Kachchāyana's philosophy is described as the doctrine of seven categories (Satta-kāya-vāda). He has been represented as saying : "The following seven things are neither made nor commanded to be made, neither created nor caused to be created; they are barren (so that nothing is produced out of them), steadfast as a mountain peak, as a pillar firmly fixed. They move not, neither do they vary; they trench not one upon another, nor avail aught as to ease (pleasure) or pain or both. And what are the seven ? The four elements--earth, water, fire and airm, and ease (pleasure) and pain, and the soul as a seventh. So there is neither slayer nor causer of slaying, hearer or speaker, knower or explainer, when one with sharp sword cleaves a head in twain, no one thereby deprives any one of life, a sword has only penetrated into the interval between seven elementary substances." Kāchchāyana accepted seven elementary substances as permanent and eternal, neither created nor caused to be created. This Sattakāyavāda furnishes an instance of what the Buddhists called Sassatavāda. Its plurality of substances recalls Vaiseshika; its denial of interaction between soul and matter as well as the aloofness of the soul from Sukha and Dukha recalls Sankhya. THE DOCTRINE OF SOUL AS A SIXTH CATEGORY (ĀTMA-SHASHȚHAVĀDA)
The Satrakṣitānga4 presents the system of six categories omitting pleasure and pain, adding ether or space in their place. Sīlānka named it 'the doctrine of soul as a sixth category (atma-shashtha-vāda) which somehow resembles the doct1. Sumangala-Vilāsini, I, p. 141. 2. Digha, 1, p. 57. 3. Dia, 1, p. 74. 4. Sūtra, I, 1. 1. 15-16.