Jaina Philosophy Historical Outline

Author(s): Narendra Nath Bhattacharya
Publisher: Munshiram Manoharlal Publisher's Pvt Ltd New Delhi

Page 92

The Incipient Stage 71 different sources point to the fact that they contributed to a great extent to the growth of Ājīvikism. Pūraņa believed in the doctrine of non-causation, and that is why later authorities like Arya Sura wanted to characterise him as a Svabhāvavādin. The Sāmaññaphala Sutta regards him as a follower of the doctrine of non-action which is supported by Buddhaghoșa.In the Jain Sūyagada Pūraņa is mentioned as an Akriyavādin, and Sīlanka, the commentator on the Süyagada, finds in his doctrines some ingredients of the Sāmkhya. From the Buddhist texts we learn that according to Pūraña when one acts or causes others to act, it is not the soul that acts or causes others to act. The soul is nothing but a passive spectator. The social basis of this doctrine we have mentioned above, which also explains why Purana had to welcome an undesirable death.
În a passage of the Anguttara Nikāya,* Ananda ascribes part of Gośāla's doctrine to Pūraņa. This had led Prof. Basham to establish a common origin of the doctrines of these two great teachers and the results of his investigation are indeed significant. In the Samyutta Nikāyaḥ the names of Makkhali Gośāla and Pūraņa Kassapa are significantly combined. In the Anguttara passage mentioned above, Purana is said to have maintained the doctrine of six classes of men which also belonged to Gośäla. Besides, Prof. Basham has drawn our attention to two significant sources, the Jain Tamil poem Nilakeci and Gunaratna's Tarkarahasyadipikā. In the former, Pürama is clearly described as the leader of the Ājīvikas, who received Nilakeci and expounded his doctrines to her stating that Markali (Makkhali Gosala) was the lord of the Ajīvikas. This shows that the Tamil Ājivikas looked upon Pūraņa as a great leader and second only to Markali himself. Gunaratna in his Tarkarahasyadipikā refers to Pūraņa as the upholder of the doctrine of destiny which is characteristic of Ājivika philosophy. Buddhaghoşa, as we have mentioned above, insisted on the nakedness of Pūrana, which is also confirmed by the Divyāvadāna where he is described as a nirgrantha. According to Basham, Pūrana who maintained a fatalistic doctrine with tendencies to anti-nomianism came in contact with Makkhali Gośāla, a younger teacher with
1Jātakamālā Ed. Cowellä, pp. 148-49. * Şum. Vil., 1, p. 162. *Süya, I.I.I. 13. *III, pp. 383ff. "I. 66.