Jainism in Buddhist Literature

Author(s): Bhagchandra Jain Bhaskar
Publisher: Alok Prakashan

Page 97

( 78 )
Now the king had five counsellors who advised him on temporal and spiritual matters. One of them denied the existeace of cause ( karma ). Another believed everything was the act of a Supreme Being. A third professed the doctrine of previous actions. A fourth believed in annihilation at death. A filth held the Ksatriya doctrine. He who denied the cause taught the people that existence in this world was purified by rebirth. He who believed in the action of Supreme Being taught that the world was created by him. He who believed in the consequences of previous acts taught that sorrow or joy that befalls man here is the result of some previous action. The believer in annihilation taught no one passed hence to another world, but that this world is annihilated. He who professed the ksatriya creed taught that one's own interest is to be desired even as the cost of killing one's parents. These men were appointed to sit in judgement in the king's court and being greedy of bribes they dispossessed the rightful owner of property.
Out of these, the thurd counsellor seems to have represented the thoughts of Nigantha Nataputta who preached that all things happened in life are due to the previous karmas, Such previous karmic matter, though present, begin to operate only when they become mature and then they produce corresponding psychic states through which they bind the self71.
The Bodhisattva of the Mahabodhi Jataka critcised this theory along with other theories belonging to the five counse. llors of the king. It is said there that while he accepted the offer of the king to be judge of his court, he became very popular within a short period. The five counsellors got angry with him and tried to convince the king that the Bodhisattva was sceking sovercignty. Hence the king diminished the honours paid to him and made plans to slay him. The Bodhisattva came to know all these things and went again towards the Himālaya,
The five counsellors in order to prevent him from coming again in the city publicised that the Bodhisattva with