Jainism in Buddhist Literature

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

Page 99

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(i) There are certain recluses and the Brahmaņas who hold the view that "whatever happiness or misery or neutral feeling is experienced, all that is due to some previous action (yam kim cayam purisapuggalo patisam vedeti sukham va dukkham vā adukkhamasukhaṁ va sabbaṁ tam pubbekatahein 'ti )
(ii) all the pleasure and misery are due to a Supreme Deity (issaranimmänahetn ).
(iii) Others teach that all such pleasure and misery are uncaused and unconditioned (ahetu appaccaya).
Out of these three theories the first is undoubtedly related to the doctrine of Nigantha Nataputta. Criticising this view, the Buddha pointed out that owing to previous actions, men will become murderers, stealers, unchaste, liars, etc. For those who fall back on past deeds as the essential cause of present action, there is neither desire to do, nor effort to do, nor would they consider it to do this deed or abstain from that deed. The necessity for action or inaction not being found to exist in truth, the term Samana cannot reasonably be applied to yourselves, since you live in a state of bewildering with faculties unwarded??.
Here the argument raised by the Buddha against the first theory is that if all is due to the previous karmas, then it is not essential to make effort to abstain from them. This conception might have been known to Nigantha Nataputta when he accused the Buddha as an Akriyavadi (Non-actionist.) Acārya Kundakunda78 is of opinion that all the previously bound karmic matters operate only when they become mature. The Nigantha Nataputta prescribed severe penance with perfect knowledge to destroy the karmas. The Buddha himself, as we have already seen, expresses his satisfaction with regard to the theory?9.
The Anguttara Nikayaso describes the six breeds (chalahbhijali) as the different categories of beings, as declared by Purna Kassapa. They are,
(i) black breed (kaṇhābhijāti paññatta) category includes the mutton-butchers, hunters jailers etc.