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Gosala's fa her was Mankhali, who used to wander about from place to place exhibiting a picture. He once came with his wife to Sarvana and took up his lodging in the cowshed of a wealthy Brahmin called Gobahula, and Gosala is reputed to have been born there. For some time Gosala himself seems to have followed his father's calling, but ultimately he took up ascetic life and for sometime was also a companion of Mahavira during the period of his preparation. The story of Gosala's separation from Mahavira, assumption of the Jinahood, and the establishment of the Ajīvika order has already been told in a previous chapter. . ,
Brahmanic schools:
Jain literature is full of references to numerous schools of popular Brahmanism. Among heretical doctrines there is mention of some who hold that the owning of possessions and the engaging in undertakings is quite compatible with the attainment of perfection. This is obviously a reference to Brahmanical priests who supported a non-ascetic religion of rituals and ceremonies and themselves possessed wealth and property. The Sankhya, Yoga, Vedanta and other views also have been referred to in order to equip the Nirgrantha ascetic with the usual beliefs of the common people entertained. under wrong understanding, and also with a view to show up the apparently contradictory .views held by the Vedantists and the Puranists. The Philosophy of the Nastikas, the materialists, who deny the existence of the soul, is also mentioned as a wrong doctrine.
There is mention of a host of minor schools, holding quite unusual views : (1) That a Jiva performed right conduct and wrong conduct at the same time, (2) That there is no harm in enjoying the pleasures of the senses, for it gave relief to the enjoyer without causing harm to any one else, (3) that the soul and everything else is mere appearance, mirage, an illusion, a dieam, a phantasy, etc.
