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The Path of Arhat : A Religious Democracy
God without giving any rational substitute.
Moreover, it is an acknowledged position that Ajīvikas were believing in severe penances. But no explanation is found to explain for what purpose they were undertaking penances if human efforts and karmas were irrelevant. In fact, Mahavīra himself posed such questions to Saddala putta, a very prominent potter and a rich disciple of Gośála. Mr. Basham1 records this incident as under :
"Mahāvīra asks ( Saddálaputta ) whether the pots were made by dint of exertion or not, to which the Ajīvika replies that it is made without exertion. Mahāvīra then asks what Saddălaputta would do, if one of his workmen stole or broke his pots, or made overtures to his wife. To this the potter indignantly replies that he would beat and strike the culprit or even kill him. But such actions, Mahāvīra retorts, would be quite inconsistent with the doctrine of Niyati and of no exertion. If all the things are unalterably fixed and there is no exertion, no man can steal or break the pots and the potter cannot revile or strike or kill the culprit. Yet such things do happen in every day life, and so the claim that there is no exertion and that all things are determined is false.”
The only reply which Saddalaputta could have given was that even his reaction of reviling the culprit was governed by Niyati. If this was the reply (which is practically the same as suggested by Shri Basham ) it would follow that if every little things in life is governed by Niyati and if you do not know what is in store of Niyati why should you bother about Niyati at all ? You may better go on exerting in the best possible manner or reap the real results. This would be the reality and if one has to choose between the reality of life and an abstract doctrine of Niyati the contents of which are unknown, one should better choose the former.
However, the Jaiuas, who are ready to take into account all the different aspects of a theory by application of their 1. History and Doctrines of Ajivikas, p. 229.
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