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SEN: SCHOOLS AND SECTS IN JAIN LITERATURE
87
Brahmanical views, for the doctrine of Brahman, as we know, sprang from followers of Brahmanism.
.45
Owning of possessions and engaging in undertakings is held to be compatible with reaching perfection by some;" this suggests the Brahmanical priests who would support a non-ascetic religion of rituals and ceremonies and themselves possess wealth and properties. Buddha's criticism of the Brahmans as owners of property in contrast with the possessionless Brahmä whom they worshipped is significant in this connection.46
47
The gods are declared by some as putting an end to misery." The meaning is that only the gods and not men are capable of attaining mokşa, i.e., in order to obtain mokşa a man must first attain a god's status and then progress onwards to final liberation, for as mere man he cannot obtain liberation. This is probably a piece of casuistry on the part of the Brahmanical priests to tempt yajamānas to engage their services for securing by means of sacrifices the status of gods after death.
While arguing with Adda one man says that those who always feed two thousand holy mendicants acquire great merit, become gods and that is the teaching of the Veda. This is clearly a statement put into the mouth of a follower of Brahmanism.
Stories are mentioned of various Brahmanical adherents engaging in disputes with Nirgrantha ascetics. The subject matter of the discussion is not of much importance but the descriptions which precede about the intellectual equipment of the Brahmanical disputant are very interesting. As for instance, in Savatthi dwelt a mendicant Khandaya by name of the Kaccāyana gotra, a disciple of Gaddabhāli. To him went Pingalaya, a
45. Sut.S. I.1.4.3
46. Cf. Tevijjia Sutta.
47. Sut.S. I.xv. 16-17
48. Sut.S. II.6.43.
