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Padmanabh s. taini
A great deal of original research has been devoted to the connections of Jainism with Makkabli Gosala and the Ājivikas, but here again the Digambara tradition has been largely ignored. Basham has collected almost everything available in the Svetambara canon and has given a creditable account of the sect and its connection with Mahavira Hoerne claims that the Digambaras are actually the ancient Ājvlkas 11 Basham rejects this view on the basis of the Digambara author Nemicandra's distinction between the Nirgranthas and the ĀJIyikas.12 He suggests rather that some of the southern Ājivikag may have been absorbed by the Digambaras, but this is the extent to which Basham considers the Digambaras at all
No scholar bas searched through the Digambara texts for mention of Makkhali Gosala, assuming, no doubt, that since the Digambaras do not possess the canon, they have no recollection of Makkbali's encounter with Mahavira There are, however, two texts, 18 Bhavasangraha and Darsanasara, both by Devasena of the eleventh century, wbich seem to have been overlooked even by Basham, They preserve an ancient Digambara tradition that Makkhali (Gosāla] was a follower of (the tradition of) Paráva and hoped to be chosen the chief disciple (ganad hara) of Mabavira When he was not thus chosen, he walked out of Mabavira's assembly and established the creed of ajnanayada. The Digambara sonrcea seem to tako "ananavada" 1n this sense, "nowledge does not make any difference to the achievement of salvation," a belief which probably echoes the well-known AjIvika doctrine that both fools and wise (bale ca pandite ca) alike (wandering in transmigration exactly for the allotted time, ahall then, and only then,) make an end of suff. ering (dukkhassa'ntam karissantt)"(Digha Nikaya, 1, p 54). The Digambaras, it 18 true, make no reference to the contact between Makkhali and Mabavira prior to the latter's attaining Jinahood, nor to the subsequent episode of the violent confrontation which led to the death of Makkhali, as narrated in the Svetambara cagon Bat a close scrutiny of the works of Devagena shows traces of some memory of a past dispute. For, whereas the Svetambaras aubsequently allow Makkahlı to attain salvation, the Digambaras say that as a result of harbouring the doctrine of afnunqvada he was born in the lowest existence possible, that of nitya-nigoda, a state from which there 18 no emergence into a higher birth, Why the Digambaras would want to take such extraordinary punitive action against Makkball must remain a mystory, Lo any case, the Digambara references to Makkhalt Gosala remain to bo stadiod properly and evaluated for the light they may throw on the deterministic elements in Jainism, Among auch elements there la, for example, their doctrine of bhavyatva and abhavyatva (a doctrine equally accepted by the Syotambaras) according to which only certain souls are capable of attaining galvation while others, lacking that capacity, are conde. mned forever to life in samsara.ls Reference may also be made in this
