Encyclopedia of India–China Cultural Contacts v1.c7.s7.t18.3

v1.c7.s7.t18.3

Some of the “Six Samana Masters” were the early members of the Ajivaka school. According to relevant Buddhist and Jainist records, the thoughts of three of the “Six Samana Masters”, ie Makkhali Gosala, Purana Kassapa, and Pakudha Kaccayana, formed the theoretical foundation of the school. And among the three thinkers, Makkhali Gosala was the most influential, therefore he was also widely considered the founder of the school. Still other historical records, such as the Pali “Majjhima Nikaya” and the Chinese translation of “Madhyam Agama”, also mentioned some of the early representatives of the school, such as Nanda Vaccha. However, most of the information contained in existing records involving the school was on the thoughts of the three “Samana Masters” mentioned above.