History and Doctrines of the Ajivikas: A Vanished Indian Religion c22.s1.39

c22.s1.39

A similar but shorter discussion of Niyativāda occurs in Guṇaratna’s commentary to the Ṣaddarśana-samuccaya, where a further argument for determinism is put forward, based on the uniformity and regularity of natural processes. Niyati, declares Guṇaratna, taking the determinist point of view, is the principle by which all things are manifested in determined form. Everything whatever is found to exist in a determined form. Otherwise, in the absence of a controlling agent, there would be no laws of cause and effect, and no fixed form of anything. What man skilled in logic can deny Niyati, the existence of which is proved by the determinate nature of the effects (of like causes) ?²