History and Doctrines of the Ajivikas: A Vanished Indian Religion c24.s1.8

c24.s1.8

In none of the Pāli texts is this theory associated with Makkhali Gosāla, so perhaps it was not his. Yet it is often to be found connected with parts of Makkhali’s teaching, when these are ascribed to some other philosopher. Thus the doctrine of the ancient teacher Guṇa, in *Mahānāradakassapa Jātaka*,¹ contains first a statement of the ineffectuality of all effort, whether human or divine, followed by an enumeration of the seven *kāya* which are indivisible and do not injure one another (*acchejjā avikopino*), and concludes by a statement of Makkhali’s doctrine of automatic salvation in a period of 8,400,000 *mahākappas* through the power of *Niyati*. This teaching is falsely called in the text *ucchedavāda* or annihilationism, but is obviously Ājīvikism, and Guṇa himself is referred to as an Ājīvika.