Pakudha Kaccāyana was an Indian teacher andphilosopher who lived around the 6th century BCE, contemporaneous withMahavira andthe Buddha. He was an atomist who believed inatomism which believed that everything is made of seven eternal elements – earth, water, fire, air, happiness, pain and soul.
According to thePali Canon, Kacayana was his family name and he is said to have belonged to aBrahmin caste. He was sometimes called Pakkudha Katiyana, or Kadhudha Katiyana.[1]
| Views of the six heretical teachers | |
|---|---|
| The views of sixśramaṇa in the Pāli Canon, known as thesix heretical teachers, based on theSāmaññaphala Sutta.[2] | |
| Pūraṇa Kassapa | |
| Amoralism (akiriyavāda;natthikavāda) | There is no reward or punishment for either good or bad deeds. |
| Makkhali Gośāla (Ājīvika) | |
| Fatalism (ahetukavāda;niyativāda) | We are powerless; suffering is pre-destined. |
| Ajita Kesakambalī (Charvaka) | |
| Materialism (ucchedavāda;natthikavāda) | Live happily; with death, all is annihilated. |
| Pakudha Kaccāyana | |
| Eternalism and categoricalism(sassatavāda;sattakāyavāda) | Matter, pleasure, pain and the soul are eternal and do not interact. |
| Nigaṇṭha Ñāṭaputta (Jainism) | |
| Restraint (mahāvrata) | Be endowed with, cleansed by, and suffused with [merely] the avoidance of all evil.[3] |
| Sañjaya Belaṭṭhiputta (Ajñana) | |
| Agnosticism (amarāvikkhepavāda) | "I don't think so. I don't think in that way or otherwise. I don't think not or not not." Suspension of judgement. |
According to Pakudha, there are seven eternal "elements": Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Joy, Sorrow and Life. Pakudha further asserted that these elements do notinteract with one another.
TheSamannaphala Sutta (DN 2) represents Pakudha's views as follows:
In theBrahmajala Sutta (DN 1), theories such as Pakudha's are labeled as "Atomic theory" (Pali/Skt.:anu vaada) and "eternalism" (sassatavādā).[5]
According toBuddhaghosa, he suffered from many obsessionalrituals with regard to the use of water:a voided the use of cold water, using always hot; when this was not available, he did not wash. If he crossed a stream he would consider this as a sin, and would make expiation by constructing a mound of earth.[6]
He did not speak of God, soul and the other world which has led some scholars considered him also as a materialist.[7]
According to Buddhist sources, Pakudha's followers did not hold him in high esteem, in contrast to the devotion felt for theBuddha by his followers. Pakudha did not welcome questions, and displayed annoyance and resentment when cross examined. Elsewhere however, he is spoken of as having been highly honoured by the people, a teacher of large and well reputed schools, with numerous followers. But he did not lay claim to perfect enlightenment .[8]
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