Payasi
Encyclopedia
Payasi was a materialist philosopher in ancient India
and was possibly a contemporary of Buddha
. He was possibly a prince
, if early Buddhist and Jaina
sources could be believed.
The only source of information that survives today about this philosopher is in the form of purvapaksa - material available in the works of others, which are cited for refutation.
Payasi-suttanta (a Buddhist work) and Rayapasenaijja (a Jaina work) were devoted to the refutation of Payasi's views.These works claim that he eventually converted to Buddhism or Jainism.
According to Payasi-suttanta , as quoted by Debiprasad Chattopadhyaya
, "Neither is there any other world, nor are there beings reborn otherwise than from parents, nor is there fruit or result of deed well-done or ill-done."
In the Payasi Sutta, it states "Once everyone was seated, Prince Payasi said, "Reverend Kumara, I maintain that kamma does not have effects. I believe that there is no life after death, no world beyond our own. I think that angels and demons are things from a child’s dream." (Payasi Sutta )
India
India , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
and was possibly a contemporary of Buddha
Gautama Buddha
Siddhārtha Gautama was a spiritual teacher from the Indian subcontinent, on whose teachings Buddhism was founded. In most Buddhist traditions, he is regarded as the Supreme Buddha Siddhārtha Gautama (Sanskrit: सिद्धार्थ गौतम; Pali: Siddhattha Gotama) was a spiritual teacher from the Indian...
. He was possibly a prince
Prince
Prince is a general term for a ruler, monarch or member of a monarch's or former monarch's family, and is a hereditary title in the nobility of some European states. The feminine equivalent is a princess...
, if early Buddhist and Jaina
Jainism
Jainism is an Indian religion that prescribes a path of non-violence towards all living beings. Its philosophy and practice emphasize the necessity of self-effort to move the soul towards divine consciousness and liberation. Any soul that has conquered its own inner enemies and achieved the state...
sources could be believed.
The only source of information that survives today about this philosopher is in the form of purvapaksa - material available in the works of others, which are cited for refutation.
Payasi-suttanta (a Buddhist work) and Rayapasenaijja (a Jaina work) were devoted to the refutation of Payasi's views.These works claim that he eventually converted to Buddhism or Jainism.
According to Payasi-suttanta , as quoted by Debiprasad Chattopadhyaya
Debiprasad Chattopadhyaya
Debiprasad Chattopadhyaya was an eminent Bengali Marxist philosopher from India. He made extensive contributions to the exploration of the materialist current in ancient Indian Philosophy...
, "Neither is there any other world, nor are there beings reborn otherwise than from parents, nor is there fruit or result of deed well-done or ill-done."
In the Payasi Sutta, it states "Once everyone was seated, Prince Payasi said, "Reverend Kumara, I maintain that kamma does not have effects. I believe that there is no life after death, no world beyond our own. I think that angels and demons are things from a child’s dream." (Payasi Sutta )