Pakudha Kaccayana

Who is Pakudha Kaccayana?

Pakudha Kaccāyana was an Indian Buddhist ascetic teacher who lived around the 5th or 4th century BCE, contemporaneous with Mahavira and the Buddha.

According to Pakudha, there are seven eternal "elements": Earth, Water, Fire, Air, Joy, Sorrow and Life. Pakudha further asserted that these elements do not interact with one another.

The Samannaphala Sutta represents Pakudha's views as follows:

In the Brahmajala Sutta, theories such as Pakudha's are labeled as "Atomic theory" and "eternalism".

Pakudha Kaccāyana is also known as Empedocles of India.