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Pythagoras was forced to leave Samos by Polycrates. He was highly
disturbed by continuous harassment, conflicts and strife’s
in  Samos.
From Samos, Pythagoras traveled westwards to and arrived at Magna-Gracia
in Southern Italy around 529 B. C. and settled in a Greek colony
named Croton, a place of peace and safety.
Pythagoras described himself as a philosopher. He wanted to set
up as a teacher of philosophy, astronomy and mathematics, so began
his society. He founded an ethico–mathematical school following
ethical beliefs and pursuits and worked on mathematics. Many persons
were attracted by the society and joined it. Pythagoras was the
head of the society. It was in fact Pythagorean brotherhood observing
some rules and following a particular way of life. Pythagorean School
regarded men and women equally. They enjoyed a common way of life.
The society had an inner circle and an outer circle of followers.
The inner circle was known as ‘mathematikoi’. The members
of the inner circle had to live with the society. They had no personal
possessions and vegetarianism was strictly practiced there. Pythagoras
personally taught them. Both men and women could become members
of the society and they were treated equally. The followers had
to abstain from beans, not to pick up what had fallen and not to
touch the fire with iron. They had to observe top secrecy about
every activity and works of the society. They were bound by an oath
not to speak of the doctrines and discoveries of their school. Loyalty
towards Pythagoreans and their leader was the basic tenet of the
Pythagoreans.
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The outer circle of the society was known as the ‘akousmatics’. They lived in their own houses and came to the society during daytime. They were allowed to have their own possessions. They were not required to be vegetarians. But they were also bound by oath not to speak of the doctrines and discoveries of their school. Loyalty towards fellow men and the leader was expected. Some of them were well educated and well versed in mathematics. Such members held important key posts in public offices, they were influential and were honored by a society. Pythagoreans were famous for their mutual friendship, unselfishness and honesty. Besides framing rules to govern the Pythagorean brotherhood, Pythagoras taught his disciples some doctrines about rebirth, recollection and key to knowledge. He called himself semi-divine. There has hardly been the followers of any school holding their master in such high esteem and reverence as the Pythagoreans had. They often cited the phrase ipse dixit meaning the master said so; which was a watchword for them. |
Pythagorean philosophy : Pythagoras gave three doctrines to his
followers.
1. The doctrine of tripartite (of three kinds) souls
2. The doctrine of rebirth or transmigration of souls
3. The doctrine of recollection of previous births.
(1) Doctrine of tripartite soul :
Pythagoras compared the human life with an Olympiad gathering and
classified the souls into three types : lower category, middle category
and higher category. He said three types of persons gather at the
Olympic games.
i. The merchants come to sell their commodities to gain profit and
the customers buy it. They are lovers of gain. They are put in lower
category.
ii. The participants compete, they show their skills and get rewards.
They are classified as lovers of honor. They are put in middle category.
iii. The spectators come only to see performances. They are lovers
of wisdom; they are put in the higher category. This classification
of persons into lovers of gain, lovers of honor and lovers of wisdom
can be applied to souls giving the doctrine of tripartite souls.
(2) Doctrine of rebirth or transmigration :
Perhaps Pythagoras might have borrowed this from the knowledge that
he had gathered form his visits to the East. The whole spirit of
the doctrine is religious and ethical. It advocates the soul as
immortal and residing in the body. The body is the tomb of the soul.
The soul changes from one body to another, known as the birth-death
cycle. During successive incarnations (Avataras), the soul resides
in bodies of various animals and according to their vices and virtues
(Karma) they are punished or rewarded (Phala) after death and souls
climb up the scale. Highest in the scale is the saintly human whose
supreme moral effects enable the soul to break the cycle of birth
and death thus becoming free and achieving salvation (Moksha). This
is analogous to our Hindu philosophy of ‘Purvas– Janma’
‘Punar – Janma’ and ‘Moksha’.
(3) The doctrine of recollection :
As the soul is immortal, it resides in the body and changes from
one body to another, the human recalls about previous births. It
is said that Pythagoras claimed to know about his previous births,
which could be a tale or a legend. Referring to recollection of
previous births Xenophanes, a critic, made fun of Pythagoras and
said that he could recognize the voice of his departed friend in
the howls of a beaten dog.
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