Biography of Boddhisattva Acarya Nagarjuna 龍樹菩薩 ** You may click wordings in blue for more information **
Boddhisattva Nagarjuna 龍樹菩薩 (c.150 CE - c. 250 CE) is considered one of the most important Buddhist saints, a titanic figure to have come into being 700 years later after the passing of Buddha (Buddha Shakyamuni). He was born into a Brahmin family in Vidarbha (southern India) and was name after the dragon and the tree : the dragon a symbol of an enlightened manifestation; his mother gave birth to him under a tree. He lived to the age of more than 200 years old.
He was born gifted with extraordinary wisdom and amazing power of understanding. A fine young man who had traveled across many countries and won widespread acclaim. A scholar, mastery in every field ranging from world science, astronomy, geography, fine arts, the gift of prophecy and the various techniques in the code of Tao (way), none of which he couldn't accomplish.
The account given by Kumarajiva 鳩摩羅什 of Acarya Nagarjuna's early life was, in his youth, Nagarjuna with three of his friends were overcome with lust and through the art of invisibility seduced women in the royal palace. Once, however, he narrowly escaped death at the hands of royal guards, an experience which led him to dwell on Buddha's teaching that desire was the foremost cause of suffering. As a result, Nagarjuna entered the Buddhist order. Nagarjuna read the Tripitaka 三藏經典 extensively and realized the intended deepest meaning of Buddha's message. Thereafter, he sought the teaching from an old monastic deep in the snowy mountains who transmitted the Mahayana teachings to him where he awakened to the conclusive meaning of the Mahayana instructions. Later, he was invited by the Dragon King 大龍菩薩 to his palace in the sea where he beheld [Maha]Vaitulyasutra 方等經 and was enlightened by its immeasurable underlying message, attained the state of immortality (no rebirth) 無生忍 and imperturbable mindfulness 無生法忍. Then, Nagarjuna went on to preach extensively in southern India, spread the teaching of Mahayana instructions far and wide, even heresy was subdued. He was later came to be recognized as the founder of the 8 Buddhist sects.
(the above is a written record extracted from the Tripitaka, part 50, translated by Kumarajiva)
The essence of Nagarjuna's works from his many are :
1. Daabhumivibhasaastra 十住毗婆沙論 十五卷, translated by Kumarajiva
2. Mahaprajnaparamitasastra 大智度論 一百卷, translated by Kumarajiva
3. Mulamadhyamaka-karika 中論 四卷, translated by Kumarajiva
4. Dvadasamukha-sastra 十二門論 一卷, translated by Kumarajiva
5. Boddhisambhara 菩薩資糧論 六卷, translated by Dharmagupta
6. Suhrllekha (Letter to a good friend, King Jnataka), 十二禮 一卷, translated by Gunavarman
7. The twelve Rites, 1 fascicle
Among them, the Mahaprajnaparamitasastra, Mulamadhyamaka-karika and Dvadasamukha-sastra are classified under the Mahayana school on emptiness (non-existence), while Daabhumivibhasaastra is classified under the Mahayana school on existence. Nagarjuna was proficient in the doctrines on both non-existence and existence, and his learning eventually converged and settled on Pureland teaching that expounds the "other power", i.e., Amitabha Buddha's primal vow of salvation, evident in the Mahaprajnaparamitasastra, wherein, he had on many occasions praised Amitabha Buddha's Pureland, and later in Daabhumivibhasaastra, in the 9th chapter on Easy Path 易行品, Nagarjuna confessed that he sought refuge in Amitabha Buddha's primal vow of salvation.
Also, once when Buddha Shakyamuni was in Lanka mountains discoursing the Lankavatara Sutra, he spoke these words : "There will be someone practicing this Dharma in southern India, a highly esteemed monastic of the high order, named Nagarjuna Boddhisattva, capable of quashing heretical doctrines on duality, he'll preach my Dharma, the Mahayana unparalleled Dharma, attain Pramudita 歡喜地 and eventually born in Amitabha Buddha's Land of Bliss".
Nagarjuna Boddhisattva attained Pramudita and his original intention of coming into being was, one, to preach Mahayana unmatched Dharma to benefit sentient beings, and the other was to attain birth in the Land of Bliss for himself. The Mahayana unmatched Dharma as the name implies equates to being born in the Land of bliss, attainable by reciting Buddha's name "Namo Amituofo" with aspiration to be born in the Land of Bliss and will be born there for certain; a teaching based on Amitabha Buddha's primal vow of salvation that preaches "benefiting oneself to benefit the others", is the essence of this explication that makes up the Chapter on the Easy Path.
The Pureland Lineage :
Nagarjuna Boddhisattva 150CE-250CE >>> Vasubandhu Boddhisattva 4th-5thCE >>> Master Tan Luan 476-542 >>> Master Dao Chuo 562-645 >>> Master Shan Dao 613-681.
** You may click wordings in blue for more information **
Boddhisattva Nagarjuna 龍樹菩薩 (c.150 CE - c. 250 CE) is considered one of the most important Buddhist saints, a titanic figure to have come into being 700 years later after the passing of Buddha (Buddha Shakyamuni). He was born into a Brahmin family in Vidarbha (southern India) and was name after the dragon and the tree : the dragon a symbol of an enlightened manifestation; his mother gave birth to him under a tree. He lived to the age of more than 200 years old.
He was born gifted with extraordinary wisdom and amazing power of understanding. A fine young man who had traveled across many countries and won widespread acclaim. A scholar, mastery in every field ranging from world science, astronomy, geography, fine arts, the gift of prophecy and the various techniques in the code of Tao (way), none of which he couldn't accomplish.
The account given by Kumarajiva 鳩摩羅什 of Acarya Nagarjuna's early life was, in his youth, Nagarjuna with three of his friends were overcome with lust and through the art of invisibility seduced women in the royal palace. Once, however, he narrowly escaped death at the hands of royal guards, an experience which led him to dwell on Buddha's teaching that desire was the foremost cause of suffering. As a result, Nagarjuna entered the Buddhist order. Nagarjuna read the Tripitaka 三藏經典 extensively and realized the intended deepest meaning of Buddha's message. Thereafter, he sought the teaching from an old monastic deep in the snowy mountains who transmitted the Mahayana teachings to him where he awakened to the conclusive meaning of the Mahayana instructions. Later, he was invited by the Dragon King 大龍菩薩 to his palace in the sea where he beheld [Maha]Vaitulyasutra 方等經 and was enlightened by its immeasurable underlying message, attained the state of immortality (no rebirth) 無生忍 and imperturbable mindfulness 無生法忍. Then, Nagarjuna went on to preach extensively in southern India, spread the teaching of Mahayana instructions far and wide, even heresy was subdued. He was later came to be recognized as the founder of the 8 Buddhist sects.
(the above is a written record extracted from the Tripitaka, part 50, translated by Kumarajiva)
The essence of Nagarjuna's works from his many are :
1. Daabhumivibhasaastra 十住毗婆沙論 十五卷, translated by Kumarajiva
2. Mahaprajnaparamitasastra 大智度論 一百卷, translated by Kumarajiva
3. Mulamadhyamaka-karika 中論 四卷, translated by Kumarajiva
4. Dvadasamukha-sastra 十二門論 一卷, translated by Kumarajiva
5. Boddhisambhara 菩薩資糧論 六卷, translated by Dharmagupta
6. Suhrllekha (Letter to a good friend, King Jnataka), 十二禮 一卷, translated by Gunavarman
7. The twelve Rites, 1 fascicle
Among them, the Mahaprajnaparamitasastra, Mulamadhyamaka-karika and Dvadasamukha-sastra are classified under the Mahayana school on emptiness (non-existence), while Daabhumivibhasaastra is classified under the Mahayana school on existence. Nagarjuna was proficient in the doctrines on both non-existence and existence, and his learning eventually converged and settled on Pureland teaching that expounds the "other power", i.e., Amitabha Buddha's primal vow of salvation, evident in the Mahaprajnaparamitasastra, wherein, he had on many occasions praised Amitabha Buddha's Pureland, and later in Daabhumivibhasaastra, in the 9th chapter on Easy Path 易行品, Nagarjuna confessed that he sought refuge in Amitabha Buddha's primal vow of salvation.
Also, once when Buddha Shakyamuni was in Lanka mountains discoursing the Lankavatara Sutra, he spoke these words : "There will be someone practicing this Dharma in southern India, a highly esteemed monastic of the high order, named Nagarjuna Boddhisattva, capable of quashing heretical doctrines on duality, he'll preach my Dharma, the Mahayana unparalleled Dharma, attain Pramudita 歡喜地 and eventually born in Amitabha Buddha's Land of Bliss".
Nagarjuna Boddhisattva attained Pramudita and his original intention of coming into being was, one, to preach Mahayana unmatched Dharma to benefit sentient beings, and the other was to attain birth in the Land of Bliss for himself. The Mahayana unmatched Dharma as the name implies equates to being born in the Land of bliss, attainable by reciting Buddha's name "Namo Amituofo" with aspiration to be born in the Land of Bliss and will be born there for certain; a teaching based on Amitabha Buddha's primal vow of salvation that preaches "benefiting oneself to benefit the others", is the essence of this explication that makes up the Chapter on the Easy Path.
The Pureland Lineage :
Nagarjuna Boddhisattva 150CE-250CE >>> Vasubandhu Boddhisattva 4th-5thCE >>> Master Tan Luan 476-542 >>> Master Dao Chuo 562-645 >>> Master Shan Dao 613-681.
** You may click wordings in blue for more information **