Concept
Kumārajīva
Overview
Kumārajīva (Sanskrit: कुमारजीव; traditional Chinese: 鳩摩羅什; simplified Chinese: 鸠摩罗什; pinyin: Jiūmóluóshí; Wade–Giles: Chiu1 mo2 lo2 shih2, 344–413 CE) was a Buddhist monk, scholar, missionary and translator. from the Kingdom of Kucha (present-day Aksu Prefecture, Xinjiang, China). Kumārajīva is seen as one of the greatest translators of Chinese Buddhism and a pivotal figure in the development of literary Buddhist Chinese. According to Lu Cheng, Kumarajiva's translations are "unparalleled either in terms of translation technique or degree of fidelity".
Kumārajīva first studied teachings of the Sarvastivadin schools, later studied under Buddhasvāmin, and finally became an adherent of Mahayana Buddhism, studying the Mādhyamaka doctrine of Nāgārjuna. After mastering the Chinese language, Kumārajīva settled as a translator and scholar in Chang'an (c. 401 CE) under the patronage of the Later Qin dynasty during the Sixteen Kingdoms period. He was the head of a team of translators which included his amanuensis Sengrui. This team was responsible for the translation of many Sanskrit Buddhist texts into Chinese.
Kumārajīva also introduced the Madhyamaka school of Buddhist philosophy into China which would later be called Sanlun (the "Three Treatise school").
Overview adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0; see the article history for authors).
Possible passages
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1. _The Sanc’hya Philosophy of Capila_. The originator of the Sanc’hya is called Capila, and he was an ancient sage of whom it was said that he was a son of Brahma, and one of the seven great Holy men; others say that he was an incarnation of Vishnu, like his disciple Asuri, and that he was identified with fire. As to the age of the Aphorisms (Sutras) of Capila, Colebrooke can say nothing; he merely mentions that…
Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel, Hegel's Lectures on the History of Philosophy
States what Kumārajīva is.
At this place the monks and nuns may be a thousand, who all receive their food from the common store, and pursue their studies, some of the mahayana and some of the hînayâna. Where they live, there is a white-eared dragon, which acts the part of danapati to the community of these monks, causing abundant harvests in the country, and the enriching rains to come in season, without the…
Confucius, Chinese literature
Close in meaning to Kumārajīva; the term itself is not named.
The religious sentiment, however, sits very lightly on the Chinese. Absence of any feeling of the supernatural is perhaps the most remarkable feature of the Chinese character. "Buddhism, was founded, as is generally believed, some centuries before Christ by a Hindoo prince and sage named Gautama. As originally propounded, Buddhism is supposed to have been a purer and more reasonable form of faith than Brahminism…
Voltaire, Voltaire's Romances, Complete in One Volume
Close in meaning to Kumārajīva; the term itself is not named.
Philosophers who discussed Kumārajīva
Related ideas
- Xuanxue
- City-state
- Vaibhāṣika
- Buddhist meditation
- Sarvastivada
- Āgama (Buddhism)
- Tattvasiddhi Śāstra
- Śūnyatā
- Anattā
- Middle Way
- Dunhuang
- Nagarjuna
- Chinese Buddhism
- Prakrit
- Abhidharma
- Sanskrit
- Mahayana
- Dhyana in Buddhism
- Mahayana sutras
- Lotus Sutra
- Buddhism
- Bodhisattva
- Enlightenment in Buddhism
- Aryadeva
Opposing perspectives
Place in the tradition
Part of Buddhist philosophy.