Buddhist Monks and Travelers form an important question in UPSC. They were the messengers of peace, cultural exchange, and traveled quite ahead of their times.
| Monk / Traveler | Period / Around | About / Famous for |
|---|---|---|
| Ananda | 6th Century BC | First Cousin of Buddha; loved disciple; per se Vinaya Pittaka – persuaded Buddha to allow women to become Nuns; attained Enlightenment late around 480BC? Just before first Buddhist Council – he recited Sutta Pittaka (Basket of Discourse); lived to age 120? |
| Moggaliputtatissa | 250 BCE | President of 3rd Buddhist Council ; author of kathavatthu- ‘Points of Controversy’; credited with ordaining Asoka’s on Mahinda into sangha; |
| Bodhidharma | Buddhist monk from South India, 3rd son of Tamil Pallava king, was the founder of Shaolin/Kungfu | |
| Ashvaghosa | 80 AD | popularized the style of Sanskrit poetry ‘kavya’ much before Kalidasa; born Brahmin; until heated debate follow value Buddhism; Saw Kanishka overtake India at Varanasi; wrote shraddopadashastra- faith in Mahayana; Buddhacharita; Mahalankara-book of glory; |
| Kumarajiva | 343 AD | born to Kashmiri father and Kuchh Mother-Vedantic learning; translated Sanskrit texts into Chinese; raised as Hinayanist later converted to Mahayan; led to evolution of three Treatise of Buddhism in China |
| Fa Xian | 399 AD | Chandragupta II time~; returned with Shramana Budha bhadra to China; Orig name: Sehi; translated Buddhist books into Chinese; Carried Mahaparinirvana Sutra; Vinaya Pittaka; wrote Foguoji- Record of Buddhist Kingdoms; spend more than 200 days on sea-ship carried away by winds! |
| Nagarjuna | 2nd Century AD | Buddhist Philosophy; doctrine of emptiness (shunyata); founder of Madhyamika School of Mahayana Buddhism; teacher of Aryadeva |
| Prasangikas [Term] | Disciples of Nagarjuna who limit the use of logic to negative and indirect method are called Prasangikas: Aryadeva; Buddhadeva and Candrakirti are imp | |
| Candrakirti | 500-650 AD | wrote on thought of Nagarjuna – prasannapada – only one preserved in Sanskrit all rest works on Nagarjuna’s thought are in Tibetan |
| Bhavaviveka | 8th Century AD | disciple & interpreter of Nagarjuna; however followed direct reasoning and found Svatantrika school of Madhyamika philosophy- very imp role in Tibet Buddhism |
| Xuan Zang | 600 AD | many names: Chen Yi, Mokshadeva; like Alberuni and Ibnbatuta he was from a scholarly family as well; translated Buddhist scriptures in Sanskrit to Chinese; found Buddhist Consciousness School in China; fame rests mainly on volume & diversity of translations of Buddhist Scriptures; precise travel records are of great importance to historians and archaelogists; patron & funded by Harsha; yogacar-Vijnanavada-Chengweishilun- ‘Whole world is but the representation of mind’ |
| Vasubandha | 5th Century AD | from Sarvastivada School to Mahayana tradition – attributed to young brother Asanga; author of earlier Abhidharmakosha – Sravastivada School |
| Paramartha | 499 AD | Indian Buddhist Missionary; 546AD development of Chinese Buddhism; -> Yogacar school of thought became famous |
| Buddhaghosh | 5th Century AD | Visuddhimagga- ‘path of purification’; traveled to Anuradhapura, SL- translated many Sinhalese Buddhists text into Pali |
| Dharmakirti | 7th Century AD | Indian Buddhist Philosopher and logician- self constraint by practice of Yoga is pure particular (svalakshan) |
| Bhavabhuti | 7th Century AD | Dramatist and poet; rivals Kalidasa’ play; Brahmin of vidarbha (Berar); in court of Yasovarman of Kannauj; wrote: mahaviracharita (Ramayan upto killing of Ravana); Malatimadhava (complex original love intrigue); Uttamacharita (Later life of Rama- banish of Sita – reunion); Great in ‘kavya’- use of metaphors and similes |
