Nagarjuna, the founder of the ‘Madhyamaka’ tradition of ‘Mahayana’ Buddhist philosophy, was a renowned Buddhist philosopher. He composed the foundational text of the Madhyamaka School, known as the ‘Mulamadhyamakakarika’. Nagarjuna’s contributions to Buddhism include the establishment of the concept of ‘Prajnaparamita’ and the articulation of the Buddhist concept of ‘Sunyata’. His works have had a significant influence on both the ‘Sravaka’ philosophies and the ‘Mahayana’ tradition, providing a new perspective on Buddha’s original philosophies.
Quick Facts
- Died At Age: 100
- Born Country: India
- Writers
- Philosophers
- Height: 5’10” (178 cm), 5’10” Males
- Died on: 250
- Place of death: India
Childhood & Early Life
There are many conflicting documents regarding the timeline of Nagarjuna’s existence. It is believed that he was born in 150 CE, somewhere in the southern part of India, Asia. He was probably born in a Brahmin family and had served Yajna Sri Satakarni, the Satavahana King, as an advisor. There are multiple claims that Nagarjuna spent a significant period of his life in Nagarjunakonda, a historical city in the district of Guntur, Andhra Pradesh. However, no archaeological findings could ever connect Nagarjuna with Nagarjunakonda. The city is believed to exist from the medieval ages and the inscriptions found in archaeological surveys indicate it was named ‘Vijayapuri’ during that time.
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Philosophical Works
Nagarjuna is credited for his greatest work, the ‘Mulamadhyamakakarika’, which consists of fundamental verses on Buddha’s doctrine of the middle way. The collection of the foundational texts is based on the Madhyamaka school of the Mahayana philosophy. He revived Buddhism with this text which is considered to be the most influential in spreading Buddhism in Tibet and other regions in East Asia. The text of ‘Mulamadhyamakakarika’ was written in Sanskrit and contains 27 chapters, 12 early chapters and 15 later chapters. Nagarjuna had refuted the claims of all the anti-Madhyamaka charges from the Buddhist text ‘Abhidharma’ in ‘Mulamadhyamakakarika’. The verses of the text explain all the phenomena experienced by humans are nothing but projections of their own consciousness. Several historians have argued about the works done by Nagarjuna and there are conflicts regarding several Sanskrit treatises composed by him on Buddhism. Important treatises like ‘Sunyatasaptati’, ‘Vaidalyaprakaraṇa’, ‘Bodhisaṃbhara Sastra’, ‘Sutrasamuccaya’, ‘Bodhicittavivaraṇa’, and ‘Pratityasamutpadahrdayakarika’ are considered to be composed by him. Belgian professor Etienne Paul Marie Lamotte and Buddhist monk Yin Shun had disagreements over the treatise ‘Mahaprajnaparamitaupadesa’. While Yin Shun believed it was composed by a south Indian, indicating Nagarjuna, Lamotte argued this was a work of someone belonging to the Sarvastivada school. Since there is no concrete evidence of Nagarjuna’s education, it wouldn’t be wrong to believe Nagarjuna could have been a Sarvastivada scholar. Nagarjuna is also credited for composing treatises or commentaries on ‘Bhavasamkranti’, ‘Dharmadhatustava’, ‘Salistambakarikas’, ‘Mahayanavimsika’, ‘Ekaslokasastra’, and ‘Isvarakartrtvanirakrtih’. He is also believed to have composed a commentary on the Mahayana Buddist scripture ‘Dashabhumikasutra’.
Legacy
Nagarjuna is believed to have lived until 250 CE. He had served as the head of the Buddhist monastery ‘Nalanda’ for a brief period. He is regarded as the most critical thinker in the history of Buddhism after the great sage Buddha. As the study on ‘Mulamadhyamakakarika’ continued, Nagarjuna’s philosophy became a topic of great interest for research. Although his views didn’t impress the western minds who viewed him as a nihilist, Nagarjuna’s philosophies have impressed the larger mass. He is regarded as one of the most sophisticated philosophers to have ever lived and his views are ageless.