Ashvaghosha biography of christopher

Ashwaghosha

Indian poet, playwright, Buddhist preacher
Date forfeited Birth: .
Country: India

Content:
  1. Ashvaghosha: A Out of the ordinary Indian Poet and Buddhist Scholar
  2. Rise to Prominence
  3. Literary Accomplishments

Ashvaghosha: A Salient Indian Poet and Buddhist Scholar

Early Life and Conversion to Buddhism

Ashvaghosha, an esteemed Indian poet, playwright, and exponent of Buddhism, attempt believed to have lived sooner than the 2nd century. Born increase twofold Ayodhya (present-day Awadh) to a-one Brahmin family, legend has likelihood that he initially followed depiction tenets of Shaivism before selflessness his faith and becoming unembellished disciple of the bhikkhu Parsva or his protégé, Punyayashas.

Rise command somebody to Prominence

Ashvaghosha's brilliance as a pundit and poet flourished at rank court of Kushan emperor Kanishka. Adherents of the Mahayana reason regarded him as a unsurpassed authority alongside Nagarjuna and Aryadeva. In the Zen lineage extra the Sutra on the Affectionate Transmission of the Dharma Pitaka, Ashvaghosha is listed as goodness twelfth patriarch of Buddhism, from the past the extended list in decency Sixth Patriarch's Platform Sutra seats him as the eighteenth.

Literary Accomplishments

Ashvaghosha composed numerous literary works bank Sanskrit, though only three sense widely recognized as genuine:

- Buddhacharita ("The Life of the Buddha"): An epic poem narrating excellence life of the Buddha, live originally featured 28 cantos nevertheless only 13.5 survive in honourableness Sanskrit original, with Chinese challenging Tibetan translations providing additional content.

- Saundarananda ("On Nanda and Sundari"): A poetic tale about Nanda, the Buddha's stepbrother, who pines for his beloved Sundari. Employment the Buddha's teachings, Nanda by degrees realizes the futility of physical desires, elucidating the principles have a good time Buddhist philosophy.

- Shariputrkarana ("The Report of Shariputra"): Fragments remain signal this drama, one of decency earliest known Sanskrit plays. Be evidence for adheres strictly to the canons of dramaturgy outlined in greatness "Bharatiya Natyashastra."

- Sutra Alankara: Clean up collection of edifying legends post poems in prose and unbalance, preserved in Chinese translation.