Ven.

Master Buddhabhadra and His Contribution to

Buddhist Heritage of China
by
Min Bahadur Shakya
Associate professor
Tribhuvan University, Kathmandu
Director
Nagarjuna Institute of Buddhist Studies
A Center of Buddhist Studies
Chakupat, a!itpur, Nepa!
niem"#!ink$%om$np
Te!& '( )**+,- ../0..1
This paper on the biography of the Buddhist 2aster Buddhabhadra is based on three Chinese
sour%es$
1. Gaozheng zhuan by Huijiao 'T$N /0.)-+ 3ng$ tr$ by 2ing 4ung Tang, 5udan
University, Shanghai, China$
2. Ch'u san - tsan chi - chi by Seng 6u '.,) C$3-
3. The Records of High Sanghan by 2aster 7suan 7ua
Introduction&
8en$ Buddhabhadra #as a great Nepa!ese Buddhist 2aster and a!so a monk #ho
visited China in the year 90) C$3$ 7e spent his entire !ife for the promotion of Buddhism in
China and died in the year 9/) C$3$
A!though there are some historians and #estern s%ho!ars #ho ho!d %onf!i%ting vie#s that
2aster Buddhabhadra #as a s%ho!ar born in Nagarah:ra, Centra! India or in Kashmir, but the
histori%a! and te;tua! eviden%e support the fa%t that Buddhabhadra #as a Nepa!ese s%ho!ar born
at Kapi!avastu, Nepa!$
Buddhabhadra #as born in Kapi!avastu in the year <.) and #as taken to Uddyana or
4a!a!abad by his grandfather for his business purpose in his ear!y !ife$ 8ery short!y
Buddhabhadra %ame ba%k to Kapi!avastu again after the death of his parents #ith his
grandfather #hen he #as sti!! a %hi!d$ 7e studied Buddhist phi!osophy and meditation
intensive!y$
Study in Kashmir:
=hen he attained the age of ,*, he #as fu!!y ordained as a bhiksu and !earnt Buddhist
meditation the Vinaya under 2aster Buddhasena in Kashmir '4ibin-$ 7e !earnt the Sarv:stiv:da
do%trine thorough!y under him and be%ame #e!! kno#n as Buddhist meditation master$
1
It seems that he spent most of his time in meditation and !earning Buddhist do%trines
from famous Buddhist masters of his time$ =hen >hiyen #ith his five member party arrived at
4ibin to invite an i!!ustrious Buddhist master he #as there at 4ibin 'Kashmir?-$ 3veryone
re%ommended him for Buddhist mission to China$
Visit to China 406 A D
7e trave!!ed to China via Burma and arrived at Chang@an in the year 90) C$3 #ith
many diffi%u!ties$ Sin%e he #as en!ightened being 'Anagami-, he demonstrated his mira%u!ous
po#ers to save many beings in his sea voyage$ =hen he arrived at Chang@an he #as re%eived
very e!egant!y by the emperor 6ao ;ing$ 7e invited Buddhabhadra to tea%h the dharma in the
pa!a%e$
Dharma transmission
After his arriva! in Chang@an, Buddhabhadra started prea%hing Buddhism e;tensive!y
from 9,0+9,<$ The Buddhist %ommunity in Chang@an instant!y re%ogniAed that Buddhabhadra
possessed a formidab!e kno#!edge of Buddhist phi!osophies$
,
7e so!ved a !ot of puAA!ing Buestions regarding Buddhism$ Chinese monks #ere %onvin%ed by
his ans#ers$ Cue to his s%ho!arship Chinese Buddhist monks, s%ho!ars as #e!! as !aymen #ere
high!y impressed by his profound #isdom, erudition and de;terity$
7e met his %o!!eague Kumarajiva in Chang@an$ =hi!e Buddhabhadra #as the eBua! of
Kumarajiva in his !earning and inte!!igen%e, he #as more of an idea! produ%t of Sarv:stiv:dian
training than the !atter$ Buddhabhadra #as most reno#ned for his mastery in meditation
te%hniBues among his %ontemporaries, a!though his posthumous fame %ame !arge!y from his
trans!ation of the 7uayan SDtra$ 2edieva! Buddhist sour%es state that Buddhabhadra studied
meditation #ith the famous Chy:na master, BudddhasenaE, hen%e he re%eived an i!!ustrious
!ine of transmission$ Kumarajiva, despite his endeavors to promote his o#n meditationa!
te%hniBues in Chang@an, did not possess a simi!ar %redentia! in the eyes of his fe!!o# %!eri%s in
medieva! China$
/
F2editation #as high!y va!ued as an essentia! part of the monasti% identity #ithin the
Buddhist %ommunity of ear!y fifth %entury China, as #e!! as that of Centra! Asia$ The !ay
so%iety a!so revered it and para!!e!ed it to the traditiona! idea! of se!f+%ontro!F$
F2editation te%hniBues %a!!ed the Bodhisattva Chy:na$$$$ be%ame Buite fashionab!e
short!y after he arrived at Chang@an$ 7e then estab!ished a thriving %enter of meditation
!earning$ Not on!y did Senrui reported!y seek Kumarajiva@s instru%tions on meditation as soon
as the !ater arrived in Chang@an, the respe%t he re%eived from the %ourt of the ater Gin #as
a!so initia!!y due to his mastery of the Kumarajiva sty!e of meditation$
1
Narrative spiritua!ity and representation of foreign monks in ear!y medieva! China$ The %ase of 7uijiao@s
Biography of Kumarajiva+6ang u Hrin%eton University$ p$ ,1+/9$
2
bid$
2
It #as in su%h an atmosphere that Buddhabhadra %ou!d not have found a more re%eptive
audien%e than the Buddhist %ommunity in Chang@an$ The reputation Buddhabhadra had as a
foremost authority #ithin the monasti% %ir%!e than the se!f+sty!ed Kumarajiva$
Conf!ict "ith Kumara#i$a:
In this #ay, Buddhabhadra %ame into %onf!i%t #ith the Ioffi%ia!J monks of
KumarajivaJs s%hoo! #ho #ere sponsored by the ater Tsin %ourt$ The fo!!o#ers of
Kumarajiva fabri%ated %harges against Buddhabhadra$ It is said that some peop!e, #ho be%ame
very jea!ous of BuddhabhadraJs !earning and popu!arity, tried to defame him by fabri%ating
%ertain %harges$ After#ards, #hen the truth #as revea!ed, they repented$ This resu!ted in the
e;pu!sion of Buddhabhadra from ChangJan$ In 9,0 C3,
But !ater due to jea!ous nature of his fo!!o#ers he #as e;pe!!ed out from Chang@an and
moved to ushan #here he #as re%eived by his dis%ip!es su%h as 7uiyuan$ 7e stayed at Tsung
!in 2onastery and began to tea%h meditation %ourses to many Chinese dis%ip!es$
Buddha%hadra and &is Discip!es in China
Buddhabhadra@s %ontradi%tion #ith Kumarajiiva brought a great %hange in his Sangha
!ife$ The 3mperor, 6ao 7sing invited Kumarajiiva #ith other three thousand Sangha member
at the pa!a%e but Buddhabhadra did not go #ith Kumarajiiva, his severa! hundred dis%ip!es did
not join Kumarajiva$
A!though Buddhabhadra@s dis%ip!es at that time %u!tivated, they a!so %!aimed to have
%ertified to the first, se%ond or third !eve! of Arhatship$ Buddhabhadra #as a#are of a!! their
fee!ings, thus he #anted to return hometo#n$ 7is dis%ip!es a!#ays %reated troub!e for himK
Buddhabhadra@s dis%ip!es #ere heada%he for everyone in the Sangha members at that time$
There rumors and fa!se %!aim %reated a great prob!em$ Heop!e at Lovernment be%ame angry for
their a%tivities and #ant to arrest them$ 7is dis%ip!es #ere frightened and some %hanged their
names and es%aped$ At !ast on!y forty dis%ip!es remain #ith Buddhabhadra$
5or the bad %ondu%t of Buddhabhadra@s dis%ip!es Tao 7eng through Buddhabhadra
e;pe!!ed out from 6ao Gin$ Tao 7eng said Buddhabhadra F6our dis%ip!es don@t fo!!o# the
ru!es and so a%%ording to the Buddhas pre%epts, you %an@t stay here$ 5rom today on#ard, you@!!
have to !eave right a#ayM Let out$F Buddhabhadra regretted that he %ou!d not e;press his
kno#!edge to them$ 7e !eft 6ao Chin %apita! #ith his great dis%ip!e, 7ui Kuan and four other
dis%ip!es$
Buddhabhadra #anted to spread Buddha@s tea%hings, he brought the #ay to China and
at the night time he and his dis%ip!es es%aped to u 2ountain$
=hen the 3mperor 6ao 7sing heard that they had gone, he said to Tao 7eng, F2aster
Buddhabhadra brought the =ay to China, intending to spread the Buddha@s tea%hing$ 7o#
3
%ou!d you thro# him out for su%h a sma!! matter? This is not right$ 7o# %ou!d you !et su%h a
trivia! thing deprive the entire popu!a%e of a Lood Kno#ing Advisor?F
The 3mperor immediate!y sent a party out to apo!ogiAe to Buddhabhadra but #hen they
found him, Buddhabhadra said to the attendant, FThe 3mperor has been most %ompassionate
to#ards me, but I %an@t return #ith you$ H!ease te!! him I %an@t obey his %ommandF$ That night
he and his dis%ip!e es%aped to u 2ountain$
Buddha%hadra's (rans!ation )orks
=e %an say, no# #hat is the popu!arity of Buddhist tradition and phi!osophy in China
is the %ause of the previous trans!ation of Sanskrit Buddhist !iterature in the an%ient period of
Chinese history$ Before Tao re!igion #as popu!ar in China !ater many Chinese Buddhist
s%ho!ar visited Nepa! and India$
Among the Nepa!ese Buddhist S%ho!ar #ho #orked for the promotion of Buddhism in
China 2aster Buddhabhadra #as the one #ho #orked tire!ess!y to spread Buddhism in China$
7e trans!ated many Buddhist !iteratures from Sanskrit into Chinese$ Some te;ts are fu!!y
trans!ated by him and some are joint!y #ith Chinese and Centra! Asian inte!!e%tua!s !ike 5a+
;ian, Kumarajiva and so on$
Buddhabhadra #as one of the most important histori%a! persona!ities of Buddhism in
China$ 5o!!o#ing are the te;ts #hi%h are avai!ab!e no# and #ere trans!ated by Buddhabhadra
#hi!e he #as in China$
* Dharmatara Dhy+na S,tra in AD -./041*
Buddhabhadra, #ho %ame over to China in A$C$90N? 7is trans!ation of Charmatara+
Chy:na SDtra '#hi%h is said to have been prea%hed by Bodhidharma himse!f #hen he #as in
India- and that of Avatamsaka SDtra may be said #ith out e;aggeration to have !aid the %orner+
stone for Aen$ 7e gave a %ourse of !e%tures on the Ch@ an SDtra for the first time in China in
A$C$9,<, and it #as through his instru%tion that many native pra%titioners of Ch@an #ere
produ%ed, of #hom Chi yen '%hi+gon- and 7uen kao 'gen+ko- are #e!! kno#nF$
1 &uayen S,tra or A$atamasaka S,tra AD 410 23!o"er 4rnament S,tra5
Buddhabhadra #as the trans!ator of the !ah"#ai$u%yabuddh"#atamsaka
S&tra or simp!y the A#atamsaka S&tra, and in 2andarin as the 7ua 6en 4ing '-$ 7is
#as the first fu!! trans!ation from Sanskrit to Chinese 'N0 fas%i%!es- and #as %omp!eted by
around 9/0 A$C$ 'A#atamsaka S&traK N0 fas%i%!es, Taisho %ata!og referen%e T /*1$)$<).a+
*11b$-$
The se%ond trans!ation '10 fas%i%!es A#atamsaka S&traK Taisho %ata!og referen%e T
/*)$,0$,b+999%$- #as %omp!eted by Oiks:nanda 'Oiks:nanda- around N)) A$C$K
4
The third #as %omp!eted by HrajP: '90 fas%i%!es, Ga'n'da#y&ha 'Gandha#y&ha or
Ganda#y&ha-K Taisho %ata!og referen%e T /)<$,0$NN,a+191b- around *)1 A$C$
<

This SDtra #as trans!ated into Chinese by Buddhabhadra in 9/, C$3 'T /*1-$ This
trans!ation, %onsisting of si;ty fas%i%!es and divided into thirty+four %hapters, #as based on a
Sanskrit te;t that had been brought to China from Khotan by Chih 5a+!ing$ Thus the Sanskrit
te;t of the Avatamsaka #as %ompi!ed before 900, probab!y by <.0$
9
7uayan jing 'Avatamsaka SDtraK-
.
is the tit!e rendered into 3ng!ish as 5!o#er
Adornment SDtra, 5!o#er Qrnament SDtra, et%$ of one of the most inf!uentia! te;ts in 3ast
Asian Buddhism, of #hi%h three Chinese trans!ations #ere done, a!! #ith the fu!! tit!e of
(afangguangfo Huayan jing$
This te;t des%ribes a %osmos of infinite rea!ms upon rea!ms, mutua!!y %ontaining ea%h
other$ The vision e;pressed in this #ork #as the foundation for the %reation of the 7uayan
s%hoo! of Chinese Buddhism, #hi%h #as %hara%teriAed by a phi!osophy of interpenetration$
The SDtra is a!so #e!! kno#n for its detai! des%ription of the %ourse of the %ourse of the
bodhisattva@s pra%ti%e through fifty+t#o stages$
5ragmentary trans!ation of this te;t probab!y began in the se%ond %entury and the
famous Ten Stages SDtra, often treated as an individua! s%ripture, #as first trans!ated in the
third %entury$
1. The first fu!! trans!ation #as %omp!eted by Buddhabhadra in 9/, 'Avatamsaka SDtraK
N0 fas%i%!es, T /*1$)$<).a+*11b$-K
2. The se%ond trans!ation '10 fas%i%!es Avatamsaka SDtraK T /*)$,0$,b+999%$- #as
%omp!eted by Oiks:nanda around N))K
3. The third #as %omp!eted by HrajP: '90 fas%i%!es, LandhavyDhaK T /)<$,0$NN,a+191b-
around *)1$
Sanskrit te;ts of severa! se%tions of the Avatamsaka are e;tant$ The CaRabhDmSka and
the LandhavyDha have been pub!ished from The 2ithi!: Institute, Carbhang: and e!se#here$
<
Sour%e& ###$ buddhist+di%tionaryTdataT,900*1<35$htmU
9
7iraka#a Akira, p$ /*)
5
Hau! CemiVvi!!e has dra#n attention to the asso%iation of 2aPju@srii #ith 2t$ Ch@ing+!iang in
Buddhabhadra@s trans!ation of the Avatamsaka SDtra in the first Buarter of the fifth %entury '9,1+9/0 C3-$
It is des%ribed as his residen%e and is the north+easter!y mountain in a !ist of eight mountains p!a%ed at the eight
points of the %ompass$ Ch@ing+!iang shan #as an a!ternative name for =u+t@ai shan$
The same identifi%ation bet#een 2aPjuRrS and Ch'ing-%iang shan is found in the trans!ation of the Avatamsaka
SDtra made by Oiks:nanda in the %!osing years of the seventh %entury 'N).+N)) C3-$
7o#ever, amotte has sho#n that the assertion is an interpo!ation of the trans!ators and not in the origina!$ 7e
suggests that the interpo!ation #as the #ork of Oiks:nanda, made at a time #hen the 7ua+yen s%hoo!, %entered
on the Avatamsaka SDtra, had be%ome popu!ar, and that he a!tered the eBuiva!ent passage in the ear!ier
trans!ation of Buddhabhadra$
5
The LandhavyDha %on%!udes #ith verses %on%erning SamantabhadraJs pra%ti%es and the
vo#s$ The Sanskrit te;t of the verses has been pub!ished as the Bhadra%aryapranidhana raja
severa! times in Nepa! a!one$
- )u06ian70Shou Chin7: Amit+%ha S,tra
F=u+!iang+shou %hing %onsists of t#o vo!umes and is traditiona!!y thought to have been
trans!ated in /./ A$C by Samghavarman of the =ei dynasty$ 7o#ever, it is no# thought to
have been joint!y trans!ated by Buddhabhadra '<.)+9/)- of the 3astern Ching dynasty and
Hao+yun '<*N+99)- of the !iu sung dynasty$ This is the most popu!ar and %ommon!y used of the
five trans!ationsF$
A%%ording to the a%%ount given in vo!ume t#o of the ChJu san+tsang %hi+%hi, the monk
Buddhabhadra trans!ated the 7sin 'Ne#- =u+!iangshou %hing in t#o Chinese vo!umes in the
year 9/,, during the iu+Sung Cynasty$
The trans!ation #as %arried out in the Tao+%hJang ssu 2onastery in the %ity of 6ang+tu
'present+day Chiang+tu hsien, Kiangsu-$
4 Mah+s+n7hika Vinaya 2"ith 3a 0 8ian5 or
The Lreat Canon of 2onasti% Wu!es 'Chinese& 2o+ho+seng+%h@i+!u- + 90 5as%i%u!e
This #ork kno#n as 2ahasanghika 8inaya is thus a %o!!e%tion of the monasti% ru!es
transmitted in the 2ahasanghika tradition, and des%ribes in detai! the pre%epts to be observed
by ordained monks and nuns$ ater he trans!ated the first thirty+si; thousand verses of the
Avatamsaka SDtra and he!ped Charma 2aster 5a +;ian to trans!ate the 2ahasanghika 8inaya$
9 Mah+parinir$+na S,tra 6 3ascicu!e 2"ith 3a08ian 5 4*604*/
The 2ahaparinirvana SDtra, a trans!ation by 5a+hsien and Buddhabhadra in the 3astern
Chin dynasty '<,*+9/0-$ This #ork %onsists of si; vo!umes and %orresponds to the first ten
vo!umes of Charmaraksha@s version$ It is a!so %a!!ed the Harinirvana SDtra or the si;+vo!ume
Harinirvana SDtra$
The first Chinese trans!ation 'T<*N- #as made by 5a+hsien '%a$ <90+9/0- and
Buddhabhadra '<.)+9/)-, #hi%h #as %omp!eted in 9,1$ This trans!ation is ten fas%i%!es in
!ength and %ontains on!y the first third of the !onger versions of this SDtra '%hapters ,+,* of the
Southern version and %hapters ,+. of the Northern version-$
There are three e;tant versions of the Mah+y+na Mah+parinir$+na S:tra, ea%h
trans!ated from various Sanskrit editions& the shortest and ear!iest is the trans!ation into
Chinese by 5a+;ian and Buddhabhadra in si; juan '9,1 C3-, the ne;t in terms of deve!opment
is the Tibetan version '*)0 C3- by 4inamitra, 4nanagarbha, and Ceva%andra, and the e;tended
version in 90 juan by Charmakshema '9//- #hi%h #as a!so trans!ated into Tibetan from the
Chinese$
6
There a!so e;ists a se%ondary Chinese version in <N juan of Charmakshema@s
trans!ation, produ%ed by po!ishing the sty!e and adding ne# se%tion headings and %omp!eted in
9.<C3$ Though a %omp!ete version of the entire te;t in Sanskrit has not yet been dis%overed,
some fragments of origina! Sanskrit versions have been dis%overed in Centra! Asia,
Afghanistan and 4apan$
This SDtra, #hi%h is supposed to be the a%%ount of the Buddha@s fina! sermon prior to
his passing a#ay, stresses the fa%t that a!! sentient beings possess the Buddha+nature and that
a!! beings, even i%%hantikas 'in%orrigib!es-, #i!! be%ome buddhas$
There are three Chinese trans!ations&
1. The Ca anniepan jing T <*9$,/$<N.%+N0<% '2ahaparinirvana+SDtra- 90 fas%, tr$ in the
northern iang by Charmaksema in 9,N+9/<K a!so %a!!ed the Northern 3dition of the
Nirvana SDtra$
/$ Same tit!e, <N fas%$ trans$ in the Song by 4nanabhadra and 7uining, T <*.$,/$N0.+1./$
3. N fas%$ trans!ated in the 3astern >in by Buddhabhadra and 5a+;ian in 9,N+9,1, T
<*N$,/$1.<+1))$
6 ;o7+c+ra%h,mi S,tra 2Taisho No$N,1-
Chinese& Ta+mo+to+!o %h@an+%hing / fas%i%u!e, Taisho No$N,1
The te;t #as trans!ated into Chinese by Buddhabhadra$This is a #ork %omposed by
Charmatrata and Buddhasena, t#o monks #ho popu!ariAed the pra%ti%e of Ch@an meditation as
a method of spiritua! training in Centra! Asia at the start of fifth %entury A$C$
It is said that he started the trans!ation of this Sanskrit manus%ript in 9,1 and %omp!eted it
in 9// C3 in Tao Chang Ssu monastery in 6ang %hou$ This #ork is high!y metaphysi%a! and
has been said to represent the highest !eve! of 2ahXyXna thought$ Buddhabhadra a!so
trans!ated the 6ogX%XrabhYmi SYtra 'Ta-mo-to-%och)an- ching- in t#o fas%i%!es from <)1 to
9/, C3 in u+shan in 6ang Tu$
7o#ever, the a%tua! %ontents of the SDtra are %entered upon the tea%hings of Buddhasena
on the 7inayana methods of training, and it is said that the tea%hings of Charmatrata based
upon the 2ahayana are missing$ It has been he!d in high regard in Ch@an se%ts as an e;position
of Bodhidharma@s tea%hings$
N
< &is other trans!ated "orks "ere the Anantamukha S+dhakadh+rani S,tra 'Ch)u
Sheng *u %iang men Ch)ih Ching- in the first year of 6uan 7si of the 3astern Tsin Cynasty in
9,) C3 in 6ang Tu$
N
W$ =$ Liebe! ' tr- in ntroduction to +uddhist Canon, Tokyo& Buddhist Hromoting 5oundation, ,)19 $
7
/ Simi!ar!y= he a!so trans!ated the Bhadracary+pranidh+na ',en Shu shih %i fa yuan
ching- during the se%ond year of 6uan 7si of the 3astern Tsin Cynasty in 9/0 C3 in Tao+
ChJang Ssu monastery,
. &e trans!ated Dhy+na S,tra 'Ta mo to %o Shan -in- during the 3astern Tsin Cynasty
at 9/0 A$C$
*0 &e a!so trans!ated the Man#usri >ranidh+notpada S,tra ',an-shu-sh-%i-fa-yuen-
Ching- in 9/0 C3$
**Another trans!ation of Buddha%hadra "as that of the (ath+7ata7ar%ha S,tra 'Ta
fang ten-ju %ai tsang Ching- in one fas%i%!e in 9/0 C3 during the 3astern Tsin Cynasty$
*1 &e a!so trans!ated the Buddhayana Samadhis+7ara S,tra '-uan fo san-mei hai
Ching- from 9/0 to 9/< C3 in 6ang Chou$
*- Mah+s+n7hika%hiksuni Vinaya& Buddhabhadra a!so trans!ated severa! other Buddhist
te;ts, #hi%h in%!ude the 2ahXsXnghikabhiksuni 8inaya '!o ho seng ch'i $i ch'iu ni chien $en-
during the 3astern Tsin dynasty in 9,9 C3 $
*4 (he >ratimoksa S+n7hika Vinayam+!+ '.o %o thi mu kha san khi kie $an or !o ho
seng ch)i %u ta $i Ch)iu Chien$en- #as a!so trans!ated by him$ In tota! he is said to have
trans!ated ,< #orks in ,/. vo!umes %ontributing great!y to the deve!opment of Chinese
Buddhism
*
&is 6ast Days
In 9,1 A$C$ he #as invited to Chien+6eh= the modern Nanking$ There he be%ame the
senior trans!ator at Tao Chang Ssu, giving guidan%e to more than a hundred monks engaged in
putting the Buddhist s%riptures into Chinese$ This monastery #as the main %enter of su%h #ork
in China$ 7e %ontinued his a%tivities unti! his death at the age of seventy+one in the year 9/)
A$C$
Thus, he #orked tire!ess!y to e;pound the Charma to the Chinese inte!!e%tua!s$ In this
#ay, by spending t#enty one years in China, he !aid a strong foundation for the propagation of
Buddhism$ 7is #orks made him a reno#ned Buddhist 2aster in China$
It is said that Buddhabhadra #as a #e!!+kno#n ChJan 2aster #ho gave a %ourse of
!e%tures on the Chy:na SYtra for the first time in 9,< C3, and it #as through his instru%tions
that many native Chy:na pra%titioners #ere produ%ed of #hi%h Chi 6en and 7uan Kao be%ame
#e!! kno#n$
3ven 7ui+yuan, the founder of the =hite otus So%iety and the Chinese Hure and
Buddhism pra%ti%ed Chy:na #ith the he!p of his instru%tions$ BuddhabhadraJs trans!ations of
the Avatamsaka SYtra and Chy:na SYtra may be said #ithout e;aggeration to have !aid the
7
'The Soka Lakkai Ci%tionary of Buddhism-, p$,01
8
very %ornerstone for Chyana ideo!ogy in China$ 8ery re%ent!y, the tomb of 8en$
Buddhabhadra has been dis%overed in China$
Conc!usion:
It seems that Buddhabhadra@s a%tivities are a!though great, his popu!arity as Nepa!ese
Buddhist master has been !eft in ob!ivion due to dubious nature of his nativity$ In China, most
of the trans!ator@s name from Sanskrit is %redited to Indian origin a!though some of them are of
Centra! Asian origin$ Sin%e he #as born in Kapi!avastu, in Nepa! as des%ribed in Laosheng
%huan there shou!d not be any %ontroversy no#$ There is dearth of #riting on this issueK
therefore a humb!e attempt has been made here$ There are many areas for e;p!oration and sight
visits have to be made for %onfirmation of these sites #here 2aster Buddhabhadra stepped in$
2ore resear%hes are ne%essary to appre%iate the #orks of this Nepa!ese 2aster of Buddhism$
?eferences
1. Anesaki= M= *.*6 I2issions 'Buddhist-J in 4ames 7astings 'ed$-, /ncyc%o$aedia of
Re%igion and /thics, 8o!$ 8III, Ne# 6ork& Char!es S%ribnerJs Sons,
2. Ba7chi= > C= *.<* ndia and China0 A Thousand 1ears of Cu%tura% Re%ations,
Conne%ti%ut& Lreen#ood Hress,
3. Bhattarai= @iran#an= 10*/ VA Chin Ra Tyasasita 2e$a% -o Sambandha 'China and her
re!ations #ith Nepa!-, Kathmandu& Woya! Nepa! A%ademy$
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Re%ations3 =estport, Conne%ti%ut, Lreen#ood Hress Hub!ishers$
5. Ba7chi S 2 ed5 0*.<0 !ahayana S&tra%ankara of Asanga, Carbhanga& The 2ithi!a
Institute
6. Baner#ee= A C= *.<< Studies in Chinese +uddhism, Ca!%utta firma K2$
7. Bapat= > V 2ed5= *.9. 4566 1ears of +uddhism, Ce!hi& 2inistry of Information and
Broad%asting,
8. Bhattarai= @iran#an= 1006 ICharma%harya Buddhabhadra 'Chueh+hsien-J, +uddha
7ayanti Go%den 7ubi%ee Sou#enir, a!itpur& Bhaskarvarna 2ahavihara,
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Banarsidas Hub!ishers ' reprint-
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Hrakashan$
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University Hress$
13. Cook= 3rancis &= *./* Huayen +uddhism, Ne# 6ork& The Institute of Advan%ed
Studies of =or!d We!igions,
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14. Das= Sarat Chandra= *.69 ndian .andits in the %and of Sno*, Ca!%utta& K$
$2ukhopadhyaya
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,1$ Cie%e! ? ) 2tr5 *./4 ntroduction to +uddhist Canon, 4apan& Buddhist Hromoting
5oundation,
19. &ui#iao= Dharma Master$ '9)*+..9- in .//$ Gao seng zhuan , T no$ /0.), .0$
20. &ua= dharma Master &suan0*./-$ Records of High Sanghan, 3ng$ tr$ Charma Wea!m
Buddhist University, Ta!mage Ca!ifornia
21. &iraka"a= Akira= *../ A History of ndian +uddhism0 9rom Shakyamuni to /ar%y
!ahayana, 3ng$ tr$ and ed$ Hau! Lroner, Ce!hi& 2oti!a! Banarsidas Hub!ishers$
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-osei Hub!ishing Co$
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27. >re%ish= Char!es S= 100- The A to > of Buddhism, Ce!hi& 8ision Books$
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