Buddhabhadra (translator) facts for kids
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Buddhabhadra (simplified Chinese: 佛陀跋罗; traditional Chinese: 佛陀跋陀羅; pinyin: Fótuóbátuóluó) was an important Buddhist teacher who lived from 359 to 429 CE. He was a master of Buddhist meditation and Vinaya, which are rules for Buddhist monks and nuns. Buddhabhadra is best known for his hard work translating many important Buddhist texts from Sanskrit, an ancient Indian language, into Chinese. He completed the very first Chinese translation of the Avataṃsaka Sūtra, also known as the Flower Ornament Scripture, in the 400s. In China, people often called him the "Meditation Master from India."
Contents
Who Was Buddhabhadra?
Early Life and Training
Buddhabhadra was born in a place called Nagarahāra, which is now Jalalabad in Afghanistan. He came from the Shakya family, the same family as the Buddha himself. Nagarahāra was a well-known center for a Buddhist group called Sarvastivada at that time.
Buddhabhadra studied under a meditation teacher named Buddhasena from Kashmir. Buddhasena was a follower of both Mahayana Buddhism and Sarvastivada teachings. Buddhabhadra became very skilled in both meditation and the Vinaya, which are the rules that guide Buddhist monks.
Journey to China and New Friendships
A Chinese student of Buddhabhadra, named Jibin Zhiyan, invited him to travel to China. Buddhabhadra arrived in Chang'an, the capital city of the Later Qin kingdom, between 406 and 408 CE. There, he became friends with another famous Buddhist scholar, Kumārajīva. They even took part in a public discussion about Buddhist ideas, which was supported by Prince Hong.
Buddhabhadra quickly became famous for his meditation skills. However, over time, Buddhabhadra's group and Kumārajīva's group developed some disagreements. These differences eventually led to Buddhabhadra leaving Chang'an around 410 CE.
Spreading Meditation Teachings
After leaving Chang'an, Buddhabhadra went to Mount Lu. While there, he translated several books about meditation at the request of a monk named Huiyuan. These included the Dharmatrātadhyāna Sutra, a guide to meditation, and the Sutra on the Ocean-Like Samādhi of the Visualization of the Buddha. This second book focused on how to meditate by thinking deeply about the Buddha.
Later, Buddhabhadra and his students moved to Daochang Monastery. He continued to teach meditation there and became even more famous. Soon, another well-known monk, Faxian, joined them. At this monastery, Buddhabhadra and his team, which included Chinese students like Baoyun, Huiguan, and Zhiyan, worked with Faxian to translate many important Buddhist scriptures.
Translating Important Buddhist Books
Buddhabhadra and his team translated the very large Avataṃsaka-sūtra, which had 60 parts. They also translated other significant texts. These included the Mahāsāṃghika-vinaya, a book of monastic rules, and the Mahāyāna Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra, which they translated with Faxian. Other translations included the Tathāgatagarbha Sūtra and the Longer Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra, also known as the Larger Sukhāvatīvyūha.
Buddhabhadra's Lasting Impact
Shaping Chinese Buddhist Practices
Buddhabhadra's work had a big impact on later Chinese Buddhism. His meditation guides and his students, such as Zhiyan, Huiguan, Baoyun, Xuangao, and Tanyao, greatly influenced how Buddhist meditation was practiced in China. His teachings also helped make cave-temples, like the Yungang Grottoes, Maijishan Grottoes, and Bingling Temple Grottoes, popular places for meditation.
Inspiring New Buddhist Schools
His translation of the Avataṃsaka-sūtra was very important. It helped start the early studies of this scripture, which later grew into Huayan Buddhism. Similarly, his translation of the Larger Sukhāvatīvyūha helped develop Pure Land Buddhism.
One of Buddhabhadra's students, Xuangao, became an important meditation master in northern China. Xuangao focused on visualizing the Buddha and practicing a type of meditation called "Huayan Samadhi." Scholars believe that Xuangao's teachings were an early step towards the development of the Huayan school of Buddhism. Some scholars also think that Xuangao, along with another master named Daorong, might have written some texts like the Brahma's Net Sūtra and the Sutra of the Original Acts that Adorn the Bodhisattva, which are important for the Huayan tradition.
Buddhabhadra's meditation texts also influenced Chan Buddhism. However, some later teachers, like Shenhui, had different ideas about these meditation methods.
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