Aśvaghoṣa

Ashvaghosha (* 80, † 150; Devanagari: अश्वघोष, Asvaghosa ) was an Indian poet, scholar and playwright. He was probably born in Saketa (today Ayodhya ) in northern India. He is after the first known Sanskrit playwright Bhasa as the first Buddhist playwright and is considered one of the greatest Indian poet and as a predecessor of Kalidasa (late 4th / early 5th century).

Life and work

First Ashvaghosha studied Brahmanical teachings: the Vedas, Upanishads and the great epics Ramayana and Mahabharata. Later he became a Buddhist and Buying Guide for Religious Affairs of the Kushan king Kanishka -.

Sometimes the authorship of the influential Buddhist text Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana ( "Origin of Mahayanaglaubens " ), he is credited. He also wrote an epic work about the life of Buddha, the epic Buddhacarita is called ( Life of Buddha) in Sanskrit and the Mahalankara (Book of Glory ). He also wrote Saundaranandakavya, a kavya - seal that has the conversion of Nanda, Buddha's younger half- brother, on the subject, so that he can achieve salvation. The first half of the work describes Nanda's life and the second half Buddhist doctrines and ascetic practices.

In the tradition of Zen Buddhism, he is considered the twelfth patriarch.

Quote

" Hiouen Thsang, who left India in AD 645, mentions him with Deva, Nagarguna, and Kumaralabdha, 'as the four suns Which illumine the world ( 1 Julien's translation, vol ii, p 214. . ); ' but our fullest account is givenName by I- tsing, who visited India in 673 "

Works

• Buddhacarita, epic.
• Saundarananda - Kavya, epic.
• Sutralamkara
• Shariputra - Prakarana, Drama.
• Mahalankara.
• Mahayanasraddhotpada ( origin of Mahayanaglaubens ). ( attributed to )