Abhayākaragupta (
Wylie: 'jigs-med 'byung-gnas sbas-pa) was a Buddhist monk, scholar and tantric master (''vajracarya'') and the abbot of
Vikramasila monastery in modern-day,
Bihar
Bihar ( ) is a states and union territories of India, state in Eastern India. It is the list of states and union territories of India by population, second largest state by population, the List of states and union territories of India by are ...
in India. He was born in somewhere in Eastern India,
and is thought to have flourished in the late 11th-early 12th century CE, and died in 1125 CE.
[Nakamura, Hajime. (1980) ''Indian Buddhism: A Survey with Biographical Notes''. 1st Indian Edition (1987), Motilal Barnasidass, Delhi, p. 335.]
Abhayākaragupta's magnum opus, the ''Vajravali'', is a "grand synthesis of tantric liturgy" which developed a single harmonized tantric ritual system which could be applied to all
Tantric Buddhist mandalas.
According to A.K. Warder, Abhayākaragupta developed the
Mantrayana
''Vajrayāna'' (; 'vajra vehicle'), also known as Mantrayāna ('mantra vehicle'), Guhyamantrayāna ('secret mantra vehicle'), Tantrayāna ('tantra vehicle'), Tantric Buddhism, and Esoteric Buddhism, is a Mahāyāna Buddhism, Mahāyāna Buddhis ...
-
Madhyamaka
Madhyamaka ("middle way" or "centrism"; ; ; Tibetic languages, Tibetan: དབུ་མ་པ་ ; ''dbu ma pa''), otherwise known as Śūnyavāda ("the Śūnyatā, emptiness doctrine") and Niḥsvabhāvavāda ("the no Svabhava, ''svabhāva'' d ...
doctrine to its final Indic form. Matthew Kapstein sees him as "among the last great masters of Buddhism in India."
Life
Some Tibetan sources identify his birthplace as ''Jarikhanda'' which
Taranatha places next to Odisha.
Gudrun Bühnemann identifies this as modern-day
Jharkhand
Jharkhand (; ) is a States and union territories of India, state in East India, eastern India. The state shares its border with the states of West Bengal to the east, Chhattisgarh to the west, Uttar Pradesh to the northwest, Bihar to the north ...
around the
Chota Nagpur Plateau and
Rahul Sankrityayan identified his birthplace with the modern-day town of
Deoghar.
The Tibetan translation of his work the Vajrayãnâpattimanjari states that he was "from
Magadha" which is likely referring to where he worked around the monasteries of
Nalanda
Nalanda (International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration, IAST: , ) was a renowned Buddhism, Buddhist ''mahavihara'' (great monastery) in medieval Magadha (Mahajanapada), Magadha (modern-day Bihar), eastern India. Widely considered to be am ...
and
Vikramashila.
He is said to have become a Buddhist monk following a prophetic vision after which he trained extensively in
tantra
Tantra (; ) is an esoteric yogic tradition that developed on the India, Indian subcontinent beginning in the middle of the 1st millennium CE, first within Shaivism and later in Buddhism.
The term ''tantra'', in the Greater India, Indian tr ...
.
Born in 1064 CE, as a youth, and on the advice of a young
yogini, he went to the country of
Magadha, "where he learned the five sciences and became well known as a
pandit." During the reign of King
Rāmapāla (c. 1075-1120), there was a great revival of Buddhism under Abhayākaragupta. He taught at the
Vikramashila Mahavihara as well as at Vajrāsana (
Bodh Gaya
Bodh Gayā is a religious site and place of pilgrimage associated with the Mahabodhi Temple complex, situated in the Gaya district in the Indian States and union territories of India, state of Bihar. It is famous for being the place where Gautam ...
) and
Odantapuri. He is credited with many miracles including feeding the starving in the city of
Sukhavati
Sukhavati ( IAST: ''Sukhāvatī''; "Blissful"; Chinese: 極樂世界, lit. "realm of ultimate bliss") is the pure land (or buddhafield) of the Buddha Amitābha in Mahayana Buddhism. Sukhavati is also called the Land of Bliss or Western Pure L ...
from his mendicant bowl which was replenished from heaven, and bringing a dead child to life in the great cemetery of
Himavana.
Teachings
Abhayākaragupta's scholarship extended from Mahayana doctrine and philosophy to Tantric Buddhist ritual and practice. David Seyfort Ruegg, writing about one of his main scholarly works writes:
The ''Munimatalamkara'' is one of the last of the major comprehensive treatises of Indian Buddhism, and it presents a treatment of Mahayanist thought based on the Prajnaparamita
file:Medicine Buddha painted mandala with goddess Prajnaparamita in center, 19th century, Rubin.jpg, A Tibetan painting with a Prajñāpāramitā sūtra at the center of the mandala
Prajñāpāramitā means "the Perfection of Wisdom" or "Trans ...
, Madhyamaka
Madhyamaka ("middle way" or "centrism"; ; ; Tibetic languages, Tibetan: དབུ་མ་པ་ ; ''dbu ma pa''), otherwise known as Śūnyavāda ("the Śūnyatā, emptiness doctrine") and Niḥsvabhāvavāda ("the no Svabhava, ''svabhāva'' d ...
and Yogacara
Yogachara (, IAST: ') is an influential tradition of Buddhist philosophy and psychology emphasizing the study of cognition, perception, and consciousness through the interior lens of meditation, as well as philosophical reasoning (hetuvidyā). ...
traditions. Although as such it is not in the narrowest sense a work of the Madhyamaka, it bears testimony to the efforts made by the later Madhyamikas systematically to elaborate a synthesis of the entire Mahayanist tradition.
The ''Munimatalamkara'' survives in Tibetan, and it was widely studied in Tibet until the 14th century when it was displaced by native treatises on similar subjects.
Another major text by Abhayākaragupta is the great Tantric work, the ''Vajravalimandopayika'' which is a systematic exposition of
Tantric Buddhist ritual (a ''mandalavidhi'') as a generic system applicable for all tantras. This work deals with preparation of the sacred space, 'installation ceremonies', tantric mandala construction (''mandalakarman''), and the performance of tantric consecration or initiation (''
abhiseka
Abhisheka () is a religious Ritual, rite or method of prayer in which a devotee pours a liquid offering on an image or murti of a deity. This is common to religions such as Hinduism, Buddhism and Jainism.
Hinduism
An abhiṣeka is conducted ...
'').
[Tadeusz Skorupski. ''Jyotirmañjari of Abhayåkaragupta.'' The Buddhist Forum, Volume VI, The Institute of Buddhist StudiesTring, UK, 2001, 183-221][Yong-Hyun Lee, ''Synthesizing a Liturgical Heritage: Abhayākaragupta's Vajravali and the Kalacakramandala'', 2003, p. 5.] It is probably the first generic work of its kind which is not tied to an individual tantric tradition, but was meant to be used with all tantras and mandalas.
In the Vajravali, Abhayākaragupta synthesized previous Tantric ritual traditions such as those of Pundarika and Padmavajra and created a standardized 'sequence of rituals' (''prakriya''). In the beginning of this work, Abhaya summarizes his intent for composing it thus:
The mandala and other rituals taught by the teacher have been divided into two classes (yogatantra and yoginitantra). We shall summarize them here as clearly and as systematically as possible. Moreover, the ritual treatises compiled by (other) preceptors (acarya) lack completeness, thematic core, lucid expression and sometimes authenticity and consistency. Therefore, we shall adorn it with all such good qualities.
Abhaya composed this work by selecting mandala systems and rituals from different tantric traditions and texts, and attempting to strike a balance between the
yoginitantras and the
yogatantra works.
His other Tantric works expound in detail on particular practices in the ''Vajravali''; the ''Niṣpannayogāvalī'' (Garland of Completed Yogas), contains detailed descriptions of the drawing of 26 mandalas while the ''Jyotirmañjari'' details the practice of fire rituals recommended in the ''Vajravali''.
Mahayana texts
Abhayakaragupta was an advocate for the authority of
Mahayana
Mahāyāna ( ; , , ; ) is a term for a broad group of Buddhist traditions, Buddhist texts#Mahāyāna texts, texts, Buddhist philosophy, philosophies, and practices developed in ancient India ( onwards). It is considered one of the three main ex ...
texts over texts from other schools of thought which he terms"''Śrāvakayāna''" (Vehicle of the Disciples). The last chapter of the ''Munimatālaṃkāra'' contains a discussion where Abhayakaragupta argues that the Mahayana is great due to the "seven points of greatness" set out by
Asanga in his
Abhidharma-samuccaya. He contrasts Mahayana texts with the
Tripiṭaka
There are several Buddhist canons, which refers to the various scriptural collections of Buddhist sacred scriptures or the various Buddhist scriptural canons. which he states contradict each other and therefore cannot be a representation of the words of the
Buddha
Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha (),*
*
*
was a wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist legends, he was ...
.
Abhayakaragupta built upon the work of earlier authorities including
Nagarjuna
Nāgārjuna (Sanskrit: नागार्जुन, ''Nāgārjuna''; ) was an Indian monk and Mahayana, Mahāyāna Buddhist Philosophy, philosopher of the Madhyamaka (Centrism, Middle Way) school. He is widely considered one of the most importa ...
,
Bhāviveka and
Vasubandhu
Vasubandhu (; Tibetan: དབྱིག་གཉེན་ ; floruit, fl. 4th to 5th century CE) was an influential Indian bhikkhu, Buddhist monk and scholar. He was a philosopher who wrote commentary on the Abhidharma, from the perspectives of th ...
who also pointed out the contradictory statements within the texts of other schools. What is unique about Abhayakaragupta's arguments is that he argues that Śrāvakayāna cannot be considered the words of the Buddha and that Mahayana texts cannot be grouped with them because the latter are inherently superior.
Two truths doctrine
In the ''Munimatālaṃkāra'', Abhayakaragupta set out that the
two truths doctrine
The Buddhism, Buddhist doctrine of the two truths (Sanskrit: '','' ) differentiates between two levels of ''satya'' (Sanskrit; Pāli: ''sacca''; meaning "truth" or "reality") in the teaching of Gautama Buddha, Śākyamuni Buddha: the "conventiona ...
is the most crucial of teachings. It was his position that all other major doctrinal points and teachings could be subsumed under the banner of the two truths doctrine. These include the five dharmas, the three natures (
Trisvabhāva), the
Eight Consciousnesses
The Eight Consciousnesses (Skt. ''aṣṭa vijñānakāyāḥ'') are a classification developed in the tradition of the Yogacara, Yogācāra school of Mahayana Buddhism. They enumerate the five sense consciousnesses, supplemented by the mental ...
and the two selflessnesses.
Buddha-nature
With regard to the doctrine of
Buddha-nature, Abhayakaragupta was of the view that all sentient beings, regardless of which belief they adopt, can attain Buddha-nature as per the
Ekayāna theory. He states in the ''Munimatālaṃkāra'': “every sentient being has Buddha-nature (tathāgatagarbha)”; that is, all sentient beings are able to reach the state of perfect awakening.".
This view is similar to that expounded by
Kamalaśīla in the eighth century in his work, the Madhyamakāloka. Like Kamalaśīla, he also views Buddha-nature as being devoid of any intrinsic nature.
Abhayakaragupta's interpretation of Buddha-nature had an impact on later Indian Buddhist thinkers including Daśabalaśrīmitra, Ratnarakṣita and Jayānanda.
Impact in Tibet
Abhayākaragupta's school of Buddhism flourished in India until the invasions of the Turks in the 13th century killed or scattered them; but his teachings were continued and revered in Tibet. Through his works at Vikramasila, he exerted great influence on the formation of
Tibetan Buddhism
Tibetan Buddhism is a form of Buddhism practiced in Tibet, Bhutan and Mongolia. It also has a sizable number of adherents in the areas surrounding the Himalayas, including the Indian regions of Ladakh, Gorkhaland Territorial Administration, D ...
, particularly during the twelfth through fourteenth centuries.
In the lineage of the
Tibet
Tibet (; ''Böd''; ), or Greater Tibet, is a region in the western part of East Asia, covering much of the Tibetan Plateau and spanning about . It is the homeland of the Tibetan people. Also resident on the plateau are other ethnic groups s ...
an
Panchen Lamas there were considered to be four Indian and three Tibetan incarnations of
Amitābha
Amitābha (, "Measureless" or "Limitless" Light), also known as Amituofo in Chinese language, Chinese, Amida in Japanese language, Japanese and Öpakmé in Tibetan script, Tibetan, is one of the main Buddhahood, Buddhas of Mahayana, Mahayana Buddh ...
Buddha before
Khedrup Gelek Pelzang, who is recognised as the 1st Panchen Lama. The lineage starts with
Subhuti, one of the original disciples of
Gautama Buddha
Siddhartha Gautama, most commonly referred to as the Buddha (),*
*
*
was a śramaṇa, wandering ascetic and religious teacher who lived in South Asia during the 6th or 5th century BCE and founded Buddhism. According to Buddhist lege ...
. Abhayākaragupta is considered to be the fourth Indian incarnation of Amitabha Buddha in this line.
Works
26 works are attributed to Abhayakaragupta of which twenty-five have been preserved in the
Tibetan language Tibetan language may refer to:
* Lhasa Tibetan or Standard Tibetan, the most widely used spoken dialect
* Classical Tibetan, the classical language used also as a contemporary written standard
* Any of the other Tibetic languages
See also
* Ol ...
and thirteen are still extant in the original
Sanskrit
Sanskrit (; stem form ; nominal singular , ,) is a classical language belonging to the Indo-Aryan languages, Indo-Aryan branch of the Indo-European languages. It arose in northwest South Asia after its predecessor languages had Trans-cultural ...
. Of his works, twenty-two have been classified as tantric and four as non-tantric. His non-tantric works mainly focus on
Madhyamaka
Madhyamaka ("middle way" or "centrism"; ; ; Tibetic languages, Tibetan: དབུ་མ་པ་ ; ''dbu ma pa''), otherwise known as Śūnyavāda ("the Śūnyatā, emptiness doctrine") and Niḥsvabhāvavāda ("the no Svabhava, ''svabhāva'' d ...
philosophy.
His works include:
*''Vajravalimandopayika'', a treatise on Buddhist
Tantra
Tantra (; ) is an esoteric yogic tradition that developed on the India, Indian subcontinent beginning in the middle of the 1st millennium CE, first within Shaivism and later in Buddhism.
The term ''tantra'', in the Greater India, Indian tr ...
*''Amnaya-mañjari'', a commentary on the ''Samputatantra''
*''Marmakaumudī'' ('Moonlight of Points'), commentary on the ''Perfection of Wisdom Sutra in Eight Thousand Lines''.
*''Ocean of Means of Achievement'' (Tib. ''sgrub thabs rgya mtsho'')
*''Munimatālaṃkāra'' ('Ornament to the Subduer's Thought', Tib. ''thub pa'i dgongs rgyan''), an encyclopedic Mahayana treatise based on
Maitreya
Maitreya (Sanskrit) or Metteyya (Pali), is a bodhisattva who is regarded as the future Buddhahood, Buddha of this world in all schools of Buddhism, prophesied to become Maitreya Buddha or Metteyya Buddha.Williams, Paul. ''Mahayana Buddhism: Th ...
's
Abhisamayalankara.
[ Tenzin Gyatso, the Fourteenth Dalai Lama. (1999) ''Kālachakra Tantra Rite of Initiation: For the Stage of Generation''. Translated by Jeffry Hopkins. Enlarged edition, p. 141. Wisdom Publications, Boston. .]
*''Niṣpannayogāvalī'' (Garland of Completed Yogas), a text which explains how to draw 26 kinds of mandalas.
*''Jyotirmañjari'', discusses fire ritual (homa)
*''Kālacakrāvatāra'' (Introduction to the Wheel of Time)
*''Upadeshamañjari'', explicates the generation stage and completion stage.
Footnotes
{{DEFAULTSORT:Abhayakaragupta
Indian scholars of Buddhism
Panchen Lama
Tibetan Buddhists from India
Monks of Vikramashila
11th-century Indian monks
12th-century Indian monks
11th-century Buddhist monks
12th-century Buddhist monks
Converts to Buddhism from Hinduism