Chandragomin (Skt. Candragomin) was an Indian Buddhist
lay scholar and
poet
A poet is a person who studies and creates poetry. Poets may describe themselves as such or be described as such by others. A poet may simply be the creator (thought, thinker, songwriter, writer, or author) who creates (composes) poems (oral t ...
. The Tibetan tradition believes he challenged
Chandrakirti. Chandragomin was a teacher at
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 ...
Monastic University during the 5th century.
Life
It is unclear when Chandragomin lived, with estimates ranging between 5th to 6th-century CE,
but his position at Nalanda signifies he lived during the 5th century.
Taranatha states that Chandragomin was from the
Varendra region of Eastern
Bengal
Bengal ( ) is a Historical geography, historical geographical, ethnolinguistic and cultural term referring to a region in the Eastern South Asia, eastern part of the Indian subcontinent at the apex of the Bay of Bengal. The region of Benga ...
however in the prologue of his composition, the ''Lokānanda'', Chandragomin merely states that he was “born in the Jātukarṇa lineage in the east of India".
He further states that he was the son of a ''Jayādevi'' although he doesn't add anything further to this.
The Tibetan tradition details many stories of miraculous incidents that occurred in Chandragomin's life. In one story told by Taranatha, it was said that Chandragomin defeated a
Charvaka
Charvaka (; IAST: ''Cārvāka''), also known as ''Lokāyata'', is an ancient school of Indian philosophy, Indian materialism. It's an example of the Hindu Atheism, atheistic schools in the Ancient Indian philosophies. Charvaka holds direct per ...
by proving the doctrine of rebirth to be true:
The hagiographical and legendary tales however cannot be taken as historical fact. Different writers also attempted to fit Chandragomin within their narratives for example Taranatha wanted to depict Chandragomin as someone who is learned and cultured while
Buton Rinchen Drub emphasised his work on
grammar
In linguistics, grammar is the set of rules for how a natural language is structured, as demonstrated by its speakers or writers. Grammar rules may concern the use of clauses, phrases, and words. The term may also refer to the study of such rul ...
.
Major works
Candragomin was one of the most important Buddhist poets of India. He wrote a play called ''Lokānanda'', which focuses on the bodhisattva king Manicūda. This is the oldest Sanskrit Buddhist play in existence and was quite popular in India.
[Buswell, Robert E; Lopez, Donald S. The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism, p. 165. Princeton University Press, Nov 24, 2013.]
Chadragomin's other surviving Sanskrit writings include:
* ''Letter to a Disciple'' (''Śiṣyalekha'') - published by
Dharma Publishing as 'Invitation to Enlightenment' )
* ''Twenty Verses on the Bodhisattva Percepts'' (''Bodhisattvasaṃvaraviṃśaka'').
* ''Confessional Praise'' (''Deśanāstava'')
Candragomin was also a devotee of
Tara and composed several praises of the goddess.
Translated from the original
Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit
Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit (BHS) is a modern linguistic category applied to the language used in a class of Indian Buddhist texts, such as the Perfection of Wisdom sutras. BHS is classified as a Middle Indo-Aryan language. It is sometimes called ...
into Tibetan is Chandragomin's
Shurangama Mantra Sadhana'' (
Tibetan canon Tengyur
The Tengyur or ''Tanjur'' or ''Bstan-’gyur'' (Tibetan: "Translation of Teachings") is the collected commentaries by great buddhist masters on Buddha Shakyamuni's teachings. The Tengyur is included in the Tibetan Buddhist Canon, which consi ...
Karchag Phangthangma Toh 3096, Toh 593/2/1). It is titled Sarvatathāgataoṣṇīṣaśitātapatrā-nāmāparājitā-mahāpratyangirā-mahāvidyārājñī-nāma-dhāraṇī; Tibetan name is
phags paDe bshin gshegs pa'i gtsug tor nas byung ba'i gdugs dkar po can gshan gyi mi thub pa phir bzlog pa chen mo mchog tu grub pa shes bya ba'i gzungs.
See also
*
Chandrakirti
*
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 ...
*
Shurangama Mantra
References
Further reading
*Geshe Sonam Rinchen, The
Bodhisattva Vow
Gandharan relief depicting the ascetic Megha ( Shakyamuni in a past life) prostrating before the past Buddha Dīpaṅkara, c. 2nd century CE ( Swat_District.html" ;"title="Gandhara, Swat District">Swat Valley)
The Bodhisattva vow is a vow (Sans ...
, translated and edited by Ruth Sonam, Snow Lion, 2000
*Candragomin, Difficult Beginnings: Three Works on the
Bodhisattva
In Buddhism, a bodhisattva is a person who has attained, or is striving towards, '' bodhi'' ('awakening', 'enlightenment') or Buddhahood. Often, the term specifically refers to a person who forgoes or delays personal nirvana or ''bodhi'' in ...
Path, translated, with commentary by Mark Tatz, Shambhala, 1985
Chandragomin - Praise in Confession
External links
Robert F. Olson, Philosophy East and West, Volume 24 No. 4, 1977, pp. 405–411
James Duerlinger, Philosophy East and West, Volume 34 No. 3, July 1984, pp. 261–272
Peter G. Fenner, Philosophy East and West, Volume 33 No. 3, July 1983, pp. 251–261
{{DEFAULTSORT:Chandragomin
7th-century Buddhists
Indian scholars of Buddhism
Madhyamaka scholars
Mahayana Buddhism writers
Tibetan Buddhist spiritual teachers
7th-century Indian philosophers
7th-century Indian writers