Kashmiri
Missionaries in China
Among
numerous Kashmiri scholars and Buddhist monks, who
carried the message of Buddhism across the difficult
mountain passes to China, as stated in the Chinese
texts, the following may briefly be mentioned:
1.
Kumarajiva: Born at Kucha, a distant corner of
Asia, educated in Buddhist scriptures in Kashmir by
the Buddhist scholar Bhandhadatta, Kumarajiva, with
the help of a large number of Kashmiri scholars
translated Sanskrit Buddhist texts into Chinese at
Kucha. He was taken as a captive by a
conquering general Lu-Kuang to the capital of a
southern state called Liang. He with the assistance
of Kashmiri scholars, continued to add to his fame
by his missionary work. At the request of the
emperor of China, he agreed to go to the capital in
401 A.D. Accompanied by a large number of Kashmiri
monks and scholars, he carried on with his mission
till his death in 413 A.D. Two well known Kashmiri
scholars Yasa and Vimalaksha collaborated with him
in his missionary work. This is believed to have
started spread of Buddhism in China. He was the
central figure in the missionary work till he died.
2.
Sanghabuti: A Kashmiri monk reached the northern
capital of China in 381 A.D. He translated some
Buddhist texts like Vinayapitaka.
3.
Gutamsanga: He was a great Buddhist scholar. He
went from Kashmir to northern capital Chang-ngan in
China in 384 A.D. He preached Buddhism there and
translated a number of Sanskrit texts on Buddhism
into Chinese. In 391 A.D., he went on his mission to
Lu-Shan in south China. Therefrom, he went along
with his other Kashmirian collaborators to Nanking.
4.
Punyatrat
and his pupil Dh.mp3ayasa are
mentioned in the Chinese texts as great Kashmiri
scholars who were associated with Kumarajiva in his
work.
5.
Vudhayasas
was a monk of high moral sense and a
scholar. He worked in collaboration with Kumarajiva
and translated many Buddhist texts in Sanskrit to
Chinese, including Dhirghagama and
Dh.mp3aguptaka-Vinya, two celebrated works.
6.
Budhajiva: Collaborator and companion of Fa-Hien,
the Chinese traveller reached south China by sea in
423 A.D. He translated some of the Sanskrit
manuscripts which Fa-Hien had collected in Central
Asia and India.
7.
Gunav.mp3an: A prince of royal family of Kashmir,
was responsible for introducing and preaching
Buddhism in Java. At the invitation of the emperor
of China, Gunav.mp3an travelled to Nanking,
converting to Buddhism, nearly all the islands
en-route. The emperor of China went out of his
capital to receive him. He also built a monastery
named Jalavan-Vihara for him.
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