Ashvaghosha
Ashvaghosha
c. 80 – c. 150
Ashvaghosha was one of the most renowned figures in the history of Indian Buddhism, celebrated both as the twelfth Chan patriarch and as a poet, playwright, and philosopher of exceptional talent. He is traditionally credited with composing the Buddhacarita, an epic Sanskrit poem about the life of the Buddha, as well as the Awakening of Faith, a foundational text of Mahayana Buddhism. Before his encounter with Punyayashas, he had been a master debater and opponent of Buddhism.
His conversion and awakening represent the transformation of brilliant intellectual capacity into the service of direct experience and compassionate teaching. Ashvaghosha transmitted the essence of awakening to Kapimala, and his legacy demonstrates that literary and philosophical gifts, when properly oriented, can become vehicles for pointing to the inexpressible. In the Chan tradition, he is honored both for his scholarship and for his place in the unbroken lineage.
Teachings
- verseOn Original Enlightenment and the Tathagatagarbha
The Mind in terms of the Absolute is the one World of Reality and the essence of all phases of existence in their totality. That which is called the essential nature of the Mind is unborn and imperishable. All things are only different aspects of this one Mind. The mind from the beginning is of a pure nature, but since there is the finite aspect of it which is sullied by finite views, there is the sullied aspect of it. Yet the original pure nature of the mind is eternally unchanged. This is the meaning of tathagatagarbha—the womb of the Thus-Come-One, the original enlightenment present in all beings.
Master Record Sources
- datesZen Editorial Overlay - Originals Curation
c. 80-150 CE
- nameZen Editorial Overlay - Originals Curation
Ashvaghosha
- schoolZen Editorial Overlay - Originals Curation
Indian Patriarchs
- teachersZen Editorial Overlay - Originals Curation
Punyayashas