Quick Info
| Profession | Philosopher and Mahāyāna Buddhist monk |
|---|---|
| Nationality | Indian |
| Date of Birth | XX/XX/0150 |
| Birthplace | South India |
| Date of Death | XX/XX/0250 |
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Bio/Wiki
| Also Known As | Nāgārjuna |
|---|---|
| Known For | Founder of the Madhyamaka (Middle Way) school of Mahayana Buddhist philosophy |
| Summary | Nāgārjuna was an Indian Buddhist philosopher who articulated the doctrine of emptiness (shunyata) and is traditionally regarded as the founder of the Madhyamaka school. He is often revered as the 'Second Buddha' by Tibetan and East Asian Mahayana traditions. His central concept of the emptiness of all things (sunyata) pointed to the incessantly changing and never fixed nature of all phenomena. |
Career
| Field | Buddhist philosophy |
|---|---|
| Major Ideas | Emptiness (shunyata), dependent origination (pratitya-samutpada), two truths doctrine (ultimate truth and conventional truth) |
| Notable Works |
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Some Lesser Known Facts
| 1. Most scholars place him in South India. | |
| 2. He is generally dated to around the 2nd century CE. | |
| 3. He is associated with the doctrine of dependent origination and the two truths. | |
| 4. He is said to have been born into a Brahmin family and avoided a predicted short life by taking ordination. | |
| 5. He composed the Suhrllekha for King Gotamiputra. | |
| 6. He is intimately associated with the Prajnaparamita sutras (Perfection of Wisdom teachings). |