■Book 51─Highest Yoga Tantra and Mahamudra
■Written by Master Sheng-yen Lu
■Chapter Six
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The name Nagarjuna was translated into Chinese in three different renderings, namely Longshu [Dragon Tree], Longsheng [Dragon Victory] and Longmeng [Dragon Vigor].The term “Longtian” [Dragon Sky] in Chinese that is often mentioned actually refers to the two Bodhisattvas, Longshu [Nagarjuna] and Tianqin [Vasubandhu].
Nagarjuna ranks third in the transmission lineage of the Eight Shingon Patriarchs, and ranks first among the Eight Shingon Lineage Torchbearers. Nagarjuna was the disciple of the Thirteenth Zen Patriarch, Kapimala. Nagabodhi founded Vajrayana after Nagarjuna's time, but since Nagarjuna had already received the Surangama Samadhi, the official establishment of Vajrayana named Nagarjuna as its founder.
The Sanskrit name for Longshu Bodhisattva is Nagarjuna. The image of Nagarjuna is carved as the form of a solitary hearer dressed in a monk's robe, seated on the lotus throne with his palms placed together. This image resembles an arhat. There is mystery and legend surrounding every aspect of Nagarjuna's life. As an exceptional person with holy characteristics, he could commit any sutras to memory at a glance. He enjoyed a widespread reputation. Before he was ordained as a monk, he was especially fond of women, indulging himself in lustful pursuits. It was only later, when he realized the uselessness of sexual indulgence, that he decided to leave the material world in search of the Buddhist path of renunciation. In a period of ninety days, he read the entire Tripitaka [the three Buddhist canons] and completely understood all the profound doctrines.
The great Bodhisattva Nagarjuna should be credited for the flourishing of Mahayana Buddhism. He was born into a Brahmin family sometime in the last quarter of the second century CE, in Vidarbha in southern India. He passed away in the last quarter of the third century.
A famous account of Nagarjuna depicts him receiving the transmission of the Mahayana sutras from an old monk while he was practicing in the Himalayas. After that, he became engrossed in the works of Mahayana. Because his ancestral link could be traced to the nagas or dragons of northern India, Nagarjuna was able to enter the dragon palace beneath the ocean by using his spiritual powers. Inside, he studied all the Mahayana sutras that were housed there, made his own records and brought the scriptures back. This was the reason why Mahayana Buddhism prospered.
When Nagarjuna was spreading the Dharma in southern India, he defeated many heretics. When he expounded the Mahayana teachings in the monastery of Black Bee Mountain, many Hinayana monks and others from the Black Sect were persuaded and impressed by his superior wisdom. According to the events recorded in the biography of Nagarjuna, he wrote Hundred Thousand Verses of Upadesa, Five Thousand Verses on the Treatise of Adorning the Buddhahood, Fifty Verses on the Treatise of the Expedient Means of Great Compassion, and Hundred Thousand Verses of the Treatise of Fearlessness, from which the Madhyamaka-sastra was derived. His works were numerous. Thus, he was revered as the Lord of a Thousand Treatises.
To my knowledge, Nagarjuna was one of the manifestations of Amitabha Buddha. Therefore, among the Five Buddhas, he is Amitabha. We can find many of his works in Buddhist libraries including the following:
Treatise on the Materials for Bodhi
Friendly Epistles [Surl-lekha]
Compilation of Sutras of the Canopy of Blessings and Right Actions [Sutrasamuccaya]
Treatise on the Twelve Gates [Dvadasa-dvara Sastra]
Fundamentals of the Middle Way [MulamadhyamakaKarikas]
Treatise on the Eighteen Kinds of Sunyata [Astadasakasa Sastra]
Refutation of the Concept of Being in the Mahayana [Bhavasamkranti]
Treatise on the Essence of Expediency, Commentary on the Great Prajnaparamita Sastra [Mahaprajnaparamita Sastra]
Exposition of the Ten Stages of Bodhisattvahood [Dasabhumi-vibhasa Sastra]
Verses in Praise of the Dharma Realm
Treatise of the Absence of Bodhicitta
Verses on the Greatness of Making of Vows
Averting Arguments [Vigraha-vyavartani]
Treatise of Many Minds
Treatise of the Thirty-Seven Stanzas
Four Treatises on Right Mindfulness
Treatise on the Auspicious Blessings
There are also others.
-To Be Continued-
