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Kumārajīva

File:Kumarajiva_at_Kizil_Caves,_Kuqa_(cropped).jpg · Wikimedia Commons · See Wikimedia Commons

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Kumārajīva

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Also known as Kumarajiva

Kumārajīva (Sanskrit: ; , 344–413 CE) was a Buddhist monk, scholar, missionary and translator from Kucha (present-day Aksu Prefecture, Xinjiang, China). Kumārajīva is seen as one of the greatest translators of Chinese Buddhism. According to Lu Cheng, Kumarajiva's translations are "unparalleled either in terms of translation technique or degree of fidelity".

Person · Open Library

Born
344
Died
413
Works
135

Top works

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via Open Library + Wikidata

Recent publications · Crossref

1 total works indexed

  1. Buddhabhasita-amitayuh-sutra : the smaller Sukhavati-vyuha

    · 1924

via Crossref · CC0

Key facts

Person.name
Kumārajīva
Person.image
Kumarajiva at Kizil Caves, Kuqa (cropped).jpg
Person.birth_date
344 CE
Person.caption
The Statue of Kumārajīva in front of the Kizil Caves in Kuqa County, Xinjiang, China
Person.birth_place
Kucha (now Kuqa, China)
Person.death_date
413 CE (aged 68-69)
Person.death_place
Chang'an, Later Qin (now Xi'an, China)
Person.known
Translation of Buddhist texts written in Sanskrit to Chinese, founder of the Sanlun school of Mahayana Buddhism
Person.occupation
Buddhist monk, scholar, translator, and philosopher

via Wikipedia infobox

Wikidata facts

Image
Kumarajiva at Kizil Caves, Kuqa (cropped).jpg
Show 5 more facts
date of birth
0344-00-00
date of death
0413-01-01
Commons category
Kumarajiva
Commons Creator page
Kumarajiva
name in native language
鳩摩羅什
Sources (2)

via Wikidata · CC0

~19 min read

Article

17 sections
Contents
  • Life
  • Early life
  • Capture, imprisonment and release
  • Chang'an and translation work
  • Scholarly work
  • Translation
  • Translated Texts
  • Sutras
  • Treatises
  • Meditation texts
  • Other
  • Original works and philosophy
  • Influence
  • See also
  • References
  • Sources
  • External links

Kumārajīva (Sanskrit: ; , 344–413 CE) was a Buddhist monk, scholar, missionary and translator from Kucha (present-day Aksu Prefecture, Xinjiang, China). Kumārajīva is seen as one of the greatest translators of Chinese Buddhism. According to Lu Cheng, Kumarajiva's translations are "unparalleled either in terms of translation technique or degree of fidelity".

Kumārajīva first studied teachings of the Sarvastivadin schools, later studied under Buddhasvāmin, and finally became an adherent of Mahayana Buddhism, studying the Mādhyamaka doctrine of Nāgārjuna. After mastering the Chinese language, Kumārajīva settled as a translator and scholar in Chang'an (c. 401 CE) under the patronage of the Later Qin dynasty during the Sixteen Kingdoms period. He was the head of a team of translators which included his amanuensis Sengrui. This team was responsible for the translation of many Sanskrit Buddhist texts into Chinese.

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