Life of Nagarjuna
Summary
The article "Life of Nagirjuna" from the Pag-Sam-Jon-Zang details the life and works of the Buddhist scholar Nagarjuna, presenting a complex biography that merges hagiography with historical narrative. The subject is the celebrated figure who is credited with reviving corrupted doctrines and founding the Madhyamika school. The main argument, as presented in the text, is that Nagarjuna was a multi-faceted spiritual master who lived for over five hundred years and performed numerous miraculous deeds. The evidence for this comes from Tibetan sources like the Pag-Sam-Jon-Zang and the Annals of Eighty-four Maha-siddhas. Nagarjuna was born into a Brahmin family south of Vaidarbha. According to soothsayers, his parents hosted feasts for a hundred Brahmins and Bhiksus to extend his life from seven days to seven years. After traveling to Nailandi, he met Saraha and received initiation into the Sarvastivaida doctrine. He was named Sriprajnidhara and attained siddhis, including expertise in chemical and medical sciences, earning the name Vajrakarasyiddha. During a famine at Nalanda, he used alchemy to turn metals into gold, sustaining the population for twelve years. The text states that he reconverted the renegade Sankara and brought back incomplete Tripitakas and Dhiranis from Nigaloka, which led to him being named Nagirjuna. He learned Tantras from Hayaghosa and obtained the Mahakala-tantra and Kurukulla-tantra from the goddess Tara in Dhanyakataka. He built temples and monuments at Nalandi, Vajrasana, and Dhanyakataka, and defeated five hundred Tirthikas. In his later life, he was beheaded by King Sucarita’s son, Susakti, after offering his head as a gift to Brahma. The text claims he lived more than five hundred years, spending time in various regions. He propounded religious developments three times: by purifying Vinaya practices, composing Madhyamika texts, and presenting the Ratnamula to King Pujatakala. The article notes that Tibetan traditions mixed up two distinguished Nagarjunas, one a Madhyamika philosopher and the other a Mahasiddha proficient in Tantric doctrines.
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Conclusion
This article delineates the complex and multifaceted life of Nagarjuna, drawing primarily from the Tibetan *Pag-Sam-Jon-Zang*. It highlights his origins in a Brahmin family, his extensive travels, and his profound association with key figures like Saraha, Hayaghosa, and the goddess Tara. The text underscores his dual legacy as a brilliant philosopher who revived corrupted doctrines and a master of Tantric and alchemical sciences, utilizing his siddhis to save people during a famine. His contributions include the propagation of Mahayana, the construction of numerous temples and caityas, and the composition of significant texts like the *Ratnamula* and *Mahipataha Sastra*. The article also details his miraculous death by beheading, his subsequent rebirth in Sukhavati, and his prophesied return as a Samyaksambuddha, while noting the scholarly distinction between the Madhyamika philosopher and the Tantric Mahasiddha, figures often conflated in Tibetan traditions.