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Kumarajiva

Type Figure Region Kucha Time 344–413 Also known as Master Kumarajiva、Tripitaka Master

Kumarajiva (344–413) was a eminent monk of Kucha and a master translator of scriptures for the Later Qin.…

Timeline

  1. c. 344–379Kucha · KuchaBorn to a collateral branch of the Kucha royal family, he entered Kucha with his mother in childhood, studying first Hinayana and then Mahayana, mastering Sanskrit and the languages of the Western Regions countries, and gaining a reputation that spread far across the Western Regions.
  2. 385–401Liangzhou · LiangzhouWhen Lü Guang of the Former Qin campaigned west against Kucha, he was captured and brought east, residing in Liangzhou for over ten years, continuing to propagate the Dharma and translate scriptures, until Yao Xing of the Later Qin sent an envoy to invite him, allowing him to enter Guanzhong in the east.
  3. 401–413Chang'an · GuanzhongAfter entering Chang'an he received Yao Xing's honors and headed a large-scale translation bureau, leading monks in the method of oral translation and written recording to translate a large number of Mahayana scriptures, and training disciples such as Sengzhao, establishing the paradigm for Buddhist scripture translation in China.

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