Candrakīrti

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Candrakīrti (600–c. 650), (Devanagari: चन्द्रकीर्ति, Tib. Dawa Drakpa) was abbot of Nalanda University and a disciple of Nāgārjuna and a commentator on his works. Candrakīrti was the most famous member of what the Tibetans came to call the Prasaṅgika school of Madhyamaka.

Chandrakirti [zla ba grags pa] http://www.thdl.org/collections/langling/ewts/ewts.php?m=intro (Wylie transliterized) Candrakirti (Sanskrit) This 7th century Indian scholar of the Madhyamaka school of thought, defended Buddhapalita against Bhavaviveka and the consequent strong criticism of the latter’s acceptance of autonomous syllogism. As a result of Candrakīrti's interpretation of Nagarjuna's view, a new school of Madhyamaka known as Prasangika (‘Consequentialist’). Chandrakirti’s works include the Prasannapada - a Sanskrit term, meaning Clear Words' - the highly acclaimed commentary on Nagarjuna’s Mulamadhyamakakarika and the Madhyamakavatara (his supplement to Nagarjuna’s text) and its auto-commentary. The Madhyamakavatara is used as the main sourcebook by most of the Tibetan monastic colleges in their studies of 'emptiness' (Sanskrit: shunyata) and the philosophy of the Madhyamaka school.

Fenner (1983: p.251) states that:

In the seventh-century Buddhist tract Madhymakaavataara (Introduction to the Middle Way...) Candrakiirti establishes the Maadhyamika system of thought by refuting the tenets of various Buddhist and non-Buddhist philosophies. In the course of these refutations he criticizes the Vij~naanavaada or Idealist school of Buddhism.[1]

The Tibetan translation of Charyapada provided the name of its compiler as Munidatta, that its Sanskrit commentary is Charyageetikoshavritti, and that its Tibetan 'translator' (Tibetan: Lotsawa) was Chandrakirti.

Contents

[edit] Major Works

[edit] Quote

“ If, by trying to understand the truth, you dispel the misunderstandings of some people and thereby some philosophies are damaged - that cannot be taken as criticising the views of others. ”

MADHYAMIKA-AVATARA

[edit] See also

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Fenner, Peter G. (1983). "Candrakiirti's refutation of Buddhist idealism." Philosophy East and West Volume 33, no.3 (July 1983) University of Hawaii Press. P.251. Source: [1] (accessed: January 21, 2008)

[edit] External links

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