ARYADEVA
Contents
. Introduction
. Birth and Early Life
. Later Life
. Works of Aryadeva
. Conclusion
Introduction
Aryadeva was a disciple of Acharya Nagarjuna. In the Zen tradition he is referred to as Kanadeva(the one eyed God) the 15th patriarch as he is said to have offered and gouged out one of his eyes for Lord Shiva and in Sri Lanka he is referred to as Bodhisattva Deva. He was the author of several Mahayana Madhyamaka Buddhist texts.
Birth and Early Life
Aryadeva was said to have lived in the middle of the second and third centuries BCE. He was born to a royal family in Sri Lanka. Some claim that he was miraculously born from a lotus and was later brought up by the royal family. At an early age he became a monk and studied the Tripitaka, the Buddhist scriptures thoroughly before he went to the Shatavahana Kingdom to study with Acharya Nagarjuna. It is said that he studied with him at Shri Parvata in Andhra Pradesh, the holy mountains overlooking the present Nagarjunakonda Valley within the Shatavahana Kingdom. When Nagarjuna heard of his arrival he brought a bowl of water as a welcome gesture. Aryadeva without uttering a word placed a needle in the water watching it sink as he understood that the water filled upto the brim symbolized the completeness of the Buddha nature in Nagarjuna. His response to it was that Aryadeva’s insight had penetrated deep into the heart of the truth just as the needle sank to the bottom. Nagarjuna is said to have been thrilled at Aryadeva’s wisdom and depth of understanding and immediately accepted him as his disciple.
Later Life
There was a very learned non Buddhist named Matracheta. He was a physician with immense knowledge and no one could defeat him in a debate. He also had supernatural powers and was a devotee of Lord Shiva. As he had saved thousands of lives during an epidemic he had a huge and loyal following. On his quest for a worthy adversary he arrived at Nalanda Monastery along with his followers. None of the monks at Nalanda challenged him as they had heard about his prowess and skill. Nagarjuna wished to meet the challenge but Aryadeva told him that he had become old and requested him to give Aryadeva permission to face him. Nagarjuna relented and taught his student the nuances and art of debate.
It is said that nine scholars were chosen as judges and the King himself arrived to witness the great debate. It was decided that the loser would cut off his own tongue and the followers of the loser would convert on the side of the winner. Matracheta was unable to use his supernatural powers and knowledge due to Aryadeva’s cleverness and was subsequently defeated. All his followers joined Aryadeva and Matracheta too reluctantly did so after cutting out his own tongue. But as he studied the Buddhist teachings he found them profound and beautiful and he proclaimed that if he practised the teachings sincerely his tongue would grow back. His proclamation soon became a reality and he soon attained Supreme Realisation and became a great Buddhist master by the name of Ashvagosha.
Aryadeva continued to stay in Nalanda for many years. He returned to Nagarjuna later in life who entrusted all his teachings to him before he passed away.
Works of Aryadeva
Aryadeva built many monasteries and taught extensively establishing the Madhyamaka tenets of the Mahayana tradition. He also wrote the commentaries on Guhyasamaja Tantra like Nagarjuna had done earlier. His best known work is the four hundred verses of Catushataka which has sixteen chapters of twenty five stanzas each.
Conclusion
Nagarjuna impressed many people by his wisdom and eloquence and they took up Buddhism as a result. With his sword of knowledge and insight he weeded out the heretics and widened the scope of Mahayana Buddhism. He exhorted people to sincerely follow the Buddhist teachings and adhere to the truth. He was referred to as the Champion of Right Dharma. His dedication and admirable spirit lives on in the heart of all Buddhists all over the world even today.
