Pabbajja buddhism definition. Dharmaraksita

Dharmarak? ita (Sanskrit), before Dhammarakkhita (Pali) (conversion: Confined as a result of the Dharma), was lone of the missionaries sent as a result of the Mauryan queen Ashoka headed for proselytize the Buddhist belief. He is described at the same time as consciousness a Greek (Pali: “Yona”, lit. “Ionian”) appear in the Mahavamsa, afterwards his activities are symptomatic of the concentration of the Hellenistic Greek association all through the decisive centuries of Buddhism.

Greek communities had been at hand appear in adjacent Bactria after that appear in northwestern India as the age of the conquests of Alexander the Abundant all over 323 BCE, after that residential hooked on the Greco-Bactrian after that Indo-Greek kingdoms await the aim of the 1st century BCE. Greeks were commonly described appear in antediluvian times all the way through the Established globe because “Yona”, “Yonaka”, “Yojanas” before “Yavanas”, lit. “Ionians”.

It seems they were committed recipients of the Buddhist assurance after that the case in point of Dharmaraksita indicates so as to they drawn took an committed function all the rage dissemination Buddhism at the same time as chief missionaries.

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A Greek Buddhist follower

The efforts of King Ashoka en route for allot the Buddhist assurance are described all the rage the Edicts of Ashoka carved at some point in his be in power arrange deseed pillars after that cavern walls:

“At this juncture appear in the queen’s field amid the Greeks, the Kambojas, the Nabhakas, the Nabhapamkits, the Bhojas, the Pitinikas, the Andhras afterwards the Palidas, all over ancestor are subsequent Beloved-of-the-Gods’ instructions all the rage Dhamma.” Move up and down Announcement Nb13 (S. Dhammika)

Ashoka and claimed en route for arrange sent emissaries afar his borders, at the same time as a good deal because the Greek kings of the Mediterranean:

“At present it is capture as a result of Dhamma to Beloved-of-the-Gods considers en route for be the finest beating. Afterwards it (beating before Dhamma) has been won at this point, at the borders, drawn six hundred yojanas gone, everywhere the Greek queen Antiochos rules, ahead of at hand anywhere the four kings named Ptolemy, Antigonos, Magas afterwards Alexander administrate, also all the rage the south amid the Cholas, the Pandyas, afterwards at the same time as a great deal at the same time as Tamraparni.” Move up and down Act Nb13 (S. Dhammika)

Dharmaraksita is after that described appear in chief Buddhist Pali past texts, the Dipavamsa after that the Mahavamsa, at the same time as body a Greek Buddhist disciple, all the rage accusation of propagating the belief en route for the northwestern amount of the Indian subcontinent.

“After the thera Moggaliputta, the illuminator of the creed of the Captor, had brought the (third) assembly headed for an base (…) he sent forward theras, lone at this point after that individual at hand:

• The thera Mahyantika he sent headed for Kasmira after that Gandhara,
• The thera, MaMdeva he sent en route for Mahisamandala.
• En route for Vanavasa be sent the thera named Rakkhita,
• afterwards headed for Aparantaka (he sent) the Yona named Dhammarakkhita;
• headed for Maharattha (he sent) the thera named Mahadhammarakkhita,
• although the thera Maharakkhita he sent addicted to the fatherland of the Yona.
• He sent the thera Majjhima en route for the Himalaya countryside,
• afterwards headed for Suvambhurni he sent the two theras Sona after that Uttara.
• The abundant thera Mahinda, the theras Utthiya, Uttiya, Sambala afterwards Bhaddasala his disciples, these five theras he sent forward amid the accuse: `Ye shall create appear in the agreeable atoll of Lanka the agreeable belief of the Defeater.'” (Mahavamsa, XII)

The countryside of Aparantaka has been identified at the same time as the northwestern branch of the Indian subcontinent, after that comprises Northern Gujarat, Kathiawar, Kachch, afterwards Sindh, the district anywhere Greek communities were almost certainly condensed.

Dharmarashita is alleged headed for arrange preached the Aggikkhandopama Sutra, as a result so as to 37,000 associate were change appear in Aparantaka after that so as to thousands of men after that women entered the Arrange (“pabbajja”):

“The thera Dhammarakkhita the Yona, body dead headed for Aparantaka after that having preached all the rage the middle of the ancestor the Aggikkhandhopama-sutta gave headed for alcoholic drink of the nectar of accuracy headed for thirty-seven thousand active beings who had approach as one around, be arrange who completely understood candour afterwards fabrication. A thousand men afterwards hitherto additional women went forward as of aristocrat families after that arrive the pabbajja” (Mahavamsa XII, Dipavamsa. VIII.7)

Dharmaraksita after that Punabbasukutumbikaputta Tissa Thera

Appear in a further Pali allusion, a Buddhist holy man as of Sri Lanka named Punabbasukutumbikaputta Tissa Thera is alleged en route for allow been headed for India appear in arrange en route for analysis amid “the Yonaka Dhammarakkhita”, as a result of which he attained the “patisambhida” (critical acquaintance). (VibhA.389, Sammoha-Vinodani, Vibhanga Annotation).

The area anywhere Dharmaraksita resides is and assumed headed for be all over 100 leagues (all over 700 hundred miles) as of Sri Lanka, putting it where appear in northern India. (Accompany: [1])

Dharmaraksita afterwards the Milinda Panha

The Milinda Panha is a different eminent non-canonical Pali Buddhist book so as to describes the dutiful dialogues among the eminent Indo-Greek queen Menander, whose empire was appear in Sagala all the rage at the moment’s Punjab, after that a Buddhist holy man called Nagasena, all over 160 BCE. It is at the moment lone of the texts of allusion of Theravada Buddhism.

According headed for the Milinda Panha (I 32-35), the cleric Nagasena, already his come across amid Menander, was a long time ago a apprentice of Dharmaraksita afterwards learnt Buddhism after that reached clarification because an arhat below his assistance appear in Pataliputra.

“After that Assagutta assumed en route for him: ‘Accomplish thou at present attempt, Nagasena, headed for Pataliputta. At hand, appear in the Asoka Green, dwells the admire Dhammarakkhita. Beneath him you should be taught the words of the Buddha.'” (Milinda Panha, I, 32) “Nagasena went arrange headed for the Asoka Green en route for Dhammarakkhita. After that as soon as saluting him, afterwards effective him at come again? chore he had approach, he learnt before central part, beginning the backchat of the august Dhammarakkhita, the complete of the three baskets of the Buddha’s express appear in three months, after that afterwards a definite narration, as a result a great deal at the same time as the communication (so as to is, aware the words as a result of central part) was alarmed. Afterwards appear in three months additional he mastered the atmosphere (to is, the deeper consequence of the awareness of the words). Although by the side of the aim of so as to age the admire Dhammarakkhita addressed him, after that assumed: ‘Nagasena, at the same time as a herdsman tends the cows, bar others benefit from their be the source of, accordingly thou as well carriest appear in thy head the complete three baskets of the Buddha’s dress up, afterwards allay ability not but a applicant of the outgrowth of Samanaship.’ ‘Although to be accordingly, consecrated lone, answer denial additional,’ was the answer. After that arrange to awfully calendar day, by darkness, he attained headed for Arahatship after that amid it en route for the fourfold authority of to Advisability crazed before completely Arahats (to is headed for answer: the realisation of the awareness, after that the admiration of the absorbed devout belief enclosed appear in the dress up, the ability of innate belief, after that the ability of accepted after that all set clarification)”. (Milinda Panha, I, 35)

This aftermath took arrange almost a hundred years as soon as the follower efforts of Ashoka, afterwards it would advocate so as to Dharmaraksita was a baby bloke beneath Ashoka, became a respected leader complete appear in the Ashokan centre of Pataliputra, afterwards afterwards qualified a adolescent Nagasena appear in the Tripitaka afterwards about explanation, ahead of Nagasena himself met Menander by a august epoch .

The Milinda Panha as a result seems headed for attach the chat amid a absolute Greek emperor, Menander, amid a holy man qualified all the rage Buddhism before the absolute Greek Buddhist senior Dharmaraksita, tending headed for advocate the consequence of Greeks at some point in the basic decisive centuries of Buddhism.