Kumārāyana

Kumārāyana (also Kiu-mo-yen) was a famous Indian monk.^[1][2][3] India, whose grandfather Ta-to was supposed to have had a great reputation. Kumārāyana renounced his wealth to become a Buddhist monk. He left India, crossing to the Pamirs in order to spread the teachings of Buddhism to the countries east of Central Asia, namely China.

Kumārāyana never made it to China for on his journey he stopped in Kucha, where the king, respecting Kumārāyana's eminence and wisdom wanted him to discontinue his journey, and stay in Kucha to become a royal priest.

In order to persuade Kumārāyana to stay in Kucha, the King introduced him to the wisest woman in Kucha, his sister Jīvaka. Jīvaka was coveted by many suitors for her great talents intellectual abilities. However, upon meeting Kumārāyana, Jīvaka was moved and they fell in love with each other. They married and combined their great talents.^[4] Though, they are mainly renown in Buddhist history for the deeds of their son named Kumārajīva who, largely under Jīvaka's guidance, went on to become an erudite Buddhist scholar and translator. One of his more well reputed translations was that of the Lotus Sutra.^[5]

References

1. Upinder Singh, A History of Ancient and Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to the 12th Century, Pearson Education India (2008), p. 523
2. Moti Chandra, Trade and Trade Routes in Ancient India, Abhinav Publications (1977), p. 180
3. David Howard Smith, Chinese Religions From 1000 B.C. to the Present Day, Weidenfeld & Nicolson (1971), p. 115
4. Daisaku Ikeda (1976), The Flower of Chinese Buddhism, Middleway Press, pp. 31-33.
5. The Gosho Translation Committee, The Writings of Nichiren Daishonin volume 1, Soka Gakkai p.293.