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佛護

Pronunciations

Basic Meaning: Buddhapâlita

Senses:

  • (ca. 470–540) a major scholar of the Indian Madhyamaka school 中觀派, who, along with Bhāviveka 淸辯 (c. 490–570), studied the teachings of Nāgârjuna under Saṃgharakṣita 僧護. In early works, such as his Commentary on the Mūlamadhyamaka-kārikā 根本中論註, he argued for Mādhyamika philosophical positions against those of the Yogâcāra school 瑜伽行派. He was known for the development of a negative dialectic in the proof of the concept of emptiness, which would end up putting his way of thinking at odds with Bhāviveka, but in agreement with later figures such as Candrakīrti (月稱, c. 650). Some of the most important basic antagonistic positions within the broad Madhyamaka tradition can be seen in the disagreement between Bhāviveka and Buddhapâlita: while Bhāviveka used one form of logical argumentation to establish the truth of emptiness in a positive manner, Buddhapâlita denied the validity of the use of logical propositions which ended up affirming any sort of positive position. The position taken by Buddhapâlita and Candrakīrti would later end up in the creation of a distinct branch of Madhyamaka called Prâsaṅgika 歸謬論證派. His ideas were influential in Tibet. (Tib. sangs rgyas bskyangs) 〔瑜伽論 T 1579.30.522c22 〕 [Charles Muller; source(s): Ui, JEBD, Hirakawa, YBh-Ind]
  • Fohu. Also Fotuluocha 佛圖羅刹, *Buddharakṣa? (fl. ca. 382). The extant Mohe banre chao jing 摩訶般若鈔經 T 226 is attributed in the canon and later record to Dharmamitra 曇摩蜜多 and Zhu Fonian 竺佛念, but a preface by Dao'an 道安 to a text with the very similar title of Mohe buluore boluomi jing chao 摩訶鉢羅若波羅蜜經抄, preserved in CSZJJ, states that text was translated by Dharmamitra and Fohu 佛護. Thus, there might be room for the mistaken impression that Fohu is an alternate name (or error) for Zhu Fonian. However, Kajiyoshi (1940/1988): 68–70 shows that these two texts were in fact different, as was pointed out by Zhisheng 智昇 in his Kaiyuan Shijiao lu 開元釋教錄 T 2154.55.511a22–26. Kajiyoshi also shows further that Fohu and Zhu Fonian are indeed two separate individuals. Kajiyoshi cites an account of the translation of the *Abhidharmavibhāṣā (i.e. 鞞婆沙論 T 1547 translated by *Saṃghabhūti/Saṃghabhadra 僧伽跋澄 et al. in 383) from the end of the Chu sanzang ji ji 出三藏記集 [CSZJJ] biography of Saṃghabhadra, which states that two separate translations were made of the text, the first with Fohu acting as the actual translator 宣譯, and the second one with Zhu Fonian acting in the same capacity; T 2145.55.99a25–b5. Thus, the same note handles these two figures as separate individuals. (The same note states that not much more is known about Fohu/*Buddharakṣa; 99b7–9.) Dao'anʼs preface to the same text, preserved in CSZJJ, echoes this information; T 2145.55.73c3–8. In fact, in an anonymous preface to the Si ahanmo chao 四阿鋡暮抄 T 1505, also preserved in CSZJJ, Fohu and Zhu Fonian are even mentioned as having worked together on the translation of the text: 鳩摩羅佛提執胡本、佛念佛護爲譯; T 2145.55.64c11–15.

    References:

    Kajiyoshi , Kōun. 1980. Daijō Bukkyō no seiritsushiteki kenkyū: Genshi hannya kyō no kenkyū (sono ichi) 原始般若経の研究　その一　大乗仏教の成立史的研究 . Tokyo:  Sankibō Busshorin.

    [Michael Radich; source(s): Kajiyoshi]
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    [Dictionary References]

    Bukkyō jiten (Ui) 923

    Japanese-English Buddhist Dictionary (Daitō shuppansha) ---/27

    Fo Guang Dictionary 2757

    Buddhist Chinese-Sanskrit Dictionary (Hirakawa) 0119

    Bukkyō daijiten (Mochizuki) (v.1–6)4263c

    Copyright provisions

    The rights to textual segments (nodes) of the DDB are owned by the author indicated in the brackets next to each segment. For rights regarding the compilation as a whole, please contact Charles Muller. Please do not reproduce without permission. And please do not copy into Wikipedia without proper citation!

    Entry created: 1997-09-15

    Updated: 2016-10-30