Shantarakshita
Nothing is truly one thing or many things, so nothing has a fixed nature – a view he defended after examining every rival school.
Placement
Nalanda scholar who helped establish monastic Buddhism in Tibet – he helped King Trisong Detsen found the monastery of Samye (c. 779), according to tradition together with Padmasambhava, and ordained the first Tibetan monks; he united Madhyamaka and Yogacara and, in a vast compendium, examined the doctrines of all Indian schools.
Key ideas
- Yogacara-Madhyamaka synthesis
- Neither-one-nor-many argument
- Critical survey of all schools
Influence
Influenced by 2
Nagarjuna
influenced by
Shantarakshita’s Ornament of the Middle Way argues with Nagarjuna that nothing has intrinsic nature, since nothing is truly one or many, while accepting Yogacara conventionally. Santaraksita, Madhyamakalamkara, tr. J. Blumenthal, The Ornament of the Middle Way (2004); SEP “Śāntarakṣita”
Evidence: AI draft
Nagarjuna › c. 150–250
Dharmakirti
influenced by
Shantarakshita’s Compendium of Principles (Tattvasangraha) applies Dharmakirti’s epistemology and theory of inference to examine and reject the doctrines of rival schools. Santaraksita, Tattvasamgraha, with Kamalasila’s Panjika; SEP “Śāntarakṣita”
Evidence: AI draft
Dharmakirti › c. 600–660
Criticism
Criticizes 1
Kumarila Bhatta
criticised
Shantarakshita’s Tattvasamgraha argued against Kumarila at length, especially his denial that any person can be omniscient and his defence of the eternal Veda. Śāntarakṣita, Tattvasaṃgraha, with Kamalaśīla’s Pañjikā; SEP “Śāntarakṣita”
Evidence: AI draft
Kumarila Bhatta › c. 590–650
Works
- c. 760Tattvasangraha
A compendium of more than 3,600 verses that examines and refutes the doctrines of all rival Indian schools from a Buddhist standpoint.
Position
Shantarakshita combined the two great Mahayana schools. At the level of conventional truth he described the world, much like Yogacara, as appearing only in consciousness, which is aware of itself; at the ultimate level, with Nagarjuna’s Madhyamaka, he denied that anything has intrinsic nature. His central argument: whatever is real must be either truly one or truly many; nothing is truly one, and a many is only a collection of ones – so nothing has an intrinsic nature. His vast Tattvasangraha, using Dharmakirti’s logic, examined and rejected the doctrines of every rival school, from God and primal matter to the eternal Veda and Kumarila’s denial of omniscience.
Life & context
Shantarakshita was an Indian Buddhist monk-scholar of the 8th century associated with Nalanda. In the 760s or 770s the Tibetan king Trisong Detsen invited him to Tibet; with Padmasambhava he founded Samye, the first Tibetan monastery (completed around 779), and ordained the first Tibetan monks. He died in Tibet, probably in the 780s. His pupil Kamalashila continued his work there and wrote commentaries on his treatises.
Further main works
- Ornament of the Middle Way (Madhyamakalamkara, 8th century)
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