Candrakīrti

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Candrakīrti (600–c. 650), (Devanagari: चन्द्रकीर्ति, ch: Yuèchēng 月称; Tib. Dawa Drakpa Wylie. zla ba grags pa) was an Indian scholar and a khenpo of Nālandā Mahāvihāra. He was a disciple of Nāgārjuna and a commentator on his works and those of his main disciple, Āryadeva. Candrakīrti was the most famous member of what the Tibetans came to call the dbU-ma thal-'gyur, an approach to the interpretation of Madhyamaka philosophy sometimes back-translated into Sanskrit as Prāsaṅgika Madhyamaka or rendered in English as the "Consequentialist" or "Dialecticist" school.

In his writings Candrakīrti defended Buddhapālita against Bhāvaviveka, criticizing the latter's acceptance of autonomous syllogism. He also offered refutations of a number of earlier Buddhist views such as the Vijñānavāda or Idealist school.^[1]

Candrakīrti's works include the Prasannapadā—Sanskrit for "clear words"—a commentary on Nāgārjuna's Mūlamadhyamakakārikā and the Madhyamakāvatāra (his supplement to Nāgārjuna's text) and its auto-commentary. The Madhyamakāvatāra is used as the main sourcebook by most of the Tibetan monastic colleges in their studies of 'emptiness' (Sanskrit: śūnyatā) and the philosophy of the Madhyamaka school.

Candrakīrti the latter

The Tibetan translation of Caryāpada provided the name of its compiler as Munidatta, that its Sanskrit commentary is Caryāgītikośavṛtti, and that its Tibetan 'translator' (Tibetan: Lotsawa) was Candrakīrti. This is a later Candrakīrti, who assisted in Tibetan translation in the Later Transmission of Buddhism to Tibet.

Major works

• Prasannapadā (Clear Words) : A commentary on Nāgārjuna's Mūlamadhyamakakārikā
• Madhyamakāvatāra (Entering the Middle Way or Guide to the Middle Way)^[2]

Quote

“

If, by trying to understand the truth, you dispel the misunderstandings of some people and thereby some philosophies are damaged - that cannot be taken as criticizing the views of others.

”

See also

• Charyapada

Notes

1. ^ Fenner, Peter G. (1983). "Candrakīrti's refutation of Buddhist idealism." Philosophy East and West Volume 33, no.3 (July 1983) University of Hawaii Press. P.251. Source: [1] (accessed: January 21, 2008)
2. ^ Ocean of Nectar: The True Nature of All Things, Tharpa Publications (1995) ISBN 978-0-948006-23-4

References

• Dan Arnold, Buddhists, Brahmins and Belief: Epistemology in South Asian Philosophy of Religion
• C.W. Huntington, The Emptiness of Emptiness: An Introduction to Early Indian Madhyamaka
• Gyatso, Geshe Kelsang Gyatso. Ocean of Nectar: The True Nature of All Things, a verse by verse commentary to Chandrakirti's Guide to the Middle Way, Tharpa Publications (1995) ISBN 978-0-948006-23-4

External links

• Geshe Jampa Gyatso - Masters Program Middle Way
• Joe Wilson. Chandrakirti's Sevenfold Reasoning Meditation on the Selflessness of Persons
• Candrakiirti's critique of Vijñaanavaada, Robert F. Olson, Philosophy East and West, Volume 24 No. 4, 1977, pp. 405-411
• Candrakiirti's denial of the self, James Duerlinger, Philosophy East and West, Volume 34 No. 3, July 1984, pp. 261-272
• Candrakiirti's refutation of Buddhist idealism, Peter G. Fenner, Philosophy East and West, Volume 33 No. 3, July 1983, pp. 251-261
• "Philosophical Nonegocentrism in Wittgenstein and Candrakirti", Robert A. F. Thurman, Philosophy East and West, Volume 30 No. 3, July 1980, pp. 321-337

^{[clarification needed]}

Persondata
Name	Candrakirti
Alternative names
Short description
Date of birth	600
Place of birth
Date of death	650
Place of death