Śāriputra | |
|---|---|
 15th century mural of Śāriputra fromPalcho Monastery in SouthernTibet. The inscription at the bottom translates to "Veneration to Shri Śāriputra". | |
| Personal life | |
| Born | c. 1335 CE |
| Died | c. 1426 CE |
| Education | |
| Religious life | |
| Religion | Buddhism |
| School | |
Śāriputra (c. 1335-1426 CE), also known in Chinese sources asShilisha 室利沙,[1] was a 15th-century Indian Buddhist monk and scholar, and the last known abbot of theBodh Gaya mahavihara inBihar,India before its restoration in the 19th century. After he left Bodh Gaya, Sariputra subsequently travelled toNepal,Tibet andChina.[2]
Among his activities are the restoration of theSwayambhunathcaitya inKathmandu. Following this, he spent some time in Tibet where he helped to establishtantric lineages that had originated in India. What we know of Sariputra's life is recorded in his Tibetan and Chinese biographies.[3] Along withDhyānabhadra (1289–1363 CE),Vanaratna (1384-1468 CE) andBuddhaguptanātha (1514-1610 CE), Śāriputra is among the last recorded Indian Buddhist figures of the pre-modern era.[4][5]
Sariputra seems to have been born in a Buddhist family somewhere inEastern India in a town calledPiribīnagara which has yet to be identified. Arthur McKeown has suggested that from the descriptions of the city and its fortifications, it could beSimraungadh in theMithila region on the border ofBihar andNepal.
At a young age, he made the decision to travel westwards to Bodh Gaya where he studied under two teachers, Gunaratna and Mahasvami and took theprecepts of a monk. From an assessment of the books he mentions as having studied, it is clear that Śāriputra was trained in theMahayana school of Buddhism. After the death of Buddhasvami, the chief preceptor of Bodh Gaya, Sairputra was asked to replace him as the abbot of the Bodh Gaya monastery. Sariputra was responsible for the restoration of various buildings and monuments around the site of theMahabodhi Temple. During this period, manyBurmese pilgrims visited Bodh Gaya who also helped to fund the restoration of these religious sites. Prior to this, the upper half of the Mahabodhi's gandola had been destroyed by Turushkas[note 1]. He also received royal patronage from a local King, after preaching Buddhism to him and took part in debates with non-Buddhists from other parts of India. After many years serving as the abbot of Bodh Gaya, Sariputra decided to travel northwards to Nepal.[6]
When Sariputra travelled toNepal, he noted that the Buddhist site ofSwayambhunath caitya which he worshipped at was in bad condition. He suggested to the local King who belonged to theMalla dynasty that it should be restored and these restorations were likely completed by 1412 CE. It has been suggested that during this period he lived inBhaktapur although there is very little other information regarding his activities in Nepal.[7]
Sariputra was said to have visited Tibet around 1418 whenBdag Chen ruled. From Sariputra, this ruler was said to have received initiations into various tantric lineages includingKalachakra tantra and he was listed as one of the king's main spiritual advisors. Tibetan sources also detail that he consecrated a bridge inLcang ra in 1418. His "lineage biography" states that he spent a year at the monastery ofSamye where he devoted himself to rituals relating to the bodhisattvaManjushri. The source then adds that he eventually received a vision of Manjushri.[8]
After leaving Samye, he travelled to Upper Myang in Gtsang where he met Sha ra'i dpon chen Kun dga phags who offered him a substantial amount of gold to stay in the region. Sariputra agreed to stay for a year and engage in the transmission ofvinaya texts with local scholars including the abbot ofPalcho Monastery. After his stay at Gtsang, Sariputra received an imperial invitation toLhasa which was to be his final destination in Tibet before travelling to China. Here he visited theJowo Shakyamuni statue which he circumambulates one hundred times. The lineage biography also implies that Sariputra may have designed a replica of theMahabodhi Temple during his stay in Lhasa.[9]
Following his stay in Tibet, Sariputra was subsequently invited to China, where he arrived with Hou Xian, who was sent to Tibet to collect him on behalf of theMing dynasty. Sariputra arrived inBeijing, where he met theYongle Emperor. The exact date of when he met with the Yongle Emperor is not known for certain, but most estimates place it around the early 15th century. During this time, Sariputra was provided with residence at the Haiyin monastery. Sariputra was also present during the ascension of theHongxi Emperor where he performed the ritual ofenthronement in 1425 and was thus given the title "Perfectly enlightened, great imperial preceptor".[10]
As per his biography, Sariputra seems to have spent most of his time in China inBeijing. He was responsible for providing the design of theZhenjue Temple which itself is a replica of the Mahabodhi temple. He is also said to have brought with him five GoldenBuddha statues which as per legend are buried under the temple under each pagoda.[12]
Sariputra died on February 20, 1426 CE and on his deathbed, hagiographic sources state that he said to his students:
"From India, I came here to teach. Now, my contribution is finished; I am about to die. Each of you must mind the great dharma of the Tathagatas. Don't be even a little lax!"
The Emperor ordered his funeral ceremony andcremation and his ashes andrelics were collected in the town ofXiangshan. Astupa was also built in his memory inYuanzhao Temple.[13]