friends, a new tamil movie set to be released on deepavali is based on the life of an indian-tamil called dharma kirti. he was probably from kancheepuram and migrated to nalanda university.( 650ad) his teachings are widely acclaimed in china, and far east buddhism. the movie is 7th arivu . cast include surya and sruthi hassan. for details of the dharam kirti please see:
Sir - The promo says that it is based on the life of Bodhi Dharma , a pallava prince.
This Dharma Kirti seems to be different.
But i don't know much about them both.
I have read that The nagarjuna was a great master.He is respected by all . also read that Din Naga's was different and kalidasa makes fun of him.
Dharma Kirti and Dharma Pala were great masters again who were in Nalanda and Nalanda was a very secular school where both vedic and Bhudhist classes wereconducted side by side.
I request any of our members to tell us more about these people so that we can learn more.
I am also searching for people who can educateme on:
1. Sanskrit works done in TN like kiratarjuniyum, Kailasodharanam 2. Pali works done by Jains of Tamilnadu and other Jain Tamil religious works. Some body quoted that there are pali Jain works done by Appar when he was Dharmasena. Dont know whether it is true or not. 3. Bhudhist works like such Tamilians.
sir, the bodhi dhamma is most probably dharma kirti only. the term are used inter exchangable. please read the stanford encyclopedia link. because there is only one person was popular in the tibetan buddhism. he was most probably a brahmin. he cannot be a pallava prince. so far my search has come to this level. glad this movie will kinder the interest in the buddhist-jain period of tamilagam( 300bc-600ad). it appears most of their books were destroyed by saivite zealots. one mr.selvamani is making a movie on this issue.
1. Bodhi dharma being a brahmin and may not be a prince - again Pallavas history has some points like they being Brahma Kshatryas. Where as the Kadamba King Mayura Sarman chenge his name to Mayura Varman - Sharma to varma clearly, the same is not clear about Pallavas. hence nothing can be ruled out and only thing is that - we dont know much.
2. secondly Saivites destroying books - Then how so much Coppiyums and Kadais, grammers of jains survived? It is easy to blame some one. Indians have mastered the art of loosing their tradition. Now so much epigraphs re lost every day. After 100 years it will be easy to blame some gurukkals for that.
Dharmakirti never left India so to confuse him with Bodh Dharma is not in accordance with evidences available. He was born near Thirumala whereas Dinnaga was born near Kanchi. Dinnaga, the author of Pramana samuccaya, initiated into Buddhism by Vastiputriya sect, he differed with his master in Logical premises hence he travelled to Magadha and learnt under the great master Vasubsandhu. He too is never said to have left India. Both Dharmakirti and Dinnaga were Brahmins no doubt, but Gandhi Sir what makes you say that Dharmakirti travelled to China. Pl refer to Stcherbatsky magnum opus "Buddhist Logic" for more details.
sir, pallavans generally had extensive political connections with china and ASEAN. it is not impossible for a person to travel china at that time. say in 5th century AD traveling to china was very easy by land route . extending from bengal,assam, burma, yunan and the pacific coast. sea route was also under use. iam unable to give evidence as of now. i just read one parameeswara pallavan-2 was actually living in vietnam as his father was married to a vietnam royal family. odissa,andhra and tamilnadu had large contact with the east and it is yet to be explored. gandhi
Dear All! The travel route between India and China was open from very long time. But the point of contention is weather Dharmakirtitraveledto China. In all probability he did not. I may present to you the list of Indian Buddhist scholars who travelled to China in chronological order. Buddhbhadra(429), born in Kashmir, who was in China at the begining of 5th Cent, Dharmaksema(433) from Central India who went as far as Cutch, modern Qizil in Chinese Turkestan, Gunabhadra (468), also from Central India who went to China by the Ceylon route, Mandrasena (503), Dharmaruchi (504), Samghabhadra (523), Gautama Pranjaruchi a Brahmin from Varanasi who was in China between 516-538, Bodhiruchi (508-536), Buddhashanta (520-539), Vimokshasena (541), Upashunya (538-565), Narendrayashas and Jinayashas from Maghada, DHARMAGUPTA OF ROYAL LINEAGE FROM SOUTH INDIA WHO TRAVELED THROUGH KASHGAR, TASHKENT, CUTCH AND TURFAN TO CHINA, ARRIVING THERE IN 590. In all probability, Bodhidharma may be Dharmagupta. Regarding some famous South Indian Buddhist scholars, we have, Buddhagosha, Buddhadatta, Buddhapalita, Dignaga, Kambala, Gunamati, Caattanaar, not to forget the great Nagarjuna and Dharmakirti.