A History of Hindu Chemistry from the Earliest Times to the Middle of the Sixteenth Century A.D. v2.c32.96

v2.c32.96

Among the bold spirits who took a leading part in this renovation the name of Nágárjuna stands conspicuous. The Mádhyamika system, with its axiom—*sarvam Sunyam*—a form of Pyrrhonism pushed to its extreme limits, which is an essential part of Maháyánism is generally ascribed to him. Northern Buddhistic literature is replete with the marvels and miracles performed by him, and tradition has invested him with superhuman powers. Hiouen 'Thsang calls him along with Deva, Asvaghosha and Kumáralabdha, "as the four suns which illumine the world."* As early as A.D. 401-409 we find a life of Nágárjuna Bodhisattva translated into Chinese.† Táranátha has committed to writing all the floating mass of legends connected with this venerable name, but as the Tibetan monk wrote so late as the beginning of the 17th century A.D., and as nothing was too astounding for his pious credulity, we have here only nuclei of facts round which have gathered accretions of vast proportions. It is now almost a hopeless task to separate the grain from the chaff. Nevertheless we can glean certain historical data from all that have been handed down. Before proceeding further we think it proper to treat the reader to a specimen of the materials with which one has to deal. We cull the following bits from the "Life and Legends of Nágárjuna" gathered chiefly from Tibetan records including Táranátha's "History of Buddhism."