KUMARAJIVA

born 343/344 died 413 Buddhist scholar and seer, famed for his encyclopaedic knowledge of Indian and Vedantic learning. He is recognized as one of the greatest translators of Buddhist scriptures from Sanskrit into Chinese, and it was largely owing to his efforts and influence that Buddhist religious and philosophical ideas were disseminated in China. Before his ordination at the age of 20, Kumarajiva studied Theravada Buddhism at Kashgar, China. He was converted to the Madhyamika school of Buddhism by a Mahayanist named Suryasama. Captured by Chinese raiders, he was taken prisoner to China and finally arrived at Ch'ang-an in 401. There he gained the approval of the imperial family and headed a famous school of translators.