Malananta

Marananta

Marananta

Buddhist monk and missionary

Malananta (fl. late 4th century) was an Indian Buddhist monk and missionary from Swabi[1][2][3] (currently in modern day Pakistan) who brought Buddhism to the southern Korean peninsula in the 4th century. Multiple romanizations of Malananta's name may be found, including Meghananda (मेघानंदा), Malananda, Maranant'a and Maalaananda. He was among the first to bring Buddhist teaching, or Dharma, to Korea. The Samguk yusa and Samguk yusa record him as the one who brought Buddhism to King Chimnyu of Baekje in 384 CE, along with Sundo in Goguryeo and Ado in Silla.[4][5] Buddhism, a religion originating in what is now India, was transmitted to Korea via China in the late 4th century.[6]

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Name

Multiple romanizations of Mālānanda's name may be found, including Marananta, Maranant'a and Maalaananda. An alternative reconstruction of his name is Kumāranandin.[7]

History

He was among the first to bring Buddhism to the Korean Peninsula. The Samgungnyusa records him as the one who brought Buddhism to Baekje, along with Sundo in Goguryeo and Ado in Silla.[8]

Mālānanda came to Baekje from Jin China in the ninth lunar month of 384, the coronation year of Chimnyu of Baekje.[9] Two months before Mālānanda's arrival, King Chimnyu had sent a tribute mission to the Jin Empire, as was common upon the ascension of Baekje kings in this period. It is possible he was part of an official emissary from Jin China.[7]

There are only scant mentions of Marananta in historical records.

See also

References

  • Buswell, Robert; Lopez, Donald S. (2013). The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism. Princeton University Press. ISBN 978-0-691-15786-3.
  • Nadiem, Ihsan H. (2003). Buddhist Gandhara: history, art and architecture. Sang-e-Meel Publication. ISBN 978-969-35-1408-7.

Notes

  1. [1]
    tiacqau (18 April 2021). "Rediscovering A Shared Spiritual Heritage "International Conference On Buddhism In Pakistan" | Taxila Institute of Asian Civilizations". Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  2. [2]
    Herald, Korea (15 November 2015). "Pakistan's Gandhara ruins to receive Korea's Buddhists". The Korea Herald. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  3. [3]
    "[TABLE TALK] Buddhism links Pakistan and Korea through time". Korea JoongAng Daily. 7 July 2019. Retrieved 19 February 2024.
  4. [4]
    "Malananta bring Buddhism to Baekje" in Samguk Yusa III, Ha & Mintz translation, pp. 178-179.
  5. [5]
    Kim, Won-yong (1960), "An Early Gilt-bronze Seated Buddha from Seoul", Artibus Asiae, 23 (1): 67–71, doi:10.2307/3248029, JSTOR 3248029, pg. 71
  6. [6]
    Arts of Korea | Explore & Learn | The Metropolitan Museum of Art
  7. [7]
    Buswell & Lopez 2013, p. 520.
  8. [8]
    "Malananta bring Buddhism to Baekje" in Samguk Yusa III, Ha & Mintz translation, pp. 178-179.
  9. [9]
    "Chimnyu-wang," in Samguk Sagi, Baekje Bon-gi 2.

Further reading

  • Ilyon (tr. by Tae-Hung Ha & Grafton K. Mintz) (1972). Samguk Yusa: Legends and history of the Three Kingdoms of ancient Korea. Seoul: Yonsei University Press. ISBN 89-7141-017-5.


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