Aryadeva was a disciple of Nagarjuna. He was one of the 84 Indian Vajrayana Mahasiddhas, one of the Seventeen Nalanda Masters, also one of  the Indian scholars known as Six Ornaments. He made significant contribution to Madhyamaka school of Mahayana Buddhism. His most important works include: Catusataka (400 verses), Caryamelapakapradipa or “Lamp that Integrates the Practices”….

提婆 (藏傳佛教譯為聖天)是公元3世紀印度大乘佛教 中觀派龍樹之徒, 那爛陀十七班智達之一, 六莊嚴之一, 金剛乘八十四大成就者之一。

因他有一眼睛失明，所以被稱為片目天….

聖天是大乘佛教中觀派創始人龍樹的弟子。他的出身不詳，中觀派的另一位重要學者月稱認為，聖天生於斯里蘭卡，而且是一位王子；而漢譯的《提婆菩薩傳》則認為他出生於印度南部的一個婆羅門家庭。聖天從龍樹處學習大乘般若之學。漢文資料說，聖天非常精於辯論。

聖天是許多重要的中觀派論著的作者。他的著作的梵文原本都沒有保存下來，現在研究者能看到的是用漢語和藏語翻譯過來的版本。但是對比可知，它們也不是完全翻譯（尤其是漢譯聖天著作）。聖天最有名的著述是《四百論》，一共有16品，中文翻譯了後8品（所謂《廣百論本》）。

還有很多著作被歸入聖天名下，但較嚴肅的西方研究者認為他們不是聖天本人寫的。(維基百科)

At birth, Aryadeva sprang magically from the pollen filled heart of a lotus flower. Soon he was ordained in Sri Nalanda and in time, became the abbot of the monastery. However, after many years of selfless service, he grew restless and feels that he had not realized his own perfect potential. Finally, he decided to search for the guru Nagarjuna in hope to gain ultimate knowledge. On his journey, he chanced a meeting with a humble fisherman whom he recognized as the Bodhisattva Manjusri. Aryadeva prostrated and presented him many offerings. When Manjusri offered to grant him a favor, the abbot asked if he could tell him where Nagarjuna was.

Manjusri pointed him the direction and Aryadeva set off to search for Nagarjuna. Soon he came upon a humble hut of woven grass. There he saw Nagarjuna and prostrated himself before the master. Nagarjuna sensed an extraordinary presence and agreed to his pupil’s desire for instruction. He gave him initiation in the mandala of Guhyasamaja and taught him the accompanying precepts and allowed Aryadeva to remain with him to practice his sadhanas.

Each day, the two masters journeyed to a nearby town to beg for food, but Nagarjuna had the greatest difficulty getting offerings while Aryadeva would come back with a feast. After awhile, Nagarjuna grew cranky told Aryadeva to eat only what he can lift with the point of a pin. Aryadeva obeyed, but soon the women of the town prepared cunning little barley cakes and balanced on the point of a pin, which he offered to his guru. However, the guru grew suspicious and forbade him to enter town. From then on, Nagarjuna would beg for them both.

The next day when the master went to town, a beauteous tree nymph appeared bearing a feast for Aryadeva. When Nagarjuna returned, his pupil told him about the visit and the master called out for the nymph asking why she have not appeared before him but to his disciple. The tree nymph chastised the guru. She said because Aryadeva is free and pure while Nagarjuna have traces of passion embedded. The guru reflected on that.

That very day, Nagarjuna perfected his elixir of eternal youth and anointed his tongue with a few drops. But when he handed the bowl to his disciple, Aryadeva threw the contents to a dead tree which immediately sprang into full blossom. Shocked, Nagarjuna asked his pupil to replace the contents of that bowl. Obedient as ever, Aryadeva took a bucket of water and peed into it. Then he stirred the contents with a twig and handed it to his guru. Stating that he have made too much, Aryadeva splashed half the contents onto another dead tree and it also restored to radiant life.

Nodding his head, Nagarjuna said, “it’s quite obvious to me that you’re already fully realized. Why do you insist on staying in samsara?”  Aryadeva was infused with ecstasy and levitated to the height of 7 palm trees. Fully liberated from birth, as are all the lotus-born, he needed only a word from his guru to convince him of what he had been too innocent to see before.

He began teaching the Buddha’s message to all beings, aiding them to bring their minds to maturity. And when he finished his labors, he turned the soles of his feet to the sky, placed his palms together in adoration and prostrated himself before his guru. And as the heavenly host gathered to shower flowers down upon him, he simply vanished.

Mahasiddha Ananggapa ||
大成就者 阿南果


84 Mahasiddhas ||
84 大成就者


Mahasiddha Babhaha ||
大成就者 巴希巴