Upagupta | |
|---|---|
 Common representation of Upagupta, this one enshrined at the Wihan Phra Upakhut (Upagutta Shrine), Wat Bowonniwet, Bangkok, Thailand | |
| Personal | |
| Religion | Buddhism |
Upagupta (c. 3rd Century BC) was a Buddhist monk. According to some stories in the Sanskrit text Ashokavadana, he was the spiritual teacher of the Mauryan emperor Ashoka.[1]: 16 In the Sarvāstivādin tradition he is the fifth patriarch after Mahākaśyapa, Ānanda, Madhyāntika, and Śāṇakavāsin, and in the Ch'an tradition he is regarded as the fourth. Upagupta's teacher was Śāṇavāsa, who was a disciple of Ānanda, the Buddha's attendant. Due to the absence of his name in Theravada literature it is assumed that Upagupta was a Sarvāstivādin monk. In South East Asian countries and Bangladesh Upagupta is a great cult figure. In Myanmar he is known as Shin Upagutta. In Cambodia, he is known as Preah Uppakut. In the Lokapannatti Upagupta is sent by Ashoka to tame Mara during an enshrinement ceremony festival, afterwards he asks her to take the physical form (rupakaya) of Buddha so that everyone at the festival can see what Buddha looked like.[2]
- ^ John S. Strong (1989). The Legend of King Aśoka: A Study and Translation of the Aśokāvadāna. Motilal Banarsidass Publ. ISBN 978-81-208-0616-0. Retrieved 30 October 2012.
- ^ John S. Strong (2007). Relics of the Buddha. Motilal Banarsidass Publishers. p. 145. ISBN 9788120831391.