Kashmir, Tamilnadu, Panini, Abhinavagupta, etc.

[DEVARAKONDA VENKATA NARAYANA SARMA]

At 12:55 PM 2/19/99 PST, you wrote:
>>It is definitely more logical to expect Potala to be
>>situated in a region which is a hot bed of vajrayana and abounds in
>>temples for Tara and Avalokitesvara (Dhanyakataka) than in Malaya
>>Mountains which do not have this tradition. This identification to
>> my mind is more logical than depending upon the similarities
>>between Siva and Avalokitesvara.
>
> In addition to Vajrabodhi, the vajrAyana teacher hailing from
>Malaya country, we have a tradition of Mahayana in and around
>the Malaya mountains.
>
> ManjusrimUlakalpa was discovered by T. Ganapati Sastri
>at Manalikkara maDam near the Malaya country. This is one of
>the very, very few Mahayana works to be discovered in India proper.
>

If the discovery of manjusrImUlakalpa in kerala makes potiyil in
tamilnadu  fit to be identified as Potalaka,
how much more will be the presence of Manjusri himself in
dhAnyakataka make Nagarjunakonda in Andhra more fit
to be called Potalaka. I have come to understand that Gandavyuha
mentions this. I do not think arguments like the above solve
the problem.

1. One has to identify which mountain out of Malaya one wants to designate
   as Potiyil.

2. One has to show that there is  archeological, textual
   evidence that Buddhist (mahAyana and vajrayana) existed there.

3. One has also to determine the earliest date from which the
   mountain is having Buddhist establishments.

4. We has to determine the earliest date from which it is referred
   to as Potalaka.
On fri, 19 Feb you have written

>The foremost teacher of vajrAyana is from the Malaya country
>where Mt. Potikai/Potalaka is.

How do you know  they are foremost teachers. Did you get any additional
material on them.

In Taranatha's book there is only one sentence about Amoghvajra
and none about Vajrabodhi. About Amoghvajra there is suuplementary note
(81) describing his work. And according to Taranatha, Amoghavajra belongs to
11 th century A.D. How does this help you to establish Vajrayana in
8 th century.

>Alexander C. Soper, Literary evidence for early Buddhism in China,
>1959 says that the two earliest Chinese translations of GaNDavyUha
>sUtra DOES NOT PLACE Mt. Potalaka in ANY island.

Does this not actually strengthen the case for Nagarjunakonda?

regards,

sarma.


> A. Foucher has described an avalokitezvara that went to Gandhara
>from Muulavaasam monastery. It has the inscription "dakSiNApatho
>LokanAtha".

FRom where did he go to mUlavAsam.

regards,

sarma.