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Marananta

Malananta (fl. late 4th century) was an Indian Buddhist monk and missionary 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 ChimnyuofBaekje in 384 CE, along with SundoinGoguryeo and AdoinSilla.^[1][2] Buddhism, a religion originating in what is now India, was transmitted to Korea via China in the late 4th century.^[3]

Name[edit]

Multiple romanizations of Mālānanda's name may be found, including Marananta, Maranant'a and Maalaananda. An alternative reconstruction of his name is Kumāranandin.^[4]

History[edit]

Malananta was from Swabi (currently in modern-day Pakistan).^[5][6][7] 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 SundoinGoguryeo and AdoinSilla.^[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.^[4]

There are only scant mentions of Marananta in historical records.

See also[edit]

• Buddhism in Korea
• Buddhism in East Asia
• Buddhism and Eastern religions
• Gyeomik, went to India to study the Vinaya, then founded the Vinaya School in Korea.
• Hyecho, Korean monk from Silla who traveled to India.
• Dhyānabhadra, Indian monk and translator who went to teach in Korea during Goryeo dynasty.
• Memorial of Heo Hwang-ok, Ayodhya
• Silk Road transmission of Buddhism
• Wang ocheonchukguk jeon

References[edit]

• 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[edit]

Further reading[edit]

• 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.

External links[edit]

• A detailed article on the history of Korean Buddhism, including multiple images of Korean Buddhist art and a substantial bibliography.

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