Nagarjuna (klu
grub). An Indian master of philosophy and a tantric siddha.
One of the Eight Vidyadharas; receiver
of the tantras of Lotus Speech such as Supreme Steed Display.
He is said to have taken birth in the southern part of India around
four hundred years after the Buddha’s nirvana. Having received
ordination at Nalanda Monastery, he later acted as preceptor for
the monks.  He
knew alchemy, stayed alive for six hundred years and transformed
ordinary materials into gold in order to sustain the sangha. At
Bodhgaya he erected pillars and stone walls to protect the Bodhi
Tree and constructed 108 stupas. From the realm of the nagas he
brought back the extensive Prajnaparamita scriptures. He was the
life pillar for the Mahayana, but specifically he was a major
exponent of the Unexcelled Vehicle of Vajrayana. Having attained
realization of Hayagriva, he transmitted the lineage to Padmasambhava.
--from the Rangjung Yeshe Glossary
Nagarjuna (klu sgrub) In accordance with many prophecies found
in both sutras and tantras, Nagarjuna; (klu sgrub) was born in
a Brahmin family in the south Indian land of Beda. An astrologer
predicted that in the best case (if he practiced the dharma),
the child would live for no more than seven years. When seven
years were almost gone, the parents sent their son away on pilgrimage
with a servant, because they could not bear the thought of seeing
his corpse. However Nagarjuna reached Nalanda and meet Saraha
who told him that he could escape death if he were ordained as
a monk. Nagarjuna also receive the initiation into the mandala
of Amitayus and practicing the mantra recitation through the last
night of his seventh year, he could free himself from the fear
of death. The following year Nagarjuna received the initial monk
ordination and became proficient in all the branches of knowledge
in both the Hinayana and Mahayana sutras. Saraha also gave him
many teachings upon the secret Mantrayana.
Having mastered all these teachings Nagarjuna returned to see
his parents again. He then took the full monastic vows. Once,
a terrible famine broke out in Magadha and continued for twelve
years. Saraha asked Nagarjuna to provide for the monks of Nalanda
who lacked all necessities. Nagarjuna decided to find out how
to make gold. He took two sandalwood leaves and, with the appropriate
mantras, gave them the power to instantly transport a person to
wherever he wished to go. Holding one leaf in his hand and concealing
the other in the sole of his sandal, he traveled across the ocean
to an island where a famous alchemist lived. Nagarjuna requested
instructions in the making of gold. Now the alchemist realized
that Nagarjuna must have come across the water by a secret technique,
so hoping to acquire this secret he said, "Let us exchange
either our crafts or our wealth." "We should exchange
our crafts," answered Nagarjuna, and gave him the leaf he
held in his hand.
The alchemist, thinking that Nagarjuna was no longer able to leave
the island taught him how to make gold. Then Nagarjuna, by means
of the sandalwood leaf he had hidden in his sandal, returned to
India. There he turned a lot of iron into gold and provided the
whole Sangha with all their needs. Later Nagarjuna became abbot
of Nalanda. He repeatedly defeated all his opponents, both the
heretics, such as Shankara, who ridiculed the Madhyamika view
and the shravaka who asserted the invalidity of the Mahayana.
Some Nagas came to attend to Nagarjuna's teachings and requested
him to visit the Land the Nagas. Having taught the Naga King and
his subjects, Nagarjuna returned with the text of the Prajnaparamita
in One Hundred Thousand Verses and its abbreviated form. With
these scriptures he revived the Mahayana tradition. He himself
composed many treatises elucidating the view of the Madhyamika
and setting a reference point to the whole Mahayana philosophy
on relative and absolute truths.
In accordance with the prediction of Arya Tara, Nagarjuna went
to leave and teach in South India. There, too, he composed many
treatises. His teachings on Vinaya were equaled to Lord Buddha's
First Turning of the Wheel of Dharma, his teachings on emptiness
to the Second Turning, and his Collection of Praises (such as
the Praise to the Absolute Expanse) to the Third Turning. Once
a young prince, who coveted his father's kingdom, was told by
his mother, "Your father's life is linked to that of Master
Nagarjuna who himself attained eternal life. Therefore, you will
never rule the kingdom." Later not bearing her son's unhappiness,
the queen added, "Nagarjuna is a Bodhisattva, if you ask
him for his head, he will give to you." The prince did accordingly,
and Nagarjuna consented to give his head. But although the prince
struck with his sword again and again, the master's neck could
not be severed. Nagarjuna said, "Once when I was cutting
kusha grass I cut off the head of an insect.
The karmic consequence of this act can still affect me and you
can easily kill me with a blade of kusha grass." The prince
tried and at the first stroke the masters' head fell on the ground.
Milk, not blood, poured out and the severed head spoke: "I
shall now go to Tushita heaven, but later I shall return in this
very same body."  Afraid,
the prince, threw the head far away. However
both the head and body of Nagarjuna turned into stone and it is
said that the head, slowly but surely, moves closer to its trunk
and that eventually, when the two reunite, Nagarjuna will revive
and perform vast deeds for the benefit of the Doctrine and beings.
Nagarjuna had four principal spiritual sons, Shakyamitra, Nagabodhi,
Aryadeva, and Matanga, as well as three close sons, Buddhapalita,
Bhavaviveka, and Ashvagosha.
—from Mathieu Ricard
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