Upagupta

Upagupta
Common representation of Upagupta, this one enshrined at the Wihan Phra Upakhut (Upagutta Shrine), Wat Bowonniwet, Bangkok, Thailand
Religious life
ReligionBuddhism

Upagupta (c. 3rd century BCE) was a Buddhist monk, widely venerated in several Buddhist traditions across Asia. According to stories in the Sanskrit text Ashokavadana, he served as the spiritual teacher of the Mauryan emperor Ashoka.

In the Sarvāstivādin tradition, Upagupta is considered the fifth patriarch after Mahākāśyapa, Ānanda, Madhyāntika, and Śāṇakavāsin. In Chan/Zen Buddhism, he is regarded as the fourth patriarch. His teacher was Śāṇavāsa, a direct disciple of Ānanda, who was the Buddha's personal attendant.

Because his name is absent from Theravāda literature, it is generally assumed that Upagupta belonged to the Sarvāstivādin school. Despite this, his legacy has extended across diverse traditions, and in Southeast Asia, particularly in Myanmar, Cambodia, Thailand, Laos, and Bangladesh, he is an important cult figure.

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