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Nagarjuna Bodhisattva (1 50 - 250 AD) came from southern
India. He was the founder of eight Mahayana sects. Being
exceptionally bright, he mastered all contemporary religious
philosophies. His viewpoint was so solid that no one from the
The Great Vehicle School (Mahayana) after him could surpass
his explanation of the basic philosophy of Buddha's teachings.
Secret Buddhism and other Mahayana sects have laid their
foundation on his principle of Emptiness (Madhyamika-Castra).
He was held in such veneration that he was regarded as the
incarnation of Amitabha Buddha.
Nagarjuna transmitted the Dharma to Nagabodhi, who was
an adept monk at Nalanda University. Nalanda University was
the largest and first Buddhist monastery in India, from which
came many proficient Buddhist teachers of the Mahayana sects as
well as from other countries. Many founders of the doctrine who
succeeded each other in preaching the doctrine, such as Asangha
and Vasubandhu, had taught at this university. When Nagabodhi
was over one hundred years old, Hieun-Tsang of China came
over in the year 633 AD to receive the Dharma from him.
After receiving the Dharma from Nagarjuna, Nagabodhi
transmitted the teachings and preached in the southern region of
India and Ceylon. Nagabodhi was over 700 years old.
Secret Buddhism spread northward to Tibet, China and
Japan, and southward to Ceylon, Burma, Indonesia, Cambodia
and Laos to became the two main North and South Secret
branches.