Buddhist monk and scholar. Born 344, died 413.
Kumarajiva's father was an Indian brahman, his mother a princess from Kucha. As a scholar, Kumarajiva is most famous for his translations of important Buddhist religious texts into Chinese. With the aid of a large staff of monks, Kumarajiva translated many of the most important sutras and philosophical works of Mahayana Buddhism from Sanskrit into Chinese.
His translations of Nagarjuna's philosophy has had a seminal effect on the development of the Madhyamika school (San-Lun) in China.