The 11 Most Influential Buddhist Philosophers

Buddhism is a religion that has been around for centuries. There are many different Buddhist schools, and although they share the same foundation, each has its own teachings and philosophies. In this blog post, we will take a look at some of the most influential Buddhist philosophers of all time. These thinkers had a profound impact on the development of Buddhism, and their ideas are still studied and discussed by Buddhists around the world today.

We will not mention Siddhartha Gautama (the Buddha) because we have a have detailed article about who and how he really was.

We chose alphabetical order because we did not want to rank them in order of importance, since they all played an important role in the development of Buddhism.

Note: How important a philosopher was or is for a philosophical school can always only be evaluated objectively to a certain degree. Therefore, this article is not entirely without personal opinion.

Here we go:

Asanga was an important figure in the development of the Mahayana tradition of Buddhism. He was a prolific writer, and his works on Buddhist philosophy and psychology are still studied by Buddhists today.

Asanga lived in the fourth century CE and was born into a royal family in what is now Pakistan. He first studied Hinduism, but later converted to Buddhism. After becoming a monk, he traveled to India, where he studied with various Buddhist teachers.

He is best known for his work on the Abhidharma, a system of Buddhist psychology and philosophy. He also wrote a number of important texts on the Madhyamaka, a key school of Mahayana Buddhism.

Ashvaghosa was another important figure in the development of the Mahayana tradition. He is best known for his work The Awakening of Faith, which is still considered one of the most important texts of Mahayana Buddhism.

Atisha was a Buddhist teacher who lived in India in the 11th century. He lived in India in the 11th century. He is best known for his work on mind training, a method of meditation still used by Buddhists today.

A little known fact about Atisha is that he was actually born in what is now Bangladesh. He was an important force in the spread of Buddhism in Tibet, and his work on the stages of the Buddhist path (Lamrim) is still studied by Tibetan Buddhists today.

Moreover, Atisha was a key figure in the development of Buddhism in Tibet. He lived in the eleventh century CE and was born in what is now Bangladesh.

Atisha traveled to Tibet to revive Buddhism after it declined under the rule of the Tibetan Empire. He is best known for his work on the Lojong, a form of mind training still used by Buddhists today.

Chandrakirti was a Buddhist philosopher who lived in India in the seventh century. He is best known for his work on the Madhyamaka, a branch of Buddhism that emphasizes the middle way between extremes.

Chandrkirti was born in what is now Nepal.

Dharmakirti was a Buddhist philosopher who lived in India in the eighth century. He is best known for his work on epistemology, the doctrine of knowledge and belief.

It is said that he was the teacher of Chandrakirti.

One of Dharmakirti's most famous works is The Compendium of Valid Knowledge, which is still studied by Buddhists today.

Doge (Dōgen) was a Japanese Buddhist monk who lived in the 13th century. He is best known for his work on Zen Buddhism, which emphasizes meditation and mindfulness.

He lived in Japan's Kamakura period on Mt. Kōya (a mountain south of Ōsaka).

Dogen's most famous work is the Shōbōgenzō (The Treasury of the True Dharma Eye), which is still studied by Buddhists today.

Gampopa was a Tibetan Buddhist teacher who lived in the 12th century. He is best known for his work on the practice of Buddhism, which had a significant influence on Tibetan Buddhism.

Gampopa was a disciple of Milarepa, who in turn was a disciple of Marpa Lotsawa.

Hakuin was a Japanese Buddhist monk who lived in the 18th century. He is best known for his work on Zen Buddhism, which emphasizes meditation and mindfulness.

Hakuin is best known for his work on koan introspection, a meditation method still used by Buddhists today.

A Kōan is a short anecdote in Chinese Chan and Japanese Zen Buddhism that represents an exemplary action or statement by a master and rarely by a disciple. Because of its ambiguous statement, a koan can be endlessly meditated upon and eventually attain enlightenment.

Ju Mipham was a Tibetan Buddhist philosopher who lived in the 19th century. He is best known for his work on Madhyamaka, a branch of Buddhism that emphasizes the middle way between extremes.

The Middle Way is a key concept in Buddhism, and Ju Mipham's work on Madhyamaka is still studied by Buddhists today.

Maitreya was a Buddhist monk who lived in India in the fifth century. He is best known for his work on the practice of Buddhism, which had a great influence on Tibetan Buddhism. Which work in particular?

Maitreya's greatest influence on Buddhism was his work on the practice of Buddhism, which had a significant impact on Tibetan Buddhism.

Marpa Lotsawa was a Tibetan Buddhist teacher who lived in the 11th century. The most important work of Marpa Lotsawa is the translation of Buddhism into Tibetan, which had a significant influence on Tibetan Buddhism.

Milarepa was a Tibetan Buddhist monk who lived in the 12th century. He is best known for his work on the practice of Buddhism, which had a significant influence on Tibetan Buddhism. Milarepa's teacher was Marpa Lotsawa and Marpa Lotsawa's disciple was Gampopa.

Nagarjuna was a Buddhist philosopher who lived in India in the second century. He is best known for his work on the Madhyamaka, a branch of Buddhism that emphasizes the middle way between extremes.

Naropa was a Buddhist monk who lived in India in the 11th century. He is best known for his work on the practice of Buddhism, which had a significant influence on Tibetan Buddhism.

Naropa's most influential work was the Six Yogas of Naropa, which are still studied by Buddhists today. These six yogas are an important part of Tibetan Buddhist practice.

These are just a few of the most influential Buddhist philosophers of all time. There are many other thinkers who have also made important contributions to the development of Buddhism.

This list is by no means exhaustive, but it gives a good overview of the most important Buddhist philosophers in history. Thanks for reading!

Do you have a favorite Buddhist philosopher to add to this list? Let us know in the comments below!

If you want to learn more about Buddhism, this article is for you: Religion or Philosophy: What exactly is Buddhism?