Buddhist-Meditation-Systematic-and-Practical

could be taught in the world of men.
Furthermore, we should not forget that the Buddha
foretold the coming of Nagarjuna in the Lankavatara
Sutra, saying that after eight hundred years have passed,
such a sage will arise. The Buddha sent him so that he
might cause the Dharma to flourish. It is also written in
Vajracchedika Prajnaparamita Sutra that Nagarjuna was
a Buddha in the past named "Buddha of Mysterious
Clouds." Asvaghosa was once a Buddha as well, and in
a past aeon bore the name of "Great Light."
ii. As the followers of Hinayana may doubt that
Nagarjuna himself wrote these scriptures, therefore we
cannot give these teachings as proof that he did not do
so. Now, Buddhism is simply a religion of Truth and
certainly not one of blind faith and superstition. The
Buddhist is always encouraged by his teacher to find out
where the highest truth has been taught most clearly; he
may compare the Hinayana and Mahayana teachings
and a thorough examination may determine that he
prefers the latter to the former, thinking that in the latter
the truth preached is complete, whereas the truths of the
former are not ultimate. It is the exoteric Buddhist
tradition to believe the truth but not who said it: truth
(but not the person) is the most important. Supposing
Nagarjuna had established a religion with a teaching
going further than the Buddha's preaching in the
Hinayana, then we should believe Nagarjuna and not
Buddha, since the former would then have taught a
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