HOME

TheInfoList



OR:

Vasubandhu (; Tibetan: དབྱིག་གཉེན་ ;
fl. ''Floruit'' ( ; usually abbreviated fl. or occasionally flor.; from Latin for 'flourished') denotes a date or period during which a person was known to have been alive or active. In English, the unabbreviated word may also be used as a noun indic ...
4th to 5th century CE) was an influential Indian Buddhist monk and scholar. He was a philosopher who wrote commentary on the
Abhidharma The Abhidharma are a collection of Buddhist texts dating from the 3rd century BCE onwards, which contain detailed scholastic presentations of doctrinal material appearing in the canonical Buddhist scriptures and commentaries. It also refers t ...
, from the perspectives of the
Sarvastivada The ''Sarvāstivāda'' (; ;) was one of the early Buddhist schools established around the reign of Ashoka (third century BCE).Westerhoff, The Golden Age of Indian Buddhist Philosophy in the First Millennium CE, 2018, p. 60. It was particular ...
and
Sautrāntika The Sautrāntika or Sutravadin (, Suttavāda in Pali; ; ; ) were an early Buddhist school generally believed to be descended from the Sthavira nikāya by way of their immediate parent school, the Sarvāstivādins.Westerhoff, Jan, The Golden Ag ...
schools. After his conversion to
Mahayana Buddhism Mahāyāna ( ; , , ; ) is a term for a broad group of Buddhist traditions, texts, philosophies, and practices developed in ancient India ( onwards). It is considered one of the three main existing branches of Buddhism, the others being Thera ...
, along with his brother, Asanga, he was also one of the main founders of the
Yogacara Yogachara (, IAST: ') is an influential tradition of Buddhist philosophy and psychology emphasizing the study of cognition, perception, and consciousness through the interior lens of meditation, as well as philosophical reasoning (hetuvidyā). ...
school. Vasubandhu's '' Abhidharmakośakārikā'' ("Commentary on the Treasury of the Abhidharma") is widely used in Tibetan and East Asian Buddhism, as the major source for non-Mahayana Abhidharma philosophy. His philosophical verse works set forth the standard for the Indian Yogacara metaphysics of "appearance only" (''vijñapti-mātra''), which has been described as a form of " epistemological idealism",
phenomenology Phenomenology may refer to: Art * Phenomenology (architecture), based on the experience of building materials and their sensory properties Philosophy * Phenomenology (Peirce), a branch of philosophy according to Charles Sanders Peirce (1839� ...
and close to
Immanuel Kant Immanuel Kant (born Emanuel Kant; 22 April 1724 – 12 February 1804) was a German Philosophy, philosopher and one of the central Age of Enlightenment, Enlightenment thinkers. Born in Königsberg, Kant's comprehensive and systematic works ...
's
transcendental idealism Transcendental idealism is a philosophical system founded by German philosopher Immanuel Kant in the 18th century. Kant's epistemological program is found throughout his '' Critique of Pure Reason'' (1781). By ''transcendental'' (a term that des ...
. Apart from this, he wrote several commentaries, works on logic, argumentation and devotional poetry. Vasubandhu is one of the most influential thinkers in the Indian Buddhist philosophical tradition. Because of their association with Nalanda university, Vasubandhu and Asanga are amongst the so-called Seventeen Nalanda Masters. In
Jōdo Shinshū , also known as Shin Buddhism or True Pure Land Buddhism, is a school of Pure Land Buddhism founded by the former Tendai Japanese monk Shinran. Shin Buddhism is the most widely practiced branch of Buddhism in Japan. History Shinran (founder) S ...
, he is considered the Second Patriarch; in Chan Buddhism, he is the 21st Patriarch.


Life and works

Different sources provide different places for Vasubandhu's birthplace.
Xuanzang Xuanzang (; ; 6 April 6025 February 664), born Chen Hui or Chen Yi (), also known by his Sanskrit Dharma name Mokṣadeva, was a 7th-century Chinese Bhikkhu, Buddhist monk, scholar, traveller, and translator. He is known for the epoch-making ...
states that Vasubandhu was born in
Gandhara Gandhara () was an ancient Indo-Aryan people, Indo-Aryan civilization in present-day northwest Pakistan and northeast Afghanistan. The core of the region of Gandhara was the Peshawar valley, Peshawar (Pushkalawati) and Swat valleys extending ...
however Buton Rinchen Drup places Vasubandhu in
Central India Central India refers to a geographical region of India that generally includes the states of Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh. The Central Zonal Council, established by the Government of India, includes these states as well as Uttar Prades ...
. Vasubandhu's name means "the Kinsman of Abundance." Tibetan Buddhism sees the two brothers as part of the six great Indian commentators called the "Six Ornaments". He was contemporaneous with Chandragupta I, father of Samudragupta. This information temporally places this Vasubandhu in the 4th century CE. The earliest biography of Vasubandhu was translated into Chinese by Paramärtha (499-569). Vasubandhu initially studied with the Buddhist Sarvāstivāda (also called
Vaibhāṣika Sarvāstivāda-Vaibhāṣika () or simply Vaibhāṣika () is an ancient Buddhist tradition of Abhidharma (scholastic Buddhist philosophy), which was very influential in north India, especially Kashmir.Westerhoff 2018, pp. 60–61. In various tex ...
, who upheld the '' Mahavibhasa'' commentary) school which was dominant in Gandhara, and later moved to
Kashmir Kashmir ( or ) is the Northwestern Indian subcontinent, northernmost geographical region of the Indian subcontinent. Until the mid-19th century, the term ''Kashmir'' denoted only the Kashmir Valley between the Great Himalayas and the Pir P ...
to study with the heads of the orthodox Sarvastivada branch there.Lusthaus, Dan
Vasubandhu
/ref> After returning home, he lectured on Abhidharma and composed the '' Abhidharmakośakārikā'' (''Verses on the Treasury of the Abhidharma''), a verse distillation of Sarvastivada Abhidharma teachings, which was an analysis of all factors of experience into its constituent dharmas (phenomenal events). However Vasubandhu had also begun to question Sarvāstivāda-Vaibhāṣika view for some time, and had studied with the
Sautrāntika The Sautrāntika or Sutravadin (, Suttavāda in Pali; ; ; ) were an early Buddhist school generally believed to be descended from the Sthavira nikāya by way of their immediate parent school, the Sarvāstivādins.Westerhoff, Jan, The Golden Ag ...
teacher, Manoratha. Thus, his auto-commentary to his Abhidharma verses sometimes criticize the Vaibhāṣika system from a Sautrāntika viewpoint. However, the work is not always critical of Vaibhāṣika, and in some cases, it also defends the orthodox Vaibhasika position. The ''Abhidharmakośa'' remains the main source for Abhidharma studies in both Tibetan Buddhism and East Asian Buddhism. Vasubandhu is later said to have converted to
Mahayana Mahāyāna ( ; , , ; ) is a term for a broad group of Buddhist traditions, Buddhist texts#Mahāyāna texts, texts, Buddhist philosophy, philosophies, and practices developed in ancient India ( onwards). It is considered one of the three main ex ...
beliefs under the influence of his brother Asanga, whereupon he composed a number of
Yogacara Yogachara (, IAST: ') is an influential tradition of Buddhist philosophy and psychology emphasizing the study of cognition, perception, and consciousness through the interior lens of meditation, as well as philosophical reasoning (hetuvidyā). ...
treatises and Mahayana sutra commentaries. Some of his most influential Mahayana works have been the ''Twenty Verses on Consciousness Only'' ('' Vimśatikāvijñaptimātratāsiddhi''), with its commentary (''Viṃśatikāvṛtti''), the ''Thirty Verses on Consciousness-only'' ('' Triṃśikā-vijñaptimātratā'') and his ''Discourse on the
Pure Land Pure Land is a Mahayana, Mahayana Buddhist concept referring to a transcendent realm emanated by a buddhahood, buddha or bodhisattva which has been purified by their activity and Other power, sustaining power. Pure lands are said to be places ...
'' (''Jìngtǔ lùn'' 浄土論). The ''Thirty Verses'' is the basis for Xuanzang's '' Cheng Wei Shi Lun'', one of the most important sources in East Asian Yogacara Buddhism. His Pure Land treatise was also very influential on East Asian
Pure Land Buddhism Pure Land Buddhism or the Pure Land School ( zh, c=淨土宗, p=Jìngtǔzōng) is a broad branch of Mahayana, Mahayana Buddhism focused on achieving rebirth in a Pure land, Pure Land. It is one of the most widely practiced traditions of East Asi ...
. In India, Vasubandhu became known as a major Mahayana master, scholar and debater. He is reported to have defeated Samkhya philosophers in debate in front of the Gupta king "Vikramaditya" (variously identified as
Chandragupta II Chandragupta II (r.c. 375–415), also known by his title Vikramaditya, as well as Chandragupta Vikramaditya, was an emperor of the Gupta Empire. Modern scholars generally identify him with King Chandra of the Iron pillar of Delhi, Delhi iron ...
or Skandagupta) at
Ayodhya Ayodhya () is a city situated on the banks of the Sarayu river in the Indian state of Uttar Pradesh. It is the administrative headquarters of the Ayodhya district as well as the Ayodhya division of Uttar Pradesh, India. Ayodhya became th ...
, who is said to have rewarded him with 300,000 pieces of gold. Vasubandhu used the money he made from royal patronage and debating victories to build Buddhist monasteries and hospitals. As per traditional accounts, Vasubandhu died while visiting
Nepal Nepal, officially the Federal Democratic Republic of Nepal, is a landlocked country in South Asia. It is mainly situated in the Himalayas, but also includes parts of the Indo-Gangetic Plain. It borders the Tibet Autonomous Region of China Ch ...
at the age of 100.


Attributed works

Vasubandhu was prolific author of Buddhist treatises and commentaries. A list of his key works includes:


Treatises

*'' Viṃśatikā-vijñaptimātratāsiddhi (Twenty Verses Demonstrating Consciousness Only)'' *'' Triṃśikā-vijñaptimātratā (Thirty Verses on Consciousness Only'' *''Pañcaskandhaprakaraṇa'' (''Explanation of the Five Aggregates'') *''Karmasiddhiprakarana'' (''A Treatise on Establishing
Karma Karma (, from , ; ) is an ancient Indian concept that refers to an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptively called ...
'') *''Vyākhyāyukti'' (''Proper Mode of Exposition''), a text on Buddhist Hermeneutics, *''Vādavidhi'' (''Rules for Debate''), a text of formal epistemology (
pramana ''Pramana'' (; IAST: Pramāṇa) literally means " proof" and "means of knowledge".
) theory and debate *''*Mahāyāna śatadharmā-prakāśamukha śāstra'' (''Baifa mingmen lun'' 百法明門論'', Lucid Introduction to the One Hundred Dharmas'', T 1614) *'' Trisvabhāva-nirdeśa'' (''Exposition on the Three Natures'') - some scholars question the attribution of this text to Vasubandhu (or at least argue that this is a late work of his which differs in various respects from other works).McNamara, Daniel (2011)
“On the Status of the Trisvabhāvanirdeśa in Contemporary Conceptions of Yogācāra Thought.”
/ref> *''Paramārthasaptati'', a critique of Samkhya philosophy


Commentaries

*''Catuhśataka-śāstra'' (A commentary on Aryadeva's ''Four Hundred Verses'') *''Mahāyānasaṃgraha-bhāṣya'' (Commentary to the '' Summary of the Great Vehicle'' of Asanga) *''Dharmadharmatāvibhāga-vṛtti'' (Commentary on '' Distinguishing Elements from Reality'') *''Madhyāntavibhāga-bhāṣya'' (Commentary on '' Distinguishing the Middle from the Extremes'') *''Mahāyānasūtrālaṃkāra-bhāṣya'' (Commentary on the '' Ornament to the Great Vehicle Discourses''), this attribution has been questioned by some scholars. *'' Amitayus sutropadeśa'' (''Instruction on the Sukhāvatīvyūha Sūtra''), also called "''Discourse on the
Pure Land Pure Land is a Mahayana, Mahayana Buddhist concept referring to a transcendent realm emanated by a buddhahood, buddha or bodhisattva which has been purified by their activity and Other power, sustaining power. Pure lands are said to be places ...
''" (''Jìngtǔ lùn'' 浄土論). *''Dasabhūmika-bhāsya'' (Commentary on the '' Ten Stages Sutra'') *''Commentary on the Aksayamatinirdesa-sutra'' *''Commentary on the
Diamond Sutra The ''Diamond Sutra'' (Sanskrit: ) is a Mahayana, Mahāyāna Buddhism, Buddhist sutra from the genre of ('perfection of wisdom') sutras. Translated into a variety of languages over a broad geographic range, the ''Diamond Sūtra'' is one of th ...
'' *''Commentary on the Lotus Sutra''


Two Vasubandhus theory

Erich Frauwallner, a mid-20th-century Buddhologist, sought to distinguish two Vasubandhus, one the Yogācārin and the other a Sautrāntika, but this view has largely fallen from favour in part on the basis of the anonymous ''Abhidharma-dīpa'', a critique of the '' Abhidharmakośakārikā'' which clearly identifies Vasubandhu as the sole author of both groups of writings. According to Dan Lusthaus, "Since the progression and development of his thought ... is so strikingly evident in these works, and the similarity of vocabulary and style of argument so apparent across the texts, the theory of Two Vasubandhus has little merit." Scholarly consensus on this question has generally moved away from Frauwallner's "two-authors" position.


Philosophy


Abhidharma

Vasubandhu's '' Verses on the Treasury of the Abhidharma'' contains a description of all 75 dharmas (phenomenal events), and then outlines the entire Sarvastivada doctrine including "meditation practices, cosmology, theories of perception, causal theories, the causes and elimination of moral problems, the theory of rebirth, and the qualities of a Buddha." The Treasury and its commentary also expound all kinds of arguments relating to the
Sarvastivada The ''Sarvāstivāda'' (; ;) was one of the early Buddhist schools established around the reign of Ashoka (third century BCE).Westerhoff, The Golden Age of Indian Buddhist Philosophy in the First Millennium CE, 2018, p. 60. It was particular ...
Abhidharma The Abhidharma are a collection of Buddhist texts dating from the 3rd century BCE onwards, which contain detailed scholastic presentations of doctrinal material appearing in the canonical Buddhist scriptures and commentaries. It also refers t ...
and critique those arguments from a Sautantrika perspective in the commentary. Major arguments include an extensive critique of the Self ( Atman and
Pudgala In Jainism, Pudgala (or ') is one of the six Dravya (Jainism), Dravyas, or aspects of reality that fabricate the world we live in. The six ''dravya''s include the jiva and the fivefold divisions of ajiva (non-living) category: ''dharma'' (motio ...
) and a critique of the Sarvastivada theory of "the existence of the dharmas of the three time periods ast, present and future. In the Treasury, Vasubadhu also argued against a Creator God ( Ishvara) and against the Sarvastivada theory of ''avijñaptirūpa'' ("unperceived physicality" or "invisible physicality").


Critique of the self

Vasubandhu's critique of the self is a defence of Buddhist Anatman doctrine, and also a critique of the Buddhist Personalist School and Hindu view of the soul. It is intended to show the unreality of the self or person as over and above the five skandhas (heaps, aggregates which make up an individual). Vasubandhu begins by outlining the soteriological motive for his argument, writing that any view which sees the self as having independent reality (e.g. the Hindu view) is not conducive to Nirvana. Vasubandhu then evaluates the idea of the Self from epistemic grounds (
Pramana ''Pramana'' (; IAST: Pramāṇa) literally means " proof" and "means of knowledge".
). Vasubandhu states that what is real can only be known from
perception Perception () is the organization, identification, and interpretation of sensory information in order to represent and understand the presented information or environment. All perception involves signals that go through the nervous syste ...
(Pratyakṣa) or
inference Inferences are steps in logical reasoning, moving from premises to logical consequences; etymologically, the word '' infer'' means to "carry forward". Inference is theoretically traditionally divided into deduction and induction, a distinct ...
(Anumāṇa). Perception allows one to observe directly the objects of the six sense spheres. Inference allows one to infer the existence of sense organs. However, there is no such inference for a solid real Self apart from the stream of constantly changing sense perceptions and mental activity of the sense spheres. Vasubandhu also argues that because the Self is not causally efficient, it is mere convention (prajñapti) and a “conceptual construction” (parikalpita). This argument is mainly against the Buddhist
Pudgalavada The Pudgalavāda (Sanskrit; English: "Personalism"; Pali: Puggalavāda; zh, t=補特伽羅論者, p=Bǔtèjiāluō Lùnzhě; ) was a Buddhist philosophical view and also refers to a group of Nikaya Buddhist schools (mainly known as Vātsīputr� ...
school who held a view of a 'person' that was dependent on the five aggregates, yet was also distinct, in order to account for the continuity of personality. Vasubandhu sees this as illogical: for him, the Self is made up of constantly changing sensory organs, sense impressions, ideas and mental processes. Any imagined unity of self-hood is a false projection. Vasubandhu also uses this analysis of the stream of consciousness to attack non-Buddhist Hindu views of the Atman. Vasubandhu shows that the Hindu view of the Self as 'controller' is refuted by an analysis of the flux and disorder of mental events and the inability of the supposed Self to control our minds and thoughts in any way we would like. If the Self is truly an eternal un-caused agent, it should be unaffected by mere physical and mental causes, and it also seems difficult to explain how such a force existing independently outside of the mind could causally interact with it. Vasubandhu also answers several common objections to the Buddhist not-self view such as how karma works without a Self and what exactly undergoes rebirth. Vasubandhu points to the causal continuum of aggregates/processes which undergoes various changes leading to future karmic events and rebirth.


Momentariness

During Vasubandhu's era, the philosophy of space and time was an important issue in
Buddhist philosophy Buddhist philosophy is the ancient Indian Indian philosophy, philosophical system that developed within the religio-philosophical tradition of Buddhism. It comprises all the Philosophy, philosophical investigations and Buddhist logico-episte ...
. The
Sarvāstivādin The ''Sarvāstivāda'' (; ;) was one of the early Buddhist schools established around the reign of Ashoka (third century BCE).Westerhoff, The Golden Age of Indian Buddhist Philosophy in the First Millennium CE, 2018, p. 60. It was particularl ...
tradition which Vasubandhu studied held the view of the existence of dharmas (phenomenal events) in all three times (past, present, future). This was said to be their defining theoretical position, hence their name Sarvāstivāda is Sanskrit for "theory of all exists". In contrast to this eternalist view, the
Sautrāntika The Sautrāntika or Sutravadin (, Suttavāda in Pali; ; ; ) were an early Buddhist school generally believed to be descended from the Sthavira nikāya by way of their immediate parent school, the Sarvāstivādins.Westerhoff, Jan, The Golden Ag ...
, a rival offshoot, held the doctrine of "extreme momentariness", a form of presentism (only the present moment exists). In the ''Abhidharmakośakārikā'', Vasubandhu puts forth the Sarvāstivādin theory, and then in his commentary (bhasya) he critiques this theory and argues for the 'momentariness' of the Sautrāntika. He also later wrote the ''Karma-siddhi-prakaraṇa'' ("Exposition Establishing Karma") which also expounded the momentariness view (''kṣanikavāda''). Vasubandhu's view here is that each dharma comes into existence only for a moment in which it discharges its causal efficacy and then self-destructs, the stream of experience is then a causal series of momentary dharmas. The issue of continuity and transference of
karma Karma (, from , ; ) is an ancient Indian concept that refers to an action, work, or deed, and its effect or consequences. In Indian religions, the term more specifically refers to a principle of cause and effect, often descriptively called ...
is explained in the latter text by an exposition of the "storehouse consciousness" (''
ālayavijñāna The Eight Consciousnesses (Skt. ''aṣṭa vijñānakāyāḥ'') are a classification developed in the tradition of the Yogacara, Yogācāra school of Mahayana Buddhism. They enumerate the five sense consciousnesses, supplemented by the mental ...
''), which stores karmic seeds ( bīja) and survives rebirth.


Yogacara theories

According to Dan Lusthaus, Vasubandhu's major ideas are: *"Whatever we are aware of, think about, experience, or conceptualize, occurs to us nowhere else than within consciousness." *"External objects do not exist." *"Karma is collective and consciousness is intersubjective." *"All factors of experience (dharmas) can be catalogued and analyzed." *"Buddhism is a method for purifying the stream of consciousness from 'contaminations' and 'defilements.'" *"Each individual has eight types of consciousness, but Enlightenment (or Awakening) requires overturning their basis, such that consciousness (vijñaana) is 'turned' into unmediated cognition (jñaana)."


Appearance only

Vasubandhu's main Yogacara works (Viṃśatikā and Triṃśikā) put forth the theory of "vijñaptimātra" which has been rendered variously as 'representation-only', 'consciousness-only' and 'appearance-only'. While some scholars such as Lusthaus see Vasubandhu as expounding a phenomenology of experience, others (Sean Butler) see him as expounding some form of
Idealism Idealism in philosophy, also known as philosophical realism or metaphysical idealism, is the set of metaphysics, metaphysical perspectives asserting that, most fundamentally, reality is equivalent to mind, Spirit (vital essence), spirit, or ...
similar to Kant or
George Berkeley George Berkeley ( ; 12 March 168514 January 1753), known as Bishop Berkeley (Bishop of Cloyne of the Anglican Church of Ireland), was an Anglo-Irish philosopher, writer, and clergyman who is regarded as the founder of "immaterialism", a philos ...
. The Twenty verses begins by stating:
In Mahayana philosophy... eality isviewed as being consciousness-only...Mind (citta), thought (manas), consciousness (chit), and perception (pratyaksa) are synonyms. The word "mind" (citta) includes mental states and mental activities in its meaning. The word "only" is intended to deny the existence of any external objects of consciousness. We recognize, of course, that "mental representations seem to be correlated with external (non-mental) objects; but this may be no different from situations in which people with vision disorders 'see' hairs, moons, and other things that are 'not there.'"
One of Vasubandhu's main arguments in the Twenty verses is the Dream argument, which he uses to show that it is possible for mental representations to ''appear'' to be restricted by space and time. He uses the example of mass hallucinations (in Buddhist hell) to defend against those who would doubt that mental appearances can be shared. To counter the argument that mere mental events have no causal efficacy, he uses the example of a wet dream. Vasubandhu then turns to a mereological critique of physical theories, such as Buddhist atomism and Hindu
Monism Monism attributes oneness or singleness () to a concept, such as to existence. Various kinds of monism can be distinguished: * Priority monism states that all existing things go back to a source that is distinct from them; e.g., in Neoplatonis ...
, showing that his appearance only view is much more
parsimonious In philosophy, Occam's razor (also spelled Ockham's razor or Ocham's razor; ) is the problem-solving principle that recommends searching for explanations constructed with the smallest possible set of elements. It is also known as the principle o ...
and rational. The Thirty verses also outlines the Yogacara theory of the
Eight Consciousnesses The Eight Consciousnesses (Skt. ''aṣṭa vijñānakāyāḥ'') are a classification developed in the tradition of the Yogacara, Yogācāra school of Mahayana Buddhism. They enumerate the five sense consciousnesses, supplemented by the mental ...
and how each one can be overcome by the stages of enlightenment, turning consciousness (vijnana) into unmediated cognition (jnana) by cleansing the stream of consciousness from ‘contaminations' and ‘defilements.’ The ''Treatise on Buddha Nature'' was extremely influential in East Asian Buddhism by propounding the concept of tathagatagarbha (Buddha Nature).


Three natures and non-duality

The Thirty verses and the "Three Natures Exposition" (Trisvabhavanirdesha) does not, like the Twenty verses, argue for appearance only, but assumes it and uses it to explain the nature of experience which is of "three natures" or "three modes". These are the fabricated nature (parikalpitasvabhāva), the dependent (paratantrasvabhāva) and the absolute (pariniṣpannasvabhāva). The fabricated nature is the world of everyday experience and mental appearances. Dependent nature is the causal process of the arising of the fabricated nature while the absolute nature is things as they are in themselves, with no subject object distinction. According to Vasubandhu, the absolute, reality itself (dharmatā) is non-dual, and the dichotomy of perception into perceiver and perceived is actually a conceptual fabrication. For Vasubandhu, to say that something is non-dual is that it is both conceptually non-dual and perceptually non-dual. To say that "I" exist is to conceptually divide the causal flux of the world into self and other, a false construct. Just the same, to say that an observed object is separate from the observer is also to impute a false conception into the world as it really is - perception only. Vasubandhu uses the analogy of a magician who uses a magic spell (dependent nature, conceptual construction) to make a piece of wood (the absolute, non-duality) look like an elephant (fabricated nature, duality). The basic problem for living beings who suffer is that they are fooled by the illusion into thinking that it is real, that self and duality exists, true wisdom is seeing through this illusion.


Logic

Vasubandhu contributed to Buddhist logic and is held to have been the origin of
formal logic Logic is the study of correct reasoning. It includes both formal and informal logic. Formal logic is the study of deductively valid inferences or logical truths. It examines how conclusions follow from premises based on the structure o ...
in the Indian logico-epistemological tradition. He was particularly interested in formal logic to fortify his contributions to the traditions of
dialectic Dialectic (; ), also known as the dialectical method, refers originally to dialogue between people holding different points of view about a subject but wishing to arrive at the truth through reasoned argument. Dialectic resembles debate, but the ...
al contestability and debate. Anacker (2005: p. 31) holds that: ''A Method for Argumentation (Vāda-vidhi)'' is the only work on logic by Vasabandhu which has to any extent survived. It is the earliest of the treatises known to have been written by him on the subject. This is all the more interesting because ''Vāda-vidhi'' marks the dawn of Indian formal logic. The title, "Method for Argumentation", indicates that Vasabandhu's concern with logic was primarily motivated by the wish to mould formally flawless arguments, and is thus a result of his interest in philosophical debate.Anacker, Stefan (2005, rev.ed.). ''Seven Works of Vasubandhu: The Buddhist Psychological Doctor. '' Delhi, India: Motilal Banarsidass. (First published: 1984; Reprinted: 1986, 1994, 1998; Corrected: 2002; Revised: 2005), p.31 This text also paved the way for the later developments of Dignaga and
Dharmakirti Dharmakīrti (fl. ;), was an influential Indian Buddhist philosopher who worked at Nālandā.Tom Tillemans (2011)Dharmakirti Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy He was one of the key scholars of epistemology ( pramāṇa) in Buddhist philo ...
in the field of logic.


Works

* ''Abhidharma Kosha Bhashyam'' 4 vols, Vasubandhu, translated into English by Leo Pruden (based on Louis de La Vallée-Poussin’s French translation), Asian Humanities Press, Berkeley, 1988-90. * ''L’Abhidharmakosa de Vasubandhu'', traduit et annoté par Louis de La Vallée-Poussin, Paul Geuthner, Paris, 1923-193
vol.1vol.2vol.3vol.4vol.5vol.6
Internet Archive (PDF) * Stefan Anacker, ''Seven Works of Vasubandhu'' Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi, 1984, 1998 * Ernst Steinkellner and Xuezhu Li (eds), ''Vasubandhu's Pañcaskandhaka'' (Wien, Verlag der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, 2008) (Sanskrit Texts from the Tibetan Autonomous Region, 4). * Dharmamitra, trans.; ''Vasubandhu's Treatise on the Bodhisattva'' Vow, Kalavinka Press 2009,


Notes


References

* David J. Kalupahana, ''The Principles of Buddhist Psychology'', State University of New York Press, Albany, 1987, pp 173–192. * Francis H. Cook, ''Three Texts on Consciousness Only'', Numata Center for Buddhist Translation and Research, Berkeley, 1999, pp 371–383 ("Thirty Verses on Consciousness Only") and pp 385–408 ("Twenty Verses on Consciousness Only") * Erich Frauwallner, ''The Philosophy of Buddhism'', Motilal Banarsidass, Delhi, 2010 956 * Li Rongxi, Albert A. Dalia (2002)
The Lives of Great Monks and Nuns
Berkeley CA: Numata Center for Translation and Research * Thich Nhat Hanh ''Transformation at the Base'' (subtitle) ''Fifty Verses on the Nature of Consciousness'', Parallax Press, Berkeley, 2001; inspired in part by Vasubandhu and his ''Twenty Verses'' and ''Thirty Verses'' texts * Kochumuttom, Thomas (1982). A Buddhist Doctrine of Experience: A New Translation and Interpretation of the Works of Vasubandhu the Yogacarin. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass


External links

*
Vasubandhu: Entry at the Internet Encyclopedia of PhilosophyMultilingual edition of Triṃśikāvijñapti in the Bibliotheca Polyglotta


– A Translation and Commentary by Jay Garfield {{Authority control 4th-century births 4th-century deaths 4th-century Buddhist monks 4th-century Indian philosophers Atheist philosophers Idealists Indian scholars of Buddhism Mahayana Buddhists Buddhist logic Indian logicians Yogacara scholars Indian Buddhist monks Monks of Nalanda Jōdo Shin patriarchs People from Gandhara