Asanga: Difference between revisions

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'''Asaṅga''' (無着, also called Aryasanga; born c. 300 [[Common Era|C.E.]], was an Indian exponent of [[Yogacara|Yogācāra]], and is considered, along with his brother [[Vasubandhu]], to have been the founder of this religious school.
'''Asaṅga''' (無着, also called Aryasanga; born c. 300 [[Common Era|C.E.]], was an Indian exponent of [[Yogacara|Yogācāra]], and is considered, along with his brother [[Vasubandhu]], to have been the founder of this religious school.  


Asanga was born during the fourth century in [[Gandhara|Gandhāra]] in north [[India]], as a [[Brahmin]]'s son. He was perhaps originally a member of the [[Mahīśāsaka]], or the [[Sarvastivada|Mūlasarvāstivāda]] school, but after many years of intense meditation, during which time some traditions say that he often visited Tushita Heaven to receive teachings from [[Maitreya-natha|Maitreya-nātha]], he later converted to [[Mahāyāna]].<ref>"Doctrinal Affiliation of the Buddhist Master Asanga", Alex Wayman in ''Untying the Knots in Buddhism'' ISBN 81-208-1321-9 </ref> Asanga wrote many of the key [[Yogacara|Yogācāra]] treatises, including the [[Yogacarabhumi-sastra|Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra]], the [[Mahāyāna-samgraha]] and the [[Abhidharma-samuccaya]], although there are discrepancies between Chinese and Tibetan traditions which works should be attributed to him and which to Maitreya-nātha.<ref> ''On Some Aspects of the Doctrines of Maitreya (natha) and the Asanga'', Giuseppe Tucci, Calcutta, 1930.</ref>
Asanga was born during the fourth century in [[Gandhara|Gandhāra]] in north [[India]], as a [[Brahmin]]'s son. He was perhaps originally a member of the [[Mahīśāsaka]], or the [[Sarvastivada|Mūlasarvāstivāda]] school, but after many years of intense meditation, during which time some traditions say that he often visited Tushita Heaven to receive teachings from [[Maitreya-natha|Maitreya-nātha]], he later converted to [[Mahāyāna]].<ref>"Doctrinal Affiliation of the Buddhist Master Asanga", Alex Wayman in ''Untying the Knots in Buddhism'' ISBN 81-208-1321-9 </ref> Asanga wrote many of the key [[Yogacara|Yogācāra]] treatises, including the [[Yogacarabhumi-sastra|Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra]], the [[Mahāyāna-samgraha]] and the [[Abhidharma-samuccaya]], although there are discrepancies between Chinese and Tibetan traditions which works should be attributed to him and which to Maitreya-nātha.<ref> ''On Some Aspects of the Doctrines of Maitreya (natha) and the Asanga'', Giuseppe Tucci, Calcutta, 1930.</ref>

Revision as of 18:32, 6 April 2007

Asaṅga (無着, also called Aryasanga; born c. 300 C.E., was an Indian exponent of Yogācāra, and is considered, along with his brother Vasubandhu, to have been the founder of this religious school.

Asanga was born during the fourth century in Gandhāra in north India, as a Brahmin's son. He was perhaps originally a member of the Mahīśāsaka, or the Mūlasarvāstivāda school, but after many years of intense meditation, during which time some traditions say that he often visited Tushita Heaven to receive teachings from Maitreya-nātha, he later converted to Mahāyāna.[1] Asanga wrote many of the key Yogācāra treatises, including the Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra, the Mahāyāna-samgraha and the Abhidharma-samuccaya, although there are discrepancies between Chinese and Tibetan traditions which works should be attributed to him and which to Maitreya-nātha.[2]

References

  1. "Doctrinal Affiliation of the Buddhist Master Asanga", Alex Wayman in Untying the Knots in Buddhism ISBN 81-208-1321-9
  2. On Some Aspects of the Doctrines of Maitreya (natha) and the Asanga, Giuseppe Tucci, Calcutta, 1930.

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