Vasubandhu

Vasubandhu ( Tib: dbyig gnyen; 4th century ) was, according to the Mahayana Buddhist tradition with his older half-brother Asanga, one of the founders of the Yogacara school of Buddhist philosophy. Vasubandhu is one of the most influential figures of Mahayana at all. He is considered the second patriarch of the Jōdo Shinshu and 21st Patriarch of Zen. According to tradition, he is said to have written 500 works in the Hinayana and 500 works in the Mahayana tradition. 47 Works Vasubandhu are known, of which 9 are in Sanskrit, 27 translations into Chinese and Tibetan 33.

Historical Sources

From Paramartha ( 499-569 ), one of the most important exponents of Yogacara in China ( Southern and Northern Dynasties ), comes the Posou pandoufa shijuan, the most comprehensive biography to life Vasubandhu. Furthermore, the Xiyuji of Xuanzang provides important information. However, the biographies Para Martha and Xuanzang contain different information regarding the times and places of historical events in the life of Vasubandhu. Further information included the Tibetan historian Buton and Taranatha (1575-1634), whose details but again different from those of Para Martha and Xuanzang's writings.

Life

The Tibetan historians Taranatha Buton According to the younger half-brother Asanga, Vasubandhu came a year after the birth of the former Gandhara in the world. His mother was after Posou pandou fashi zhuan Virinci, whereas Taranatha Buton Prasannashila specify as the mother of Vasubandhu. The father Vasubandhu was after Taranatha Buton a Brahmin, in contrast to the father Asanga, who was a Kshatriya. During his youth Vasubandhu was probably Nyaya, and taught in the Vaisheshika philosophy, since the philosophical systems of these schools had an influence on his later work.

Currently Vasubandhu the predominant philosophical school of Sarvastivadin was in Gandhara (also: Vaibhashika ). In his hometown Purusapura, today Peshawar, the Sautrantikas were in contrast to the former main center of Sarvastivadin in Kashmir, most likely also strongly represented, as Purusapura was also the birthplace of Dharmatrata (2nd century). However monk Vasubandhu in the Order of Sarvastivadin.

According Paramartha Vasubandhu wrote the Abhidharmakosha in Ayodhya, while according to Xuanzang, the Abhidharmakosha was written in the suburbs of Purusapura. The Abhidharmakosha ( Treasure of Abhidharma ) consists of over six hundred verses ( Karikas ), which represent a summary of the entire philosophy of Sarvastivadin and is considered the most extensive work of Vasubandhu.

In the period after the completion of the Abhidharmakosha followed for Vasubandhu a few years of wandering. He also spent some time in Shakala, today's Sialkot. With his teachers Buddha Mitra and Manoratha Vasubandhu to be then come to Ayodhya. At that time, his older half-brother Asanga had already created the extensive Yogacharabhumi. However, Vasubandhu first seemed little impressed and said, according to Buton, it is so difficult and stressful that it could only be worn by an elephant. After a meeting with his brother, however, he changed his mind, and after he had dealt with it, he thought it was particularly important to study the Shatasahasrikaprajnaparamitasutra. His comments to Akshayamatinirdeshasutra and Dashabhumika seen as the first writings of Vasubandhu Mahayana.

Posou pandou fashi zhuan According to Vasubandhu was only after the death Asanga an author of the Mahayana, whereas died after Xuanzang before Asanga, Vasubandhu.

Past issues

A theory that, inter alia, by Erich Frauwallner (1898-1974) was developed, stating that Vasubandhu could also have been two or three people. The Abhidharmakosha would have therefore written from 1 to Vasubandhu, the second half-brother Asanga, Vasubandhu would be considered as well as a contemporary of Chandragupta I and Samudragupta, while the third Vasubandhu would have Abhidharmakoshabhasya written ( a critique of Abhidharmakosha ) in Ayodhya and contemporary of Darasena I of Valabhi was.