DESCRIPTION

Influential Buddhist scholar-monk (circa 4th to 5th century CE) from Puruṣapura, modern day Peshawar, Pakistan. Vasubandhu is undoubtedly the most prominent figure in Yogacara Buddhism and composed a number of works from various philosophical and religious points of view. Prior to his conversion to Mahayana, however, he studied the abhidharma of the scholastic Mahāvibhāṣā  which was advocated by the Vaibhāṣikas of the Sarvāstivāda-school. He then wrote the famous Abhidharmakośa (Adk), an enormous exposition of abhidharma from Sarvastivadic standpoint and later an auto-commentary in order to express his own Sautrāntika views. As a Mahayanist he composed several commentaries on the old Prajñāpāramitā and later both logical tracts as well as Yogacara works proper. Apart from commentaries on the works of Maitreya and Asanga he composed works of his own, like the Viṃśatikā (Vs), the Trisvabhāva-nirdeśa (Tsn) and above all the Triṃśikā (Trs, ‘Thirty Verses on Consciousnes-Only’).

A primary figure of 6️⃣Yogacara School.

Further Reading

Notable Works by Vasubandhu

Vijnaptimātratā Śāstra ("Treatise on Consciousness only") consisting of the:

• "Treatise in Twenty Verses" (Viṃśatikā)
• "Treatise in Thirty Verses" (Triṃśikā)
• "Exposition of the Triple Nature" (Trisvabhāva-nirdeśa)

Karmasiddhiprakarana ("A Treatise on Karma")

Pañcaskandhaprakaraṇa (Explanation of the Five Aggregates)

Mahāyānasaṃgrahabhāṣya (Commentary to the Summary of the Great Vehicle of Asanga)

Mahāyānasūtrālaṃkārabhāṣya (Commentary on the Ornament to the Great Vehicle Discourses)

Vyākhyāyukti ("Proper Mode of Exposition")

Vādavidhi ("Rules for Debate")

Catuhśataka-śāstra

Mahāyāna śatadharmā-prakāśamukha śāstra

Amitayus sutropadeśa ("Instruction on the Amitabha Sutra)

Discourse on the Pure Land

Dharmadharmatāvibhāgavṛtti (Commentary on Distinguishing Elements from Reality)

Madhyāntavibhāgabhāṣya (Commentary on Distinguishing the Middle from the Extremes)

Dasabhūmikabhāsya (Commentary on the Ten Stages Sutra)

Commentary on the Aksayamatinirdesa-sutra

Commentary on the Vajra Sutra

Commentary on the Lotus Sutra

Paramārthasaptati, a critique of Samkhya

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vasubandhu