Seven Works of Vasubandhu: The Buddhist Psychological Doctor
by Stefan Anacker
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Vasubandhu is one of the most prominent figures in the development of Mahayana Buddhism in India. His name can be found in any history of Buddhism or of India in the Gupta period. However hardly any of his works has been translated into English. The seven treatises presented here are complete works with a most varied range of topics and serve at least as an introduction to his thought. This collection of translations includes the Vada-Vidhi, a work on logic; the Panca-skandhaka-Prakarana, show more which deals with the `aggregates' making up `personality'; the Karmasiddhi-prakarana, which in explaining psychic continuity, also attacks many features of earlier Buddhist psychology; the famous Vimsatika and Trimsika, which take Buddhist psychology into hitherto unexplored areas; the Madhyanta-Vibhaga-bhasya, one of the most profound books for Mahayana realization; and the Tri-svabhava-nirdesa which shows a way for ridding consciousness of ensnaring mental constructions. A glossary of key words is included, as are the texts of those works which survive in Sanskrit. Each translation is prefaced by an explanatory introduction and is followed by notes. These include also references to other Indian philosophical systems and occasional comparisons with modern Western psychological systems, particularly where the latter seem inadequate in comparison with Vasubandhu's Yogacara. show lessTags
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I was very happy to receive these important translations at the time. The subject matter is covered in a world of cultural, linguistic and psychological barriers in which these translations make only a first attempt to reveal. The material in each work really deserves its own treatment. It was only until I read Chokyi Nyima's translation of the Madhyantavibhaga that Maitreya's very cryptic language was made understandable, although at times I remember referring to Vasubandhu's commentary in this work to clarify issues which were not obvious even in Nyima's translated commentaries of Khenpo Shenga and Ju Mipham.
The author often seems to gloss over meaning, content to provide his translations of the bare words. The sanskrit texts are show more included.
A work for scholars. show less
The author often seems to gloss over meaning, content to provide his translations of the bare words. The sanskrit texts are show more included.
A work for scholars. show less
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