Overview for Mahayanasutralankara of Asanga: A Study in Vijnanavada Buddhism
Asanga is one of the outstanding philosophical personalities in teh line of Buddhist writers. His work Mahayanasutratankara is a landmak in the development of Vijanavada Buddhism. In fact it deals with almost all the topics of the Buddhism. But this work hasn’t got it’s due place in the field of research. Asanga himself is neglected thinker, though he has influenced the great thinkers like Vasubandhu and others. The present monograph is an attempt to bring out significant contribution made by Asanga to the Buddhism in general and Vijnanavada in particular. This monograph registersa deviation from the average stand point from which writers on the Buddhism are apt to look at the philosophy of Vijnanavada School. The learned author rightly points out that Asanga’s main contribution to the Buddhist philosophy is absolutistic approach to reality, which is very nearer to Upanisadic absolutistic trend. Vijanavada presented by Asanga in undouftedly an absolute idealism. This monograph covers wide range of the Buddhism in comparitive light, such as, conception of the absolute, phenomena, doctrine of illusion, truths, self, Nirvana, Tathata, Tathagata, Kayas and so on. All these subtle problems concerning the metaphysics and religious aspects of Vijnanavada have been discussed in clear, authentic and scholarly manner. The author has made certain observations which throw light on the relation between the Upanisads and the Buddhist philosophy, which is very important from the point of view of comparitive study in the field of philosophy.
Yajneshwar S. Shastri (Author)
Dr. Yajneshwar Shastri is born in 1948, in Kosguli (Karnataka). Dr. Shastri worked as Acting Director of L.D. Research of Indology. At present he is in Deptt. of Philosophy, Gujarat University, Ahmedabad. Dr. Shastri contributes regularly in Indian & Foreign Journals. A number of Books on Indology are already to his credit. He took his Ph.D. in Philosophy from University of Bombay, he also holds the ‘Shastri’ and Acharya degree in Sanskrit from Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay.
Bagchee
