Origins & Early Life

Asaṅga (Sanskrit: असंग, Tibetan: ཐོགས་མེད།, Wylie: thogs med, traditional Chinese: 無著; ; pinyin: Wúzhuó; Romaji: Mujaku) (fl. 4th century C.E.) was one of the most important spiritual figures of Mahayana Buddhism and the founder of the Yogachara school. Traditionally, he and his half-brother Vasubandhu are regarded as the major classical Indian Sanskrit exponents of Mahayana Abhidharma, Vijñanavada (awareness only; also called Vijñaptivāda, the doctrine of ideas or percepts, and Vijñaptimātratā-vāda, the doctrine of 'mere representation) thought and Mahayana teachings on the bodhisattva path. He is also traditionally considered as one of the seventeen Nalanda masters who taught at the monastery which is located in modern-day Bihar.

Pivotal Works & Achievements

There are differing views as to Asaṅga's birthplace. Some sources record that he was born in Puruṣapura (present day Peshawar in Pakistan) in a Brahmin family, which at that time was part of the ancient kingdom of Gandhāra. However the writings of Buton Rinchen Drub state that Asanga and his brother, Vasubandhu, were born in Central India. Current scholarship places him in the fourth century CE. He was perhaps originally a member of the Mahīśāsaka...

Enduring Legacy & Impact

The historical impact and works continue to influence the modern world.

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