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INTRODUCTION
lxxi
Asanga commented upon1 the works of his celebrated teacher Maitreyanatha2 and converted his younger brother Vasubandhu3 to the Vijñānavāda School of Mahāyāna Buddhism who was also like his elder brother an adherent of the Hinayana1. But later on, after his conversion into the Mahāyāna, he composed works for propagating the Mahāyāna Buddhism and establishing the doctrine of Vijñāptimātratā3. In his early career, Vasubandhu was a Vaibhāṣika with a leaning towards the Sautrāntika viewpoint, but (contd. from p. lxx)
Maitreyanatha to which the AAA (loc. cit) also bears testimony; cp. also, the MBVT of Sthiramati, p. 3: 3 ET आर्यमैत्रेयः प्रणेता । वक्ता पुनरस्य आर्यासङ्गः । तस्माच्छ्रुत्वाचार्यवसुबन्धुस्तस्य भाष्यमकरोत् ।; similarly MSAB is also a commentary on the MSA by Aryasanga; cf. Bu-ston, History of Buddhism, II.140 (trans. by Obermiller); cf. Beal, I.226.
1. cp. AAA, p. 306..
2. JDL, XII.172-3.
3. Wayman, pp. 25-6 sq.; Fraüwallner, p. 49; Takakusu, BEFEO, IV 1904, p. 46 sq.; Watters, 1.36-8; Beal, I.228-9; but see, RAK, Intr. p. 15.
4. Watters, I.356; Beal, I.,227 sq.
5. He composed the Buddhagotraśastra, the Madhyāntavibhāgabhāṣya, the Vijñaptimātratāsiddhiśästra and other works, vide, HIL, II.359-60.
6. cp. AK, VIII.40 : काश्मीरवैभाषिकनीति सिद्धः प्रायो मयायं कथितोऽभिधर्मः । ; he also refers to the views of the Kāśmīra Vaibhāṣikas in the Vimsatikāvṛtti, ad. Vs. 12 (NMRP, I, App, p. 6); he belonged to the Sarvästivada School of Indian Buddhism, cp. AK, V.25, 26; it is almost certain that the Vaibhāṣikas belonged to the Sarvasti(contd. on p. lxxii)
