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INTRODUCTION
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belonged to the Mahiśāsaka sect, an offshoot of Sarvāstivāda School'. It was, therefore, natural for him to have a comprehensive knowledge of the literature of this sect also. In his early career, Asanga's main concern was the Abhidharma of the Mahīšāsakas and for this he had a considerable mastery over the canons of the Mahiśāsakas, the Sarvāstivādins, the Mahāsāṁghikas, the Sautrāntikas, the Dārstāntikas and other Buddhist sects which lay emphasis on the Abhidharma?. He quotes several Sūtras, verses and passages which are not traced in the extant Pāli Tripitakas and the Mūlasarvāstivāda Vinaya: It seems, therefore, that Asanga had mastered in addition to the Abhidharma of these sects, the Sūtra and Vinaya texts also from which he profusely quotes. In the Cintāmayi Bhūmi of the YBS, he quotes many gāthā-verses and explains them at length from his own viewpoint. He also gives a succinct account of the main tenets and doctrines acceptable to him in the three Vyavasthānas-paramārthagāthāvyavasthāna, the Saritārtha and the abhiprāyiki 4. He also quotes a dialogue of the Buddha and Revata and gives a Sanskrit version of the story of janapadakalyāņi, the content of which is also preserved in the Telapattajātaka. In addition to this, he also quotes the Mahādharmādarśa
1. Supra, p. 27 sq. 2. cf. Alex Wayman, Analysis, p. 25 sq. 3. ŚBh. (Sanskrit Text), pp. 29, 57, 200, 201 etc. 4. See, Appendix IV.
