Dignaga Sein Werk Und Seine Entwicklung

Author(s): Erich Frauwallner
Publisher: Erich Frauwallner

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Maitreyanatha's type. These same views we find expressed in the Prajñāpāramitāpindarthasamgrahaḥ and in the Yogavatāraḥ. Therefore we conclude that these are the oldest works of Dignaga. The transition towards the logical works is characterized by some other writings such as Hastavalaprakaraṇam, Marmapradipaḥ, Upadayaprajñaptiprakaraṇam, and the Alambanaparīkṣā. In these tracts a Sautrāntika influence appears more and more and his thoughts of the logical period are foreshadowed.
In Dignaga's early dealings with logic we find a commentary on Vasubandhu's Vādavidhānam or Vadavidhiḥ and some polemic works aimed against logic and theory of knowledge of the important rival schools: the Samkhyaparīkṣā, the Vaiseṣikaparīkṣā, and the Nyāyaparīkṣā.
On the basis of these observations one can not only bring Dignaga's works in chronological order but it is also possible to establish the development of his thought from the beginning to the end of his activity, the Pramāṇasamuccayah being his last work.
The article ends by pointing out the above sketched line of development.
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