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12. BEGINNINGS OF BUDDHIST LOGIC IN ASANGA
Logical tendencies in Indian Buddhism are traced back to the time of the Buddha and we have an access to philosophical debates in the KV. also wherein divergent views of the various Buddhist sects have been recorded. Nāgārjuna may be regarded the first exponent of logical principles who confuted the logical validity of the pramāṇass and introduced the method of dialectical criticism to, refute the doctrinal standpoints and metaphysical suppositions of other systems.4 Still he cannot be said to have claimed any relationship to the school of Buddhist logic which was later on formulated by Dignāga and elaborately elucidated by Dharmakirti and others.
The Indian Buddhist tradition clearly states that this logical school came into existence and flourished within the fold of the Yogācāra Vijñānavāda which has a leaning towards the criticism of the material existence of the visible world. Maitreyanātha and Asanga are regarded by the tradition to head the lineage of teachers (ācāryas) of this school of Indian Logic.
.1. Cf. D. N. I. 1.1 (Brahma jālasutta). 2 Kv., I. 1.! (Puggalakatha); I. 1.2 (Okāsasaccikattho), 1. 1.3
(Kalasaccikatha); XVII. 1 sq. (Arahat kathāj and elsewhere. Vigrahavyāyarttani, (ed. P. L. Vaidya), Vs. 5 sq., 31 sq.; for elaboration, vide, S. Mookherjee, The Absolutists' Standpoint in Logic, NMRP, I, pp. 1-104, Ch. I-IV, Our unpublished
work, "Nägar juna aura Samkara', Ch. IV. 4. Our work, ibid., loc. cit., portion on dialectics; T. R. V. Murti,
CPB, Ch. V-VII, pp. 121-208; Mook herjee, Ibid., loc. cit., C. D.
Sharma, Buddhism and Vedānta. 5. TagTag TUTET 4491971 SFTTT
दाचार्यो वसुबन्धुरुधुरम तिस्तस्याज्ञयाऽऽदिद्युतत् ।
