Biographical Fact Checked against Canonical Commentaries & Epigraphy
Biography & Historical Significance
Vasubandhu was one of the most prolific Buddhist scholars of the 4th century CE, initially trained in the Abhidharma tradition of Sarvastivada Buddhism. His encyclopedic Abhidharmakosa (Treasury of the Abhidharma) remains a primary reference for Buddhist psychology and metaphysics to this day.
Later in life, influenced by his brother Asanga, Vasubandhu converted to Mahayana Buddhism and became a key philosopher of the Yogacara (Mind-Only) school. His writings such as the Vimsatika and Trimsika articulated the theory that external reality is a mental construction — an idea that has influenced both Buddhist and Western philosophy.
Later in life, influenced by his brother Asanga, Vasubandhu converted to Mahayana Buddhism and became a key philosopher of the Yogacara (Mind-Only) school. His writings such as the Vimsatika and Trimsika articulated the theory that external reality is a mental construction — an idea that has influenced both Buddhist and Western philosophy.
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