The Collected Treatises of Vasubandhu A Modern Japanese Translation from the Taishō Tripiṭaka [Vol. 2 of 3]: Yogacara, Alaya-vijnana, and ... Unlocking the Depths of Mind and Reality

Vasubandhu Bodhisattva, revered as the "Master of a Thousand Treatises," was an unparalleled genius of fourth to fifth-century India who elevated Buddhist philosophy to its ultimate heights. Born in Purushapura (modern-day Peshawar, Pakistan) into the Brahmin Kausika family, he was the middle of three brothers; his eldest brother was the pioneer of Yogacara thought, Asanga, and his youngest was known as Virinchivatsa.Vasubandhu's life embodies the dynamic evolution of Buddhist thought. He initially studied the doctrines of the Sarvastivada school, the orthodox tradition of the Kashmir region, and composed the immortal masterpiece Abhidharmakosa-bhasya as a culmination of that tradition. However, he later converted to Mahayana Buddhism under the guidance of his brother Asanga and systematically perfected the Yogacara (Vijnapti-matra) philosophy, which meticulously anatomizes the depths of the human mind.His extensive body of work includes pure philosophical texts such as the Trimsika-vijnaptimatra-karika and Vimsatika-vijnaptimatra-siddhi, as well as vast scriptural commentaries like the Mahayanasamgraha-bhasya and Dasabhumika-bhasya. Furthermore, he authored analytical treatises like the Pancaskandhaka and Karmasiddhi-prakarana to explain the mechanisms of the mind. The core of his thought lies in the truth of "Vijnapti-matra" (Representation-only): the realization that the world we experience is not an objective reality but a projection from the Alaya-vijnana (storehouse consciousness).Vasubandhu unmasked the ego-driven Manas-vijnana, the root of suffering that clings to the concept of "I," and provided a logical manual for "Asraya-parivrtti" (transformation of the base)—the process of overwriting the seeds of delusion within the Alaya-vijnana with the wisdom of awakening. His profound thought was preserved through the monumental Chinese translations of masters such as Xuanzang, Paramartha, and Bodhiruci, forming the bedrock of East Asian spiritual culture.This series selects key treatises from this "ocean of wisdom" and reconstructs them into an accessible modern Japanese translation. From the discovery of the Alaya-vijnana to the deconstruction of microscopic atoms (paramanu) and the ultimate freedom of "Samsara is Nirvana," Vasubandhu’s insights possess a startling foresight that resonates with modern cognitive science, depth psychology, and even quantum mechanics.Rooted in the spirit of "Benefit for Self and Others," we sincerely hope this timeless wisdom serves as a light for the modern mind, guiding all sentient beings toward liberation from the ocean of suffering. Read more