The Genesis of Yogācāra-Vijñānavāda: Responses and Reflections

Coming from the pen of one of the doyens of the field, the monumental monograph defends and refines some of the author’s theories related to the origin and early history of the Yogācāra-Vijñānavāda school.
Part I is a carefully argued refutation of the criticism expressed by Sh. Matsumoto and H. Buescher concerning Schmithausen’s thesis on the origin of Ālayavijñāna (formulated in his 1987 monograph). In this context (Part I, § 8), the author also discusses N. Yamabe’s new theory on the birth of this key concept, which he considers ‘a serious alternative to my hypothesis, though not without problems either’ (p. 6).
Part II, also formulated as a critical reply to Matsumoto’s and Buescher’s views, offers further philological and historical evidence to what Schmithausen considers the first documented occurrence of the representation-only (vijñāptimātra) doctrine in the Saṃdhinirmocanasūtra VIII.7. Closely related to this problem is the meticulous examination of the controversial expression prabhāvita, which represents the central topic of Part III.
Finally, Part IV looks at the origin of the Yogāra-Vijñānavāda ‘idealism’ in the larger
context of the relation between philosophical theory and spiritual practice in Buddhism. While critically responding to some of the opposing views advocated over the years, Schmithausen also reformulates and elaborates upon his earlier model.
Accompanied by detailed indexes and an impressive critical apparatus, which has become the hallmark of Schmithausen’s scholarship, the opus explores some of the fundamental doctrines as well as a variety of related facets of the early Yogācāra tradition in particular and Buddhist philosophy in general.