Asanga and Vasubandhu

c. 4th century · Gandhara and Ayodhya (Pakistan and Uttar Pradesh, India)

The half-brothers Asanga and Vasubandhu build the Yogacara, the mind-only school that maps consciousness in detail; Vasubandhu's Abhidharmakosha, written before his conversion, becomes the shared reference of Abhidharma study in every vehicle.

Tagged: Buddhist Mahayana

The Event

Date
c. 4th century (approximate)
Era
Classical; Standard periodization of Buddhist history
Location
Gandhara and Ayodhya; today Pakistan and Uttar Pradesh, India
Traditions
Buddhism
Streams
Mahayana
Key figures
Asanga, Vasubandhu
Key texts
Abhidharmakosha, Yogacarabhumi

Primary Sources

  • Vasubandhu, Abhidharmakosha

Secondary Sources

  • Harvey, An Introduction to Buddhism: Teachings, History and Practices (Cambridge, 2nd ed. 2013)
  • Buswell and Lopez, The Princeton Dictionary of Buddhism (Princeton, 2014)

Provenance: HIST-0409; confidence 0.85; accessed 2026-10-27.

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