Yogacara Vasubandhu’s Phenomenological Idealism : A Buddhist Theory of Consciousness

This book is a comparative study of the phenomenology of YogÀcÀra Vasubandhu and that of the German philosopher Edmund Husserl having the focus on the understanding of the deeply inner nature of consciousness or mind. It articulates that the Yogacara philosophy is much richer and comprehensive than the Western phenomenology, particularly the Husserlian phenomenology.

Later Vasubandhu’s philosophical orientation was idealist in Indian sense or a phenomenologist in Husserlian sense. His Mahayana Yogacara idealism is based on Asanga’s seminal text Sandhinirmocanasutra and his own Vijnaptimatratasiddhi (ViÚsatika and TriÚsika together) along with his exploration of the intrinsic theory of consciousness or mind. For one to have a clear-cut understanding of Vasubandhu, the book follows the Husserlian phenomenological approach as a philosophical methodology and also used select terminology wherever required.

This book is expected to be highly useful for students, researchers and teachers in the area of Indian/Buddhist philosophy.