Yogācāra Timeline

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Leo Rivers
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Yogācāra Timeline

Post by Leo Rivers »

Yogācāra Timeline


Phases of Gandhara Civilization from: Samad, Rafi-us. The Grandeur of Gandhara: The Ancient Buddhist Civilization of the Swat, Peshawar, Kabul and Indus Valleys. Algora Publishing, 2011.

Yogacara Dates: From: Florin Deleanu, The Chapter on the Mundane Path (Laukikamārga) in the Śrāvakabhūmi: A Trilingual Edition (Sanskrit, Tibetan, Chinese), Annotated Translation, and Introductory Study. Tokyo: The International Institute of Buddhist Studies, 2006.


Embryonic 535 − 317 BCE Achaemenid
Macedonian-Greek


Transient 317 BCE − 60 CE Mauryan

Asoka 298-232 BCE


Indus Greek
195 BCE

Menander 165-135 BCE


Saka(Indo)-Parthian
20 BCE


Mature 60 − 463 CE Kushan

ca. 1st century C.E.: Earliest traces of a tradition of
Sarvāstivādin Yogācāras.

Beginning of the compilation of meditation treatises and manuals.

ca. 100: Saṅgharakṣa composes the *Yogācārabhūmi.

Doctrines of the Yogācāras are attested in the Abhidharma- mahā-vibhāṣa.(compiled ca. 150-200).

Kujula Kadphises 60−80 CE


Vima Taku 81-100 CE


Vima Kadphises 101-127 CE

ca. 100: Aśvaghoṣa composes the Saundarananda and the Buddhacarita

Kanishka I 128-150 CE


An Shigao translates into Chinese extracts from the *Yogācārabhūmi, i.e., the Dao di jing, sometime between ca. 148 and 168.


Vasishka 151-155 CE


Huvishka 155-190 CE


Vasudeva 190-220 CE

ca. 200-270: Compilation of the Śrāvakabhūmi - (phase I).

Kanishka II 221-230 CE

ca. 230-300: Compilation of the Bodhisattvabhūmi - (phase II).

Kushan-Sassanian
Sassanians conquered Western Gandhara


Minor Kushan Rulers 230-350 CE

ca. 270-340: Compilation of the rest of the Maulyo bhūmayaḥ, and in parallel with it, compilation of the Vastusaṁgrahaṇī(the earliest textual unit of this phase)
as well as of the Vyākhyāsaṁgrahaṇī and the Paryāyasaṁgrahaṇī (phase III ).

Dharmarākṣa renders the entire text of Saṅgharakṣa’s *Yogācārabhūmi into Chinese, i.e., the Xiuxing dao di jing, in 284.


ca. 300-350: Compilation of the Saṃdhinirmocana-sūtra
(phase IV).


ca. 320-350: Compilation of the early parts of the
Viniścayasaṁgrahaṇī (phase V).


330 CE Asaṅga born


350 CE Vasubandhu born

ca. 350-380: Compilation of the late parts oft he Viniścayasaṁgrahaṇī, including the citation of the Saṃdhinirmocana-sūtra, and the final redaction of the Yogācārabhūmi (Asaṅga's participation in this process?), consisting in additions, interpolations, cross-references, etc. (phase VI).

Kidara-Kushan
380-463 CE

ca. 380-390: Vasubandhu composes the Abhidharma-kośa- bhāṣya sometime between or around these dates.

ca. 400: Vasubandhu composes the Pratītyasāmutpādavyākhāra

Vajraṛṣi (sometime between ca. 390-410?) was given the Abhidharma-kośa-bhāṣya

405 CE Asaṅga died


418: Dharmakrṣema translates into Chinese the *Bodhisattvabhūmyādhāra (which already contains references to other parts of the Yogācārabhūmi).

430 CE Vasubandhu died


443 CE Gunabhadra translates the Laṅkâvatāra-sūtra into Chinese (2 passages depend on Vasubandhu’s Triṁśikā.)



Decline 463 − 1025 CE Ephthalite/ White Huns
463 CE (anti buddhist)


Sassanian
570-655 CE


Turk Shahi
655 CE


Hindu Shahi
845 CE

:buddha1:
Greg
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Re: Yogācāra Timeline

Post by Greg »

Great list Leo, very interesting stuff. Thanks!

A little light on later Yogacara though, no? Dharmapala, Sthiramati, Xuanzang, Dignaga, Dharmakirti, Santaraksita, Kamalasila, Ratnakirti, etc . . .
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Leo Rivers
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Re: Yogācāra Timeline

Post by Leo Rivers »

I think this span speaks for era in which the Yogacara define how they saw themselves. My affection for this era is the way every one was putting it together differently but they were a kind of "new wave" of thinking all the same. After this there have major divergences in targets, (rather than packages), (Xuan Zang has his own take on the Yogacarabhumisastra's materials), and I think the abhidharma-ish Yogacara branch may be more my interest it is way too early for me to say. Modern academics seem to approve more of the epistemological logical slant. The truth is, I may even like Asangha more than Vasubandhu a bit ... I think. But I have NONE of the languages.[I even read a wonderful essay by Ven Huseng and finished it before I realized the gem was by him.] So I am the lease qualified on this board to voice an opinion. :buddha1:
cdpatton
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Re: Yogācāra Timeline

Post by cdpatton »

I just discovered this book last week. I've been looking for an indepth study of Gandhara for quite a while.
Dharma Pearls Translation Project

"Supposing is good. But finding out is better." -Mark Twain
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