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Abstract: Aśvaghoṣa, known not only as a great Buddhist poet but also as a meditative practitioner, is regarded in recent scholarship as one of the candidates for a precursor to the Yogācāra school. Because his works share striking similarities with the Śrāvakabhūmi—the earliest layer of the most fundamental Yogācāra treatise, the Yogācārabhūmi—some scholars argue he directly influenced its formation. However, a closer examination reveals that most of these shared elements actually stem from common canonical scriptures.
This talk focuses on a specific doctrinal theory previously cited as evidence of their close connection. By pointing out that this theory, too, is deeply rooted in the Buddha’s teachings, I will analyze whether the compositional features of the Śrāvakabhūmi exhibit a primary reliance on canonical sūtras or on the poet’s writings. Through a comparison of their diction, I would like to re-examine the relationship between Aśvaghoṣa and the Yogācāra tradition within the broader context of Indian Buddhist history.
About the Speaker: Keiki Nakayama is a scholar of Buddhist Studies, with a particular interest in the history of the Indian Yogācāra school. He holds a PhD from Kyoto University in Japan, and is currently a Specially Appointed Researcher (JSPS Research Postdoctoral Fellow) at the University of Tokyo, as well as a Guest Researcher at the Institute of Indology and Tibetology.