Abhidharmakośaśāstra (阿毘達磨俱舍論)

About 阿毘達磨俱舍論

Tang · by 尊者世親造 · Source text translated by 玄奘

205,983 · about 687 min

The *Abhidharma-kośa-śāstra* is an important treatise composed by the Venerable Vasubandhu, an Indian Buddhist master, and was translated into Chinese by the eminent Tang dynasty monk Xuanzang. This treatise was compiled around the 5th century CE and belongs to the core works of the Sarvāstivāda school, systematically expounding Buddhist doctrine, particularly offering meticulous analysis of core concepts such as dharmas, causality, and saṃsāra. Its content encompasses eight major sections: the chapter on elements, the chapter on faculties, the chapter on the world, the chapter on karma, the chapter on latent afflictions, the chapter on the noble ones, the chapter on wisdom, and the chapter on meditative concentration, forming a rigorous and comprehensive structure. In Buddhist history, it holds a pivotal role bridging earlier and later developments, both summarizing the thought of the sectarian Buddhist schools and laying a theoretical foundation for Mahāyāna Buddhism. It is honored as the encyclopedia of Hīnayāna Buddhist studies and has exerted a profound influence on both Chinese and Tibetan Buddhist traditions.