Mahayana Demonstration on the Theme of Action by Vasubandhu

Discuss and learn about the traditional Mahayana scriptures, without assuming that any one school ‘owns’ the only correct interpretation.
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yokosukasailorboy
Posts: 56
Joined: Sat Jul 16, 2022 7:23 pm

Mahayana Demonstration on the Theme of Action by Vasubandhu

Post by yokosukasailorboy »

Hi all, anyway I'm new to the forum but I thought that I'd jump right in. Actually, one of the reasons I joined is because I have nobody irl to discuss these topics with. Anyway, I've just started reading Vasubandhu's "A Mahayana Demonstration on the Theme of Action"('Karmasiddhi-Prakaraṇa' is the Sanskrit title but I'm reading it in English translation), to be frank it's fairly heavy reading but I'm trying to understand it as best as I can. As I have read, the original Sanskrit text is no longer extant, though there are apparently 2 existing Chinese translations and a Tibetan translation, and there appears to be a commentary which is only extant in Tibetan. (I can read modern Chinese to some extent, but certainly not classical Chinese nor Tibetan. And I haven't read the commentary, which would probably shed a lot of light on the matter, to be sure.)

Also, I realize that, properly speaking, it's not a Sutra, nevertheless I thought that this would be the appropriate place on the forum to post it, if not then I would respectfully ask a moderator to point me in the right direction or move it, I'm new here so please forgive my errors.

It's fairly short, but that doesn't make it any easier for me to really understand, it contains a lot of deep philosophical concepts and Vasubandhu seems to assume that his readers will be familiar with them (that is, he doesn't seem to be giving tips to newbies or people less familiar with the philosophical concepts he is presenting, or maybe just occasionally hahaha.)

Anyway, since I'm here on Dharma Wheel, I'm sure that I'll meet some folks who are interested in topics such as this and I look forward to any insights that anybody wants to share on them. Thank you.
VolkerK
Posts: 105
Joined: Mon Oct 24, 2022 5:37 am

Re: Mahayana Demonstration on the Theme of Action by Vasubandhu

Post by VolkerK »

Canonical commentaries on this text is Sumatiśīla // karmasiddhiṭīkā
http://databases.aibs.columbia.edu/inde ... ll=tengyur

Englisch Translation:
Stefan Anacker, Seven Works of Vasubandhu: The Buddhist Psychological Doctor, Motilal Banarsidass, 2nd Edition, 2002, ISBN 978-8120802032
https://archive.org/details/sevenworksofvasu0000vasu
Vasubandhu, Karmasiddhi Prakarana: The Treatise On Action By Vasubandhu, translated by Etienne Lamotte, English translation by Leo M. Pruden, Asian Humanities Press, ISBN 978-0895819079
Vasubandhu's "Karmasiddhiprakarana" and the problem of the highest meditations, Stefan Anacker, Philosophy East and West, 22.3 (Jul 1, 1972): 247.
Vasubandhu Three Aspects A Study Of A Buddhist Philosopher Stefan Anacker ( Thesis)
https://archive.org/details/vasubandhut ... esis_258_A
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