Early Monastic Buddhism v2.c35.s3.t4.41

v2.c35.s3.t4.41

The third book, *Vijñāna-kāya* is attributed to Devaśarmā, who, according to Hiuen-tsang, compiled it at Viśoka near Śrāvastī, about a century after Buddha’s death. It was translated into Chinese by Hiuen-tsang (649 A.D.). It is divided into six chapters. It contains an exposition of *pudgala*, *indriya*, *citta*, *kleśa*, *vijñāna*, etc. as given by Maudgalyāyana, enumerates the different classes of beings, persons, etc., defines the function of mental states as *hetu* (cause) and *ālambana* (basis) of spiritual progress¹ and also of mental states of a perfect and an imperfect adept.² Prof. La Vallée Poussin remarks in his *Etudes Asiatiques* 1925 (i. 343-376) that the first two chapters contain the controversies relating to the existence of past and future, and of *pudgala* (soul).³