Preface
Bodhisattva Asanga was born in the 4th century CE. At that time, in ancient India (C. Tianzhu), the influence of the śrāvaka monks, or the sound-hearer saṃghas of Sectarian Buddhism, was at its peak. Nevertheless, these śrāvaka monks were reluctant to recognize themselves as sound-hearer saṃghas, often considering themselves Mahāyāna saṃghas and studying the Mahāyāna sūtras. However, they had been misguided by the ordinary śrāvaka commentators of Sectarian Buddhism from the 1st century BC. Most of these śrāvaka saṃghas of Sectarian Buddhism were also studying the Mahāyāna sūtras. However, the dharmas expounded in the Mahāyāna sūtras and their true meanings were profoundly difficult to understand, let alone realize. For this reason, many of the ordinary śrāvaka saṃghas of Sectarian Buddhism firmly believed that the teachings of the Mahāyāna sūtras were merely ideological and impossible to empirically realize. They even claimed that these sūtras were long-term creations of the latter generations of Buddhist disciples, which were compiled into sūtras only in the final period. Consequently, they proposed that “Mahāyāna is not the Buddha’s teaching” to boycott Mahāyāna Buddhism. However, sound-hearer doctrines were introduced only after the World-Honored One, Śākyamuni, attained Buddhahood. They were taught to disciples with the aim of enabling them to become arhats and pratyekabuddhas. Upon attaining realization through the doctrines of the Two Vehicles, disciples were limited to becoming either arhats or pratyekabuddhas. Ultimately, Buddhahood remained unattainable for them.......
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