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Persona #178

Vasubandhu

c. 4th–5th century CE
Indian Buddhist philosopher; principal systematizer of Yogācāra "consciousness-only" Buddhism

Vijñaptimātratā — "mere cognition" — the world as the structured unfolding of consciousness

Attribute Fingerprint

Rows where personas disagree are highlighted in gold. The full ontology grid (32 attributes) is shown.

Attribute Vasubandhu
Time · Extent Infinite
Time · Ontological Status Emergent
Time · Grain Continuous
Time · Freedom Deterministic
Time · Traversability Cyclical
Time · Dimensionality One
Time · Direction Uni-directional
Space · Extent Finite
Space · Ontological Status Emergent
Space · Curvature Undefined
Space · Dimensionality Three
Space · Locality Non-local
Matter · Extent Finite
Matter · Ontological Status Emergent
Matter · Conservation Non-conserved
Matter · Dimensionality Three
Matter · Locality Non-local
Observer · Time Instance Multiple
Observer · Space Instance Multiple
Observer · Knowledge Extent Immediate
Observer · Knowledge Retainment Total
Observer · Physicality Disembodied
Observer · Agency Active
Observer · Number Plural
Observer · Metaphysical Agency Cosmic-ordering
Observer · Moral Authority Experience
Observer · Theological Method Mystical
Energy · Extent Finite
Energy · Ontological Status Emergent
Energy · Conservation Non-conserved
Energy · Dispersibility Reversible
Information · Ontological Status Substantival
Information · Cosmic Conservation Conserved
Information · Personal Conservation Conserved
Information · Granularity Continuous

Dimension-by-Dimension Evidence

What each persona's writings reveal about their stance on each of the six dimensions.

Time

Vasubandhu

Cyclical kalpic time emergent from consciousness; the karmic seeds ripen across lifetimes.

Space

Vasubandhu

Emergent — space is constituted by the structured unfolding of consciousness, not an independent container.

Matter

Vasubandhu

Emergent non-conserved — matter is appearance constituted by ripening seeds of consciousness.

Observer

Vasubandhu

Plural ālayavijñāna-bearing observers; multiple time/space instances through reincarnation and meditative attainment. Cosmic-ordering through the structure of consciousness itself.

Energy

Vasubandhu

Emergent and non-conserved; the cosmic energetic regime is the dynamics of consciousness.

Information

Vasubandhu

Karmic seeds (bīja) in the storehouse consciousness conserve information across lifetimes; the stream of consciousness is the personal-continuity carrier.

Internal Tensions

Where each persona's working synthesis strains against itself.

Vasubandhu

Yogācāra is divided between weaker (epistemic) and stronger (metaphysical) idealist readings. The Tibetan Geluk tradition (Tsongkhapa and his successors) read Vasubandhu cautiously, preferring the Madhyamaka emphasis on emptiness; the Jonang and some Nyingma traditions are more comfortable with stronger Yogācāra positions. The traditional account of a single Vasubandhu authoring both the Abhidharmakośa and the Yogācāra works is now widely doubted by modern philology; many scholars posit two Vasubandhus.