Mokṣabhāgīya, Gotra, and Śrutavāsanā: A Study of Abhidharma Influence on Yogācāra Doctrine

Abstract Asaṅga’s Mahāyānasaṃgraha speaks of śrutavāsanā as the impression from hearing the Buddha’s true Dharma. Śrutavāsanā is said to be the cause of supramundane purification, as it counteracts the defiled vāsanā s in the ālayavijñāna . This raises a question as to why śrutavāsanā , which exemplifies the theory of the engendered bīja , is introduced in contrast to the early Yogācāra theory of the primordial bīja . I suggest that śrutavāsanā stems from the Sarvāstivāda notion of mokṣabhāgīya , rather than from the earlier Yogācāra notion of tathatālambanapratyaya-bīja . This article examines the Sarvāstivādins’ definition of mokṣabhāgīya , and demonstrates the doctrinal congruence between the Sarvāstivāda notion and śrutavāsanā . In my opinion, the idea of “entering ( avatāra ) into a gotra ” in the Śrāvakabhūmi of the Yogācārabhūmi , which shows a close resemblance in wording to the Sarvāstivādins’ definition of mokṣabhāgīya , adumbrates the theory of engendered bīja , namely vāsanā . Through this textual medium, the idea of mokṣabhāgīya is expressed in Asaṅga’s major works as śrutavāsanā .