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INTRODUCTION 31and criticized as such. The syllogism with which Vasubandhu operatesis the five-membered syllogism of the Nyaya school, although, as appearsfrom a passage in the supplement to the A b h i d h a r m a - k o s a, hesometimes makes use of the abridged, three-membered form. 1 Thethree aspects of the logical reason, this Buddhist method of formulatinginvariable concomitance, appears already in the treatise of Vasubandhu.The classification of reasons and fallacies is different fromthe one accepted in the Nyaya school and agrees in priciple with theone introduced by Dignaga and developed by Dharmakirti. If we addthat the definition of sense-perception as pure sensation which is socharacteristic a feature of Dignaga's system is already found in a workof A s a n g a, 2 we cannot escape the conclusion that the great logicalreform of Dignaga and Dharmakirti was prepared by an adaptatorywork of the realistic and formal Nyaya logic to the requirementsof an idealistic system, this adaptatory work being begun in the schoolsof Asanga and Vasubandhu, perhaps even much earlier.§ 8. THE LIFE OF DIGNAGA.The lives of Dignaga and Dharmakirti, as recorded bythe Tibetan historians Taranatha, Bu-ston and others, are sofull of quite incredible mythological details that it becomes a difficulttask to extract some germs of truth out of them. There arehowever facts which with great probability must be assumed as correct.This refers, first of all, to the lineage of teachers, their caste and placeof birth. Vasubandhu was the teacher of Dignaga, but he wasprobably an old and celebrated man when Dignaga came to attend tohis lessons. Dharmakirti was not the direct pupil of Dign aga.There is an intermediate teacher between them in the person ofIsvarasena who was a pupil of Dignaga and the teacher ofDharmakirti. Isvarasena has left no trace in the literary history ofhis school, although he is quoted by Dharmakirti who accuses him ofhaving misunderstood Dignaga. We have thus the following lineage ofteachers — Vasuba'ndhu-Dignaga-Isvarasena-Dharmakirti.3 Since Dharmakirti flourished in the middle of thecp. IHQ, vol. IV. All the implications of the laconic expression have evidentlyescaped his attention.1 Cp. my Soul Theory of the Buddhists, p. 952.2 Tucci, in the IHQ, vol. IV, p. 550. In Uttara-tantra, IV. 86 the a analytical» reason (svabhava-hetu) is already used,3 Cp. Taranatha's History.