The present paper does not aim at a comprehensive treatment of the complicated problem of the relation of Vasubandhu and the Laṅkāvatārasūtra (LAS), still less of the controversial question of Vasubandhu’s date or of whether we have to assume one Vasubandhu or two (or even more than two). I only want to contribute to the discussion with an observation of a minor nature. Yet, provided that my interpretation of the facts is correct, this observation does have some bearing not only on how we have to figure out the relation of Vasubandhu and the LAS but also on the date of Vasubandhu.

In: Asiatische Studien XLVI.1 (1992) (Études bouddhiques offertes à Jaques May), 392–397.