Asanga in the fourth century mediated on Maitreya for twelve years and then was able to meet the Maitreya Buddha (the nest Buddha) directly, who gave him five works including this text. Asanga then went on to found the Mind-only or Chittamatra school of Buddhism. This text, which contains both the root verses of Maitreya and a commentary on these verses by Thrangu Rinpoche, begins by giving the characteristics of dharma which is ordinary phenomena as we perceive ...
