ABSTRACT
The Kusha doctrine was brought to Japan in the year 658 of our era, by two Japanese priests, Chitsu and Chitatsu, who, during a sojourn in China, had become the disciples of Chinese teachers.
The canonical text of this sect, translated into Japanese, is the Book of Metaphysical Treasure (Sanskrit: Abhidarma Kosa Shastra) composed by Vasubandhu, one of the most celebrated sages of India, who lived in the fourth and fifth centuries of our era. The Kusha sect derived its name, which is a Japanese transcription of the Sanskrit term, from the title of this book. Kosa signifies “treasure.”
