Asanga’s significance is not confined to the role of a teacher expounding abstract doctrine; his legacy is deeply rooted in the literary and institutional shaping of Mahāyāna Buddhism. Traditionally, he is associated with major Yogācāra treatises such as the *Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra*, the *Mahāyānasaṃgraha*, and the *Abhidharmasamuccaya*, works that offer encyclopedic treatments of meditation, psychology, and the stages of the path. These texts do more than present ideas; they organize an immense range of teachings into a coherent vision of the path and of consciousness itself. In this way, his contribution extends into the very architecture of Buddhist thought, providing a framework that later traditions could inhabit and develop.

Beyond the composition of texts, Asanga’s influence is felt in the systematization and codification of Mahāyāna teachings so that they could be effectively transmitted in scholastic and monastic settings. His work helped shape curricula in major centers of learning, allowing Yogācāra perspectives to be studied alongside earlier Abhidharma systems. This systematizing activity made it possible for Mahāyāna philosophy to function as a rigorous, teachable discipline rather than a loose collection of inspirational ideas. The result was a durable intellectual tradition that could be debated, refined, and handed down over generations.

Asanga also stands at a pivotal point in the integration of philosophy and contemplative practice. His analyses of meditative states and mental factors bridge earlier Abhidharma psychology with Mahāyāna soteriology, giving practitioners a detailed map of consciousness that is both theoretical and practical. This integration influenced later meditation manuals and commentarial traditions, where Yogācāra insights into consciousness and perception informed concrete methods of mental training. In this sense, his contribution reaches into the lived experience of practice, not only the rarefied realm of scholastic discourse.

Finally, traditional narratives surrounding Asanga portray him as a figure linked to visionary encounters with Maitreya and to the transmission of associated texts. Whether taken as history or as symbolic hagiography, these stories helped nourish a devotional current within Mahāyāna, centering on aspiration toward Maitreya and the transformation of consciousness. Thus, Asanga’s legacy can be seen as spanning textual scholarship, institutional formation, contemplative psychology, and devotional imagination, all converging in a vision of the path where insight, practice, and faith mutually reinforce one another.