A study of the Madhyāntavibhāga-Bhāṣya-Ṭikā

Abstract

This work contains two main components: (a) an English translation of the Sanskrit texts comprising the Buddhist Yogācāra philosophical work known as the Madhyāntavibhāga . It includes the verses (kārikā) of Maitreya/Asaṅga, commentary (bhāṣya) of Vasubandhu and sub-commentary (tika) of Sthiramati. (b) Text critical remarks for the establishment of the Sanskrit text of Sthiramati's commentary based upon: (i) a photographed copy of the original manuscript, (ii) the Edited Sanskrit text prepared by S. Yamaguchi and (iii) the Peking and Derge (sde dge) editions of the canonical blockprints of the Tibetan bsTan hgyur. The Madhyāntavibhāga contains an exposition of the analysis (vibhāga) of the middle way (madhya) in relation to the various extreme views (anta). It is arranged in five chapters: The first chapter, "the defining characteristics" (laksapa) provides a detailed account of both the nature of the phenomenal world and the way that it is imaginatively constructed (parikalpyate) in consciousness, as well as the Yogācāra understanding of emptiness (śūnyatā). Chapter two identifies the main obscurations (avarana) to enlightenment for the śrāvaka, the pratyekabuddha and the bodhisattva. Chapter three provides an explanation of the ten realities (tattva) and their intrinsic relationship with the three natures (svabhāva), i.e the imaginary (parikalpita), the other dependent (paratantra) and the perfected (parinispanna). Chapter four is concerned with the development of meditative practices (bhavana), the various states (avastha) of the latter and the results (phala) obtained from those states. Chapter Five extols the virtues of the universal vehicle (mahāyāna) in comparison to the other vehicles especially in regard to spiritual practice (pratipatti), objective support (ālambana) and full attainment (samudāgama ).