Encyclopedia.com > Dictionaries, Thesauruses, Pictures, and Press Releases > A Dictionary of Buddhism > January 2004

Tri-svabhāva-nirdeśa

A Dictionary of Buddhism | 2004 | 675 words | Copyright

Tri-svabhāva-nirdeśa ‘The Treatise on the Three Natures’, a key Yogācāra work in 38 verses by Vasubandhu, thought by some to have been his last work. It covers similar ground to his Triṃśikā but deals with his interpretation of the ‘three natures’ (tri-svabhāva) theory at greater length. The work is important since it clearly demonstrates through the analogy of a magically created elephant that early Yogācāra is not an idealistic system but rather deals with epistemological matters. The text survives in Sanskrit and a Tibetan translation but curiously no Chinese version is known.

Cite this article
Pick a style below, and copy the text for your bibliography.

  • MLA
  • Chicago
  • APA

DAMIEN KEOWN. "Tri-svabhāva-nirdeśa." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. 27 May. 2012 <http://www.encyclopedia.com>.

DAMIEN KEOWN. "Tri-svabhāva-nirdeśa." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Encyclopedia.com. (May 27, 2012). http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O108-Trisvabhvanirdea.html

DAMIEN KEOWN. "Tri-svabhāva-nirdeśa." A Dictionary of Buddhism. 2004. Retrieved May 27, 2012 from Encyclopedia.com: http://www.encyclopedia.com/doc/1O108-Trisvabhvanirdea.html

Learn more about citation styles

Find thousands of answers for hundreds of subjects at Answers Encyclopedia .

All answers verified by trusted sources at Encyclopedia.com

Try Answers Encyclopedia now!

For students and teachers!

Encyclopedia.com provides students and teachers facts, information, and biographies from verified, citable sources, including:

Encyclopedia.com provides students and teachers facts, information, and biographies from verified, citable sources, including: