Madhyanta-vibhaga-karika

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Madhyāntavibhāgakārikā (Verses Distinguishing the Middle and the Extremes) is a key work in Yogācāra Buddhist philosophy. It has 112 verses that explain how to distinguish the middle way from extreme positions. The text is often studied with Vasubandhu’s commentary and Sthiramati’s sub-commentary. In Tibetan tradition it is attributed to Maitreya-nātha; in other traditions it is associated with Asanga.

What the text is about
- It presents a clear method for understanding the middle view and avoiding two extremes.
- It belongs to the Yogācāra (consciousness-only) tradition.

Structure of the work
- Five chapters:
1) Laksana (Attributes or characterizations)
2) Āvarana (Obscurations)
3) Tattva (Reality)
4) Pratipakṣa-bhāvanā (Cultivation of antidotes)
5) Yanānuttarya (The Supreme Way)

Manuscripts and commentaries
- A Sanskrit manuscript was found in Tibet and was studied with a bhāṣya (commentary) by Vasubandhu and a tikā (sub-commentary) by Sthiramati.
- Besides Sanskrit, the work has translations in Chinese, Tibetan, and Mongolian.

Editions and translations (highlights)
- 1964: Sanskrit edition edited by Gadjin M. Nagao.
- English translations include:
- 1936: Mathyanta-Vibhanga, translated by Theodore Stcherbatsky (with Vasubandhu’s and Sthiramati’s commentary)
- 1937: Madhyāntavibhāga-ṭikā by David Lasar Friedmann
- 1982: A Buddhist Doctrine of Experience by Thomas Kochumuttom
- 1984: Seven Works of Vasubandhu by Stefan Anacker
- 1987: The Principles of Buddhist Psychology by David Kalupahana
- 1991: Mind Only by Thomas E. Wood
- 2007: Middle Beyond Extremes: Madhyantavibhāga with commentaries by Khenpo Shenga and Ju Mipham (Dharmachakra Translation Committee)
- 2012: Maitreya’s Distinguishing the Middle from the Extremes (with Vasubandhu’s commentary) by Mario D’Amato

Why it matters
- Madhyāntavibhāga-kārikā is central to understanding Yogācāra philosophy and how Buddhist thinkers navigate between middle truths and extreme positions.
- It has influenced many later works and remains a foundational text for study in multiple languages.