Abstract
Vastu appears as the base of verbal denominations and as a verbally inexpressive thing in the Yogacarabhumi, especially in the Tattvartha Chapter of the Bodhisattvabhumi. In the Viniscayasamgrahani, nimitta appears in the same position as vastu. Furthermore, these are connected with the Three-nature Theory. In this paper, I have tried to investigate vastu and nimitta in the connection with the Three-nature Theory.
I have investigated the Three-nature Theory in the Madhyantavibhagabhasya before. From that investigation, I found that the structure of the Threenature Theory in the Madhyantavibhagabadsya is different from that in the other texts of the Yogacara School. Generally, the structure of the Three-nature Theory is thought to be that paratantra-svabhava is a locus of parikalpita-svabhava and parinispanna-svabhava. But in that text, that locus is parinispanna-svabhava. In my opinion, Vasubandhu, who is the author of that text, may possibly be influenced by another text which was written before the Madhyantavibhagabhasya. Through an investigation of vastu and nimitta in the Yogacarabhumi, it appears that there is a possibility that Vasubandhu was influenced by the Three-nature Theory of the Yogacarabhumi.
