Three Texts on Consciousness Only
Indian & East Asian philosophy · Yogācāra
Francis H. Cook’s BDK volume translates three works associated with the Yogācāra tradition.
Contents
- Demonstration of Consciousness Only · Hsüan-tsang · pp. 1–372
- The Thirty Verses on Consciousness Only · Vasubandhu · pp. 373–384
- The Treatise in Twenty Verses on Consciousness Only · Vasubandhu · pp. 387–408
Translations & sourcesEditions & translators
Francis Cook’s English translation is available as a free PDF from BDK.
Edition & attribution
An introduction. Follow the source link below to explore the translated work.
Introductions, reflection questions and added section headings are editorial material, separate from the attributed translation.
translation · free PDF
Source link checked October 1, 2026. The linked publisher provides the text and its usage terms.
Connections
Guru Viking0
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People & teachers2
- Vasubandhu
Author of the Twenty Verses and Thirty Verses.
Source
- Xuanzang
Chinese translator and compiler of the larger commentary.
Source
Traditions & history4
- Yogācāra
The tradition behind the verse works and their commentary.
Source
- Translation into Chinese
Transmission context: Indian treatises translated and interpreted in Chinese.
Source
- Yogācāra
Study context: this text is included in the Atlas guide to Yogācāra.
- Nālandā tradition
Study context: this text is included in the Atlas guide to Nālandā tradition.
Books2
- Inside Vasubandhu’s Yogācāra
A chapter-by-chapter practice commentary on Vasubandhu’s Thirty Verses.
Source
- Living Yogācāra
An accessible introduction to the broader Yogācāra tradition.
Source
Topics2
- Mindfulness & awareness
Explore Mindfulness & awareness across the Atlas.
- Emptiness & not-self
Explore Emptiness & not-self across the Atlas.
Make yourself comfortable
About this textContext & reading guide
This volume brings together the Twenty Verses, the Thirty Verses and the Demonstration of Consciousness Only. They provide a substantial entry into the Yogācāra study of cognition and the transformation of experience.
The short verse works associated with Vasubandhu can be read alongside the larger commentary transmitted by Xuanzang. The commentary develops the meaning of terms such as store consciousness in detail.