Concept of negation in Tibetan Buddhism

Based on a wide range of Tibetan-language sources, the article considers the content of the Buddhist concept of negation. Special attention is paid to the interpretation of this concept in Gelug tradition, which is widespread in the countries of Central Asia. We discuss the basic structural elements of the concept of negation ("the basis of negation", "object of negation"), the levels of negation (verbal and mental), its types ("is not" or "not exist"), ways of expressing negation in debates (direct, indirect, joint or "by virtue of possibility"), etc. The article studies the main objects of negation ("the two covers", "the personality of the self", "the dharma of the self") and their basic characteristics, reveals the significance of "negation" in the soteriological system of Buddhism.