Nagarjunas Letter

Download or read book Nagarjuna's Letter to a Friend written by Nagarjuna and published by Shambhala Publications. This book was released on 2013-09-10 with total page 209 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An exposition of the entire Buddhist path in only 123 verses. A Buddhist classic. Nagarjuna's poetic presentation of the fundamental teachings of the Great Vehicle, or Mahayana, is remarkable for its concise style and memorable imagery, making it one of the most widely quoted sources in other commentaries on the Mahayana path. The great Indian Buddhist master Nagarjuna (first-second century C.E.) wrote his celebrated poem "Letter to a Friend" as a gift of advice to a South Indian king, and it has since become a monument in the Indian shastra tradition. Despite its short length (only 123 verses), Nagarjuna's "Letter to a Friend" covers the entire Mahayana path, combining a practical approach to daily conduct with a theoretical exposition of the different stages leading to enlightenment. It has thus been an ideal source for many of Tibet's great scholars seeking a scriptural authority to enhance their own descriptions of the Buddhist path. Any difficulties in understanding the poem are overcome here by Kangyur Rinpoche's commentary, which turns Nagarjuna's sometimes cryptic poem into straightforward prose, expanding on each topic and ordering the different subjects in such a way that on returning to the original poem, the reader can easily make sense of the advice it contains. It includes headings to explain Nagarjuna's frequent changes in subject and full explanations of the ideas introduced in each verse. In addition to the commentary, this book presents the original poem in the Tibetan and in a new English translation that attempts to emulate Nagarjuna's lines of metric verse. Also included are Kangyur Rinpoche's structural outline (sa bchad), a Tibetan line index to enable students to locate quotations used in other Tibetan works, full notes, and a glossary.

Download or read book Nagarjuna's Letter written by and published by Library of Tibetan Works and Archives. This book was released on 2016-01-01 with total page 146 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For centuries, Dharma students have traditionally studied Nāgārjuna's Letter to a Friend, for it provides a concise and thorough introduction to the entire Buddhist path practice. By examining the Four Noble Truths and the Six Perfections, Nāgārjuna describes logically and poetically the internal patterns of experience which leads a person to buddhahood. Nāgārjuna wrote this letter to his friend King Satavahana, in order to alert him to the worldly impurities, especially in discharging his royal activities, and to integrate spiritual values into his daily life. In this respect, his advice is still of special interest to those who wish to cultivate a religious practice while continuing to live and work in society. The commentary accompanying Nāgārjuna's epistle was composed by Venerable Rendawa, Zhön-nu Lo-drö. This famous scholar hailed from the great "Sa-sKya'' monastery in north central Tibet. During the initial period of their relationship, he served as a teacher to the renowned Tsong Khapa, later, they instructed each other. Rendawa's commentary is quite clear and simple, and suitable for all levels of students. This book teaches the basics of Buddhist religious practice for beginners and advanced students, both laymen and monks.

Download or read book Nagarjuna's Philosophy written by Krishniah Venkata Ramanan and published by Motilal Banarsidass Publ.. This book was released on 1987 with total page 416 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This work is an exposition of the philosophic conceptions basic to Mahayana Buddhsim as found in the Maha-prajnaparamita-sastra a commentary on the Prajnaparamita-sutras and traditionally attributed to Nagarjuna. The sastra the earlist and most extensive work in this field is lost in its sanskrit original and preserved only in a Chinese translation. Meaning of sanskrit and chinese terms are expounded concepts are made clear and supplementary materials are supplied in the notes

Download or read book Nagarjuna's Advice for Buddhists written by Lhundub Sopa and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2023-03-14 with total page 427 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A modern commentary by a beloved Tibetan teacher on a classical Indian Buddhist text and an introduction to Buddhism by one of the tradition’s most famous authors. A teaching on how to live a Buddhist life in contemporary society. Letter to A Friend, by the great Indian philosopher Nagarjuna, is one of the best-known introductions to Buddhism in classical Indian Buddhist literature. In this warm and generous commentary, one of the twentieth century’s most beloved teachers, Geshe Lhundup Sopa, shows how Nagarjuna’s advice on how to follow Buddhist ethics while living fully in the world speaks just as clearly to us today as it did to the Indian king for whom it was composed. Nagarjuna maintained that all Buddhists can embody the full teachings of the Buddha. Therefore, this book covers topics from simple virtues to the most profound truths of emptiness. Expertly compiled by his student, scholar Beth Newman, from talks given over a number of years, the commentary brings this ancient Buddhist teaching to a modern audience.

Download or read book Advice from a Spiritual Friend written by Khenchen Palden Sherab Rinpoche and published by . This book was released on 2019-06-04 with total page 328 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Letter to a Friend by the great master Nagarjuna contains very practical advice and detailed instructions for all generations. It has been kept close to the heart and actualized by many practitioners across the centuries in India and Tibet. The main topic is how to be a good, decent, and responsible person in samsara. These principles are important and valuable for anyone, no matter where they live or what they believe. Dharma is based on cultivating a good character and ethical conduct combined with a deep understanding of interdependence. There is a profound relationship between one's mind, motivation, and how they interact with natural systems and human societies. Nagarjuna is inviting us to take a deeper look at this relationship, and the renowned master Mipham Rinpoche expands these points even further. Nagarjuna wrote this letter directly to his friend, but his advice applies to everyone. It explains how to be strong and conduct ourselves with courage and confidence in the world. It offers clear instructions on how to expand our human kindness and the precious qualities of morality, concentration, wisdom, and an open heart. We can work through difficult experiences and learn to meet all the challenges in samsara without a lot of hardship and struggle. Instead of collapsing and giving up, we can continue moving forward with good energy toward a bright future.

Download or read book Nāgārjuna's Letter to King Gautamīputra written by Nāgārjuna and published by Motilal Banarsidass Publishe. This book was released on 2004 with total page 160 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Nagarjuna's Letter to King Gautamiputra is a concise and comprehensive explanation of the fundamentals of the Buddha's teaching and of the Buddhist path to liberation. Written by the renowned sage Nagarjuna for his friend and patron Gautamiputra the then King of Andhra in the South of India, the work which contains one hundred and twenty three verses achieved great popularity first in India and then in Tibet. Though the Sanskrit original of the work is lost, the present English translation has been made from the Tibetan collection. Explanatory notes based on three authoritative Tibetan commentaries have been added to the text. The Tibetan text of the verses of Nagarjuna's letter is also included to assist students and scholars who wish to consult the Tibetan version.

Download or read book A Chariot to Freedom written by Shechen Gyaltsap IV and published by Shambhala Publications. This book was released on 2022-01-11 with total page 761 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A unique commentary on the preliminary practices of Vajrayāna Buddhism, from a beloved Nyingma master. A Chariot to Freedom is one of the most beloved presentations of the preliminary practices, or ngöndro, that form the foundation of the Vajrayāna Buddhist path. This set of practices, common to all schools of Himalayan Buddhism, is what nearly every practitioner begins with, yet it also constitutes a complete method in and of itself. Although ngöndro are considered a prerequisite for further teachings and initiations into other practices, many of even the most accomplished masters continue to engage in them every day. Most of the other excellent works on these foundational techniques are specific to a particular tradition, but this text is widely considered to be exemplary, in part, because it is applicable to all traditions of ngöndro. Drawing from the original words of the Buddha in the sūtras and from later treatises by such masters as Nāgārjuna, Shāntideva, and Guru Padmasambhava, Shechen Gyaltsap’s commentary is a wonderfully curated anthology of Buddhist teachings on the preliminary practices of Vajrayāna Buddhism. It covers the thoughts that turn one’s mind away from ordinary pursuits and toward enlightenment, taking refuge, arousing the mind set on enlightenment (bodhichitta), purification, maṇḍala offering, and Guru Yoga. Shechen Gyaltsap explains why each practice is beneficial and provides profound and eminently useful guidance for practitioners, while simultaneously transmitting the wisdom of generations of Buddhist masters.