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Central Philosophy of Buddhism ( A Study of Madhyamika System)

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Essential reading for all English readers interested in Zen/Mahayana

If this profoundly insightful exposition and explication of Madhyamika (the central philosophy of Buddhism) was read by every Zen/Buddhist practitioner, scholar, and teacher in the West, a number of distortions would immediately be eradicated.

Debunking the persistent misunderstandings and misrepresentations concerning the teachings of emptiness (sunyata) expounded by Mahayana Buddhism (including Zen), and especially focusing their highest expression by the Indian philosopher (and Zen "ancestor") Nagarjuna, Mr. Murti invites us to explore the true wonder of this unparalleled doctrine.

If you have ever struggled with Buddhist teachings regarding the ideas of emptiness and form, cause and effect, the relative and the absolute, enlightenment and delusion, Buddhas and ordinary beings, etc. Professor Murti's book will quickly set you on the path to Right Understanding. Form is indeed emptiness, but have you realized that emptiness is form?

Read this book, you will never see things the same again!

before this book published there were some misunderstanding of Buddhism as nihilism for example. but after publishing of this book it changed. this book is somewhat old but classical text on the philosophical system of Buddhism from the viewpoint of Kantian logic to be readable to westerners.this viewpoint caused some debates these days. but for this viewpoint it's still the best introdution to Buddhism. This book covers the development from primitive Buddhism to Mahayana, especially to Middle way school. the discussion is concentrated on this school. the merit of this book is that the arguments between Buddhsim and Hindi and among Buddhist schools are well described.

Though it is a few decades old now still trv murti's work is easily the single best exposition of the madhyamika system in english. Historically Buddhist philosophy in India only developed in opposition to its native cousins - the vedic and jain schools - and unless you clearly know the philosophies of the rival schools it is difficult to understand what the madhyamika dialectic was aimed at. trv murti was a professor of classical Indian philosophy from the famed and revered benaras hindu university and was also a student of the great s radhakrishnan (which didn't stop him from criticizing his teacher's evaluation of buddhist philosophy). Murti's knowledge of Indian philosophy enables him to understand the madhyamika system in its right perspective unlike many non-indian authors who due to their lack of knowledge of Indian philosophy as a whole, can only shed partial light on the madhyamika system and thus often misinterpret it. So little surprise that murti's work has stood the test of time. Additionally trv murti was also a strong believer in the validity of the madhyamika system.