Customer Reviews

Lucid Exposition of the Middle Way: Essential Chapters from the Prasannapada

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This is the only English translation of Candrakirti's indispensable and supreme commentary, the Prasannapada, on Nagarjuna's masterpiece, Mula-madhyamaka-karikas (MMK for short).

The MMK is probably the best, most complete exposition of Nagarjuna's most advanced teachings, which are the most advanced teachings of at least all Indian Buddhism. It is exceptionally terse, however, so it is nearly impenetrable without Candrakirti's help via this commentary.

The translation is rather poor, but it's the only one we have. It is helped by the translator's frequently inserting the Sanskrit terms being translated into the text. The translator has, in my opinion, a very spotty and inadequate understanding of Madhyamaka teachings, but some of the messages manage to come through anyhow.

I have been studying this book for 18 years. I couldn't understand a word of it for the first 5 years, then only a tiny bit for the next 9, but it finally came clear with the last 4 years' work. I found it to be the most helpful of all the Buddhist books I've ever read (and that's a lot) to understand and then realize the most advanced teachings of Buddhism.

I commend this book to all serious, advanced students and practitioners of Buddhism, while realizing that it is difficult to extract the value from it. Perhaps someday I may have the privilege, honor, and pleasure of translating it myself.

Yours in the dharma,

Just to clarify the information given in review no. 1: As the title ("Essential Chapters") of this book implies, this is not a complete translation of Nagarjuna's "Middle Stanzas" with the commentary of Candrakirti. Those two were Indian scholars. Other chapters have been translated here and there, mostly in scholarly journals. It is the largest set of chapters yet to have been translated into English. And it is regarded as accurate and readable.

I do not take issue with the contention that it is "the most important book in the world." It is the most important book to Tibetan Buddhists, and Tibetan Buddhism has most of the world's most important books.

Truth in advertising: I am a seller of this book.