Customer Reviews

A Study of Nagarjuna's Twenty Verses on the Great Vehicle (Mahayanavimsika) & His Verses on the Heart of Dependent Origination ... (Toronto Studies in Religion)

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What a great book!

At first it looks pretty serious and unapproachable, but here is what I recommend. Start on page 149, the Background chapter. Then read the texts, the words of Nagarjuna, starting on page 7. You'll be surprised how much is approachable without a knowledge of Sanskrit, Tibetan, and Buddhist philosophy.

As the Dalai Lama's translator says on theback cover, "A remarkable example of what a combination of Sanskrit and Tibetan scholarship can do to illuminate the meaning of ancient Buddhist texts."

Everyone is reading Jamieson's Perfection of Wisdom, but actually this Nagarjuna book has a lot more to it, greater depth, less glossy. And it is guaranteed to be the book with the longest title on your shelves! :-) On the BBC interview this book was not even mentioned. It may not be as trendy and fashionable in London literary circles, but it is my preferred Jamieson book.

An important academic tome but also an exciting story. The homepage for this book has many illustrations reflecting the excitement of Stein and Pelliot in Central Asia recovering ancient texts from walled up cave temples and bringing them to Paris and London. This book takes certain philosophical texts of Nagarjuna and makes them readable and accessible. It is good to see that the treasures brought to western collections so long ago are not forgotten but scholars of Jamieson's caliber carefully work their way through the material and publish it. It is rather like the archaeologists who love to dig and produce finds but put off writing up the work. But if no one finishes these things who is to know about them. A great book!

Prof. Jamieson has written a book which provides translation and commentary on Nagarjuna's Verses on the Great Vehicle and the Heart of the Dependent Origination. The text will provide new understanding and insights for the knowledgeable reader, with enough background information and notes to allow an interested newcomer to also benefit. This is a rare feat, especially in a book that is unfailingly useful and intelligently crafted.

Unlike Jamieson's other work, "The Perfection of Wisdom" this book does not contain illustrations from the Cambridge University manuscripts (of which the author is keeper). Its focus is more purely scholarly, and should be considered essential by any interested readers.