Nagarjuna's Seventy Stanzas: A Buddhist Psychology of Emptiness

by Nāgārjuna, David Ross Komito

This volume contains a translation of Seventy Stanzas,  a fundamental work of Nagarjuna on the Madhyamika system of Buddhist philosophy, along with a commentary on it from the Prasangika viewpoint by Geshe Sonam Rinchen. David Komito summarizes basic Buddhist doctrines on perception and the creation of concepts, which have traditionally served as the backdrop for Nagarjuna's teachings about how people consistently misperceive and misunderstand the nature of the reality in which they live and the means through which they experience it. This book will interest Buddhist practitioners, scholars, and psychologists who seek a deeper understanding of Buddhist psychology and epistemology.

Genres: Buddhism, Philosophy, Spirituality, Eastern Philosophy, Psychology, Nonfiction

231 pages, Paperback

First published June 25, 1999

About the author

Acharya Nāgārjuna (Telugu: నాగార్జున) (c. 150 - 250 CE) was an Indian philosopher and the founder of the Madhyamaka school of Mahāyāna Buddhism.

His writings are the basis for the formation of the Madhyamaka school, which was transmitted to China under the name of the Three Treatise (Sanlun) School. He is credited with developing the philosophy of the Prajnaparamita sutras, and was closely associated with the Buddhist university of Nalanda. In the Jodo Shinshu branch of Buddhism, he is considered the First Patriarch.

Reviews

[Erik Steevens · Rating 5 out of 5]

an overwhelming inside look of the meaning of emptiness ... i had to read some sentences 3 or 4 times over, but once you find yourself on the 'wave of knowing' the understanding opens like a lotus flower

[Zach Irvin · Rating 5 out of 5]

A rich and beautiful text that lays out some of the core Buddhist ideas about the emptiness of existence. This book will stick with me, I’m sure, since I resonated with the teachings. Emptiness does not mean nothingness, but it does also point the reader to the fact that our material reality is impermanent and really forces the reader to come to grips with that reality. I enjoyed the translation and commentary. The authors truly put a lot of work into this in order to present the complex ideas to western readers who are most likely unfamiliar with the teachings of Buddhism. I still feel unfamiliar, but this, along with the Diamond Cutter Sutra I read earlier this year, has revealed at least a little to me.

[bad · Rating 5 out of 5]

good analysis of the relationships between dependent linguistic phenomena, aimed at identifying the object of negation of inherently existent self. if that doesn't get you salivating, then i dunno what else to say..

[Ben Koops · Rating 3 out of 5]

Schier onbegrijpelijk betoog over de fundamentele leegheid van alle verschijnselen. Voor de niet-ingewijde in het Tibetaans boeddhisme valt hier weinig te halen, de originele of vertaalde tekst van de stanza's is interessant maar valt nogal in herhaling. Het Tibetaans boeddhisme kent enorm veel technische termen, en dan heb je nog de tegenstelling tussen mahayana en hinayana boeddhisme. Al die esoterische termen maken de commentaren ook enorm moeilijk te begrijpen, binnen het canon is het vast een belangrijke tekst maar daarbuiten komt het neer op een hoop abracadabra.

[One Awakening · Rating 2 out of 5]

Confusion and existential dread intensifies. 2/5 stars :D

[Kathleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

The whole is very involved and requires a great deal of contemplation. It is not well-organised and I found that I needed to keep 4 bookmarks going at once in order to read the text, the interpretation and the background.