This is a completely new translation of Nagarjuna's major work, the Mulamadhyamakakarika accompanied by a detailed annotation of each of the verses. The annotation identifies the metaphysical theories of the scholastics criticized by Nagarjuna, and traces the source material and the arguments utilized in his refutation back to the early discourses of the Buddha. The Introduction presents a completely new hypotheses about the nature of the treatise. The work is a grand commentary on the Buddha's "Discourse to Katyayana" (Kaccayanaqotta-sutta). The concluding part of the Introduction compares the teachings of the Buddha and Nagarjuna in regard to epistemology, ontology, ethics and philosophy of language, indicating how the latter was making a determined attempt to reconstruct the Buddha's teachings in a very faithful manner, avoiding substantialist metaphysics of the scholastics. Mulamadhyamakakarika of Nagarjuna, David J. Kalupahana, Motilal Banarsidass, Hardcover, 412 pages, $28.00
Nagarjuna (circa 2nd Centry C.E.), one of Buddhism's greatest philosophers, has held continuous attention of Buddhist scholars in Asia since his own day. Even today he comamnds the greatest attention in the Western world insfoar as philosophic Mahayana tradition is concerned. Though he did not establish a school of a system fo thought as such, he did attract such overwhelming interest and appeal on the part of the masses by way of his unique writings that a tradition of a sort soon arose during his lifetime and a large following in consquence of it. His ideas though subtle and profound, carried such deep understanding and implications of fundamental Buddhist truths that they will influence, one way or another, all or most the subsequent Mahayana developments in India, China, Tibet, Korea and Japan.
David J. Kalupahana, Ph.D., is one of the most famous writers of Buddhism in the English language. Dr. Kalupahana has written nine books, more than thirty articles and contributed thirty-five minor articles and entries in the Encyclopedia of Buddhism.
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