Nagarjuna stands second only to the Buddha in his importance in Buddhist thought. The concept of "emptiness (shunyata)" became the central ontological concept in Mahayana Buddhism thanks to his effort. Not only did he found the Madhyamaka tradition in India, understanding his philosophy is needed to understand the Zen tradition and the Dalai Lama's Tibetan tradition.

Included here are translations from the Sanskrit of his most important philosophical works into plain English, so that the general educated public interested in Buddhism or philosophy can understand his thought. Also included are separate commentaries, an essay on Nagarjuna's thought, and a bibliography of further readings.

The works presented here collectively constitute what the Tibetans call Nagarjuna's "analytic corpus." Translated from the original Sanskrit are the Fundamental Verses of the Middle Way (the Mula-madhyamaka-karikas), Overturning the Objections (the Vigraha-yavartani) with Nagarjuna's own commentary, and the philosophical portions of the Jewel Garland of Advice (the Ratnavali). Three works that are no longer extant in Sanskrit are summarized here: Seventy Verses on Emptiness (Shunyata-saptati-karikas), Sixty Verses on Argument (Yukti-shashtikas), and Pulverizing the Categories (Vaidalya-prakarana).

Nagarjuna: Buddhism's Most Important Philosopher, Plain English Translations and Summaries of Nagarjuna's Essential Philosophical Works , Richard H. Jones, Paperback, 200 pages, $16.95

Richard H. Jones holds a Ph.D. from Columbia University in the history and philosophy of religion and an A.B. from Brown University in religious studies. He also has a J.D. from the University of California at Berkeley and practiced law in New York City, where he lives. He is the author of numerous books, including The Heart of Buddhist Wisdom, Indian Madhyamaka Buddhism After Nagarjuna, Science and Mysticism (Bucknell University Press), Mysticism Examined (SUNYPress), Reductionism (Bucknell University Press), Mysticism and Morality (Lexington Books), Philosophy of Mysticism (SUNY Press), Mystery 101 (SUNY Press), and numerous philosophy of religion and law review articles. His website is richardjonesbooks.com.

Preface. iii
1. TEXTS
- Fundamental Verses of the Middle Way (Mula-madhyamaka-karikas). 3
- Overturning the Objections (Vigraha-vyavartani). 34
- Nagarjuna's Commentary on Overturning the Objections. 41
- Selections from Jewel Garland of Advice (Ratnavali). 57
- Summary of Seventy Verses on Emptiness (Shunyata-saptati-karikas). 66
- Summary of Sixty verses on Argument (Yukti-shashtikas). 74
- Summary of Pulverizing the Categories (Vaidalya-prakarana). 79
2. COMMENTARIES
- Commentary on Fundamental Verses of the Middle Way. 91
- Commentary on Overturning the Objections. 123
- Essay: Emptiness - The Philosophy of Nagarjuna. 135
- Twelve Key Sanskrit Terms for Understanding Nagarjuna. 165
References and Other Works. 173
Index. 177