Nagarjuna's Precious Garland: Buddhist Advice for Living and Liberation

I bought this book twice, and I still go back constantly. Such a brilliant mind, this Nagarjuna. I've even memorized sections 466-487 as part of my daily Buddhist prayer readings. As others have noted, and rightly so, it must be read slowly to absorb. As an added bonus, it is also in Tibetan language, which is a great plus. I'm using it to aid me in reading Tibetan. Jeffrey Hopkins has done an outstanding service to all, Buddhists or otherwise.

Came in great condition

Nagarjuna means to me the greatest and more profound thinker that ever walked this earth. His analysis of reality, his observations, his logic and dialectic has convinced me of his incredible talent and insights.As an advice, his writings are mainly in stanzas and most be read very slow and every word has its hidden meaning!This is a deep philosopher with an astonishing view of reality, with a very different approach to those we are familiar with!I recommend ALL his texts and writing. I have read most of them and revise them once in a while.Unfortunately, I'm not an scholar on this field. Nagarjuna makes me dream with Nalanda University and all the explosion of ideas that existed there 2000 years ago, same ideas and doubts we question and try to understand today!

Difficult to get into, but a teacher suggested reading the 500 verses all the way through, and then going back time and again. To much of our group, the middle of the first chapter was the most difficult, and the last chapter was the most appreciated by the group. And it did grow on all of us with the more we read it.

Profound!

Good quality printing. Absolute must have book. Highly recommended.

ExcellentArrived in amazing short time, too!

Nagarjuna figures undoubtedly - and rightly so - as the father of buddhist Mahayana Philosophy, prolific teacher and highly venerated yogi, although one should not forget that the Buddha was first to be a follower of the Mahayana himself and to teach it to others - although later scientists take pains to debate that.In his Ratnavali Nagarjuna gives advice to a king with whom he was intimately related as guru and disciple and whose exact identity remains obscured by two millennia of history. The treatise is full of common sence and good advice on ethics, livelihood and how to develop the good heart that is so badly needed for those in positions of power and responsibility. Nevertheless it is far from being an easy text on lifestyle and well-being, providing - next to his famous Madhyamakakarikas - all essential logical instructions on the view of emptiness, svabhavasunyata, which is to be attained by all means by anybody, sravaka, pratyekabuddha and bodhisattva alike, in order to get liberated.The text talks to the philosophers of his time, Samkhya, Jain and Nyaya, with interesting sensitivity for where their arguments are coming from and how to dismantle their positions by way of absurd consequences, later typical for the prasangika-madhyamika branch of the Middle Way schools.Jeffrey Hopkins in general is one of the most prolific American practitioner-scientists, whose grasp on the complexities of the material is ever astonishing while having the great advantage that - other than many of his scientific collegues - he employs simple language, no unnessessary latinisms where straight forward expressions will do. He is consistent, fully backed up by valid sources, does not speculate and is simply a great author in his own right - in short any book by him is worth reading.His translation of RV is faithful and pleasant to read. It benefits from the outlines inserted according to Tsongkhapa's disciple Gyaltsab Dharma Rinchen. A great book, which conveys a piece of world cultural heritage of wisdom and compassion. Recommend fully.

This is another faithful and reliable translation of Nagarjuna's works by Jeffrey Hopkins. He has also written Compassion in Tibetan Buddhism which, if you will excuse the archaic title, is a brilliant translation of Je Tsongkhapas commentary on Chandrakirtis Guide to the Middle Way. The reader should note the Link from this Precious Garland of advice of Nagarjuna, brilliantly insightful, compassionate, great in vision but rather cryptically written in short verses, to Chandrakirtis Guide to the Middle Way which is a commentary on the Precious Garland. To further gain experience of this miracle of good fortune, please read also Jeffery Hopkins translation of Je Tsongkhapas commentary to Chandrakirtis Guide, all of them within the same pure wisdom lineage. Please check out your singular lineage reliance and the advice of your own Spiritual Guide very carefully, so that you may rely upon one pure tradition unmixed and thus not destroyed by churned up and unpeaceful conceptions. PS it may not be necessary to spend time reading this 500 verse Precious Garland, but it is a fine thing to appreciate a Pure flourishing 1500-2000 years ago that was learned by memorisation and pure concentration using only short verses such as these in the Precious Garland.Ancient Indian Buddhism with its many pioneering Yogis and saints was indeed a wonder of the world.

An important text by one of the main buddhist masters, Nagarjuna.

Nagarjuna figures undoubtedly - and rightly so - as the father of buddhist Mahayana Philosophy, prolific teacher and highly venerated yogi, although one should not forget that the Buddha was first to be a follower of the Mahayana himself and to teach it to others - although some later scientists take pains to debate that.In his Ratnavali Nagarjuna gives advice to a king with whom he was intimately related as guru and disciple and whose exact identity remains obscured by two millennia of history. The treatise is full of common sence and good advice on ethics, livelihood and how to develop the good heart that is so badly needed for those in positions of power and responsibility. Nevertheless it is far from being an easy text on lifestyle and well-being, providing - next to his famous Madhyamakakarikas - all essential logical instructions on the view of emptiness, svabhavasunyata, which is to be attained by all means by anybody, sravaka, pratyekabuddha and bodhisattva alike, in order to get liberated.The text talks to the philosophers of his time, Samkhya, Jain and Nyaya, with interesting sensitivity for where their arguments are coming from and how to dismantle their positions by way of absurd consequences, later typical for the prasangika-madhyamika branch of the Middle Way schools.Jeffrey Hopkins in general is one of the most prolific American practitioner-scientists, whose grasp on the complexities of the material is ever astonishing while having the great advantage that he employs simple language. He is consistent, fully backed up by valid sources, does not speculate and is simply a great author in his own right - in short any book by him is worth reading.His translation of RV is faithful and pleasant to read. It benefits from the outlines inserted according to Tsongkhapa's disciple Gyaltsab Dharma Rinchen. A great book, which conveys a piece of world cultural heritage of wisdom and compassion. Recommend fully.

Lovely, thank you, very professional packaging!

Good