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

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

"Nagarjuna is renowned for his penetrating analysis of reality. In the Precious Garland, he offers intimate counsel on how to conduct one's life and how to construct social policies that reflect Buddhist ideals. The advice for personal happiness is concerned first with improving one's condition over the course of lifetimes and then with release from all kinds of suffering, culminating in Buddhahood. Nagarjuna describes the cause and effect sequences for the development of happiness within ordinary life as well as the practices of wisdom realizing emptiness and compassion that lead to enlightenment. He describes a Buddha's qualities and offers encouraging advice on the effectiveness of practices that reveal the vast attributes of Buddhahood.In his advice on social and governmental policy, Nagarjuna emphasizes education, compassionate care for all living beings, not using the death penalty but reforming criminals, and charity for the homeless. Calling for the appointment of government figures who are not seeking profit or fame, he advises that a selfish motivation will lead to misfortune.The book includes a detailed analysis of attachment to sensual objects as a preparation for realization of the profound truth that, when realized, makes attachment impossible."--From the back cover"Of all the religious writings of the Mahayana Buddhist tradition, it could be said that Shantideva's Guide to the Bodhisattva Way of Life and Nagarjuna's Precious Garland together remain the foundational texts outlining the noble, selfless career of the Bodhisattva."--Geshe Thupten Jinpa"Jeffrey Hopkins, one of the foremost Western scholars of Tibetan Buddhism, has authored and translated over thirty-five books. Once again he proves a knowledgeable and insightful guide. His 83-page analytical introduction, which includes a biography of Nagarjuna, is superb and makes The Precious Garland accessible. Hopkins' rendering carefully follows the detailed Tibetan commentary by Gyel-tsap Dar-ma-rin-chen. For easier assimilation, that scholar's commentarial notes are placed next to the English version of Nagarjuna's text itself--a very helpful method. Those familiar with Tibetan will welcome the inclusion of the Tibetan original and also of Gyel-tsap's commentary given in a convenient tabular format. A veritable masterpiece of translation."--Georg Feuerstein, Ph.D."A masterpiece of religious writing."--The Middle Way"Recommended for all graduate and undergraduate library collections."--Religious Studies Review"An excellent contribution to the study of Nagarjuna."--Indian Journal of Buddhist Studies"Hopkins has done a magnificent job of translating Nagarjuna's Precious Garland, making it even more accessible by describing Nagarjuna's life and the themes of his text. Perfect Buddhist advice for living and liberation, indeed."--Mandala MagazineThere is also a translation based on the early Chinese edition produced by the Indian Tripitaka Master Paramartha (ca 550 ce)  A Strand of Dharma Jewels (Kalavinka Buddhist Classics) .Also of interest may be  The Way of the Bodhisattva .

Great quality book :-)