Nagarjuna's renowned twentyseven-chapter Fundamental Verses on the Middle Way (Mulamadhyamakakarika), the definitive, touchstone presentation of the doctrine of emptiness, is the foundational text of the Madhyamaka school of Mahayana Buddhist philosophy. Professors Siderits and Katsura prepared this translation using the four surviving Indian commentaries in an attempt to reconstruct an interpretation of its enigmatic verses that adheres as closely as possible to that of its earliest proponents. Each verse is accompanied by concise, lively exposition by the authors conveying the explanations of the Indian commentators. The result is a translation that balances the demands for fidelity and accessibility.

About the Classics of Indian Buddhism Series

The flourishing of Buddhism in South Asia during the first millennium of the Common Era produced many texts that deserve a place among the classics of world literature. Exploring the full extent of the human condition and the limits of language and reason, these texts have the power to edify and entertain a wide variety of readers. The Classics of Indian Buddhism series aims to publish widely accessible translations of important texts from the Buddhist traditions of South Asia, with special consideration given to works foundational for the Mahayana.

Editorial Board
Paul Harrison, Stanford University
Jens-Uwe Hartmann, University of Munich
Sara McClintock, Emory University
Parimal Patil, Harvard University
Andy Rotman, Smith College
Akira Saito, University of Tokyo