Living Wisely: Further Advice from Nagarjuna's Precious Garland

by Sangharakshita

How do we live wisely? Sangharakshita outlines how in this companion volume of commentary on Nagarjuna's Precious Garland , showing us how to use our positive ethical position, our momentum in goodness, to develop a deep understanding of the nature of life. In the companion volume Living Ethically , Sangharakshita showed us that to live a Buddhist life we need to develop an ethical foundation. Ethical living means being motivated increasingly by love, contentment, and awareness. However, from a Buddhist viewpoint, this "being good" is not good enough. We become good in order to be wise. Although ultimately the most satisfying of all human endeavors, here we learn that the development of wisdom is also not an easy task. The truth of things is elusive, subtle, and even frightening. So we need to get to it by developing both a more non-literal and reflective intelligence, and greater maturity and courage. Sangharakshita is the founder and principal teacher of Triratna, a worldwide Buddhist movement. With teaching experience spanning sixty years, he is the author of over forty books.

Genres: Buddhism

160 pages, Paperback

First published April 1, 2013

About the author

Sangharakshita was born Dennis Lingwood in South London, in 1925. Largely self-educated, he developed an interest in the cultures and philosophies of the East early on, and realized that he was a Buddhist at the age of sixteen.

The Second World War took him, as a conscript, to India, where he stayed on to become the Buddhist monk Sangharakshita. After studying for some years under leading teachers from the major Buddhist traditions, he went on to teach and write extensively. He also played a key part in the revival of Buddhism in India, particularly through his work among followers of Dr B.R. Ambedkar.

After twenty years in the East, he returned to England to establish the Friends of the Western Buddhist Order in 1967, and the Western Buddhist Order in 1968 (now known as the Triratna Buddhist Community and the Triratna Buddhist Order respectively).

Sangharakshita has always particularly emphasized the decisive significance of commitment in the spiritual life, the paramount value of spiritual friendship and community, the link between religion and art, and the need for a ‘new society’ supportive of spiritual aspirations and ideas.

In recent years Sangharakshita has been handing on most of his responsibilities to his senior disciples in the Order. Based at the Adhisthana retreat centre in Herefordshire UK, he is now focusing on personal contact with people. For more, go to www.sangharakshita.org.

A collection of 27 volumes will represent the definitive edition of his life’s work as a Buddhist writer and teacher. Find out more about The Complete Works of Sangharakshita

A series of talks by Sangharakshita: ‘Launch of The Essential Sangharakshita and Living Ethically’.

Reviews

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book about Nagarjuna's Precious Garland of Advice for a King. Living Ethically is the first book. So right there, if you're reading the second book, you're in pretty rarified air in terms of who's likely to read this book.

I find Sangharakshita's exegesis of ancient texts very helpful. He quotes some text, and then provides commentary. At times the text can be pretty obscure, but Sangharakshita is not. He provides a context. I am not aware of another commentary on Nagarjuna's Precious Garland, but I think it would be interesting to compare if another exists. Doing a google search, I found Thubten Chodron has some lectures transcribed on line. You can also find parts of the Dali Lama's commentary on line. There are also some talks by Geshe Norbu. So others commentary does exist. But I would start here. This is handy, deep and complete. If you have the other volume as well.

I know Windhorse books are expensive, but the money goes to support people in the spiritual life. If you work there, you get retreats paid for, and time off to take retreats. I am happy to support Windhorse.