The Moon of Wisdom: Chapter Six of Chandrakirti's Entering the Middle Way with Commentary from the Eighth Karmapa Mikyo Dorje's Kagyu Siddhas

by Candrakīrti, Mikyö Dorje, Ari Goldfield

Nagarjuna, in his seminal text, The Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way , summarized the vast teachings of the Buddha and used logical reasoning to prove the validity of his words. Entering the Middle Way is Chandrakirti's explanation of Nagarjuna's work. Its sixth chapter, which comprises the majority of the text, has four main an explanation of how in genuine reality phenomena do not truly arise; a refutation of the Mind-Only School's assertion that mind truly exists; a refutation of the true existence of the personal self; and an explanation of the sixteen emptinesses taught by the Buddha in the Transcendent Wisdom Sutras. The Moon of Wisdom is thus a book that explains the Buddha's ultimate teachings, how to gain confidence in them, and how to put them into practice in one's own life to the great benefit of oneself and others.

Genres: Buddhism

528 pages, Paperback

First published March 25, 2005

About the author

[A] khenpo of Nālandā Mahāvihāra and a disciple of Nāgārjuna and a commentator on his works and those of his main disciple, Āryadeva. Candrakīrti was the most famous member of what the Tibetans came to call the dbU-ma thal-'gyur, an approach to the interpretation of Madhyamaka philosophy sometimes back-translated into Sanskrit as Prāsaṅgika Madhyamaka or rendered in English as the "Consequentialist" or "Dialecticist" school.

(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chandrak...)

Reviews

[Blaine Snow · Rating 3 out of 5]

For Scholars Only - Hardly Useful Even for Educated Buddhists

This is a fine two-language translation of chapter six of Chandrakirti's text Entering the Middle Way together with a translation of the Eighth Karmapa's commentary called "Chariot of the Dagpo Kagyu Siddhas."

That said, it provides zero context for the educated Buddhist - no introduction, no background - just a two and a half pages of translator's preface that, frustratingly, never once mentions the Sanskrit name of the text that is being translated, only using the English name Entering the Middle Way (which, with some research and cross-referencing, one learns the Sanskrit title is Madhyamakavatara). Of course I'd heard of the Madhyamakavatara but Chandrakirti has several texts so it would have been helpful if the translators had used the Sanskrit name of the text somewhere in their otherwise fine book.

Wanting some background on the text, I wish I had instead purchased the Padmakara Translation Group's version Introduction to the Middle Way: Chandrakirti's Madhyamakavatara with Commentary by Ju Mipham which has an excellent introduction section which puts Chandrakirti and his very important text in historical and philosophical context.

I have hundreds of books on Buddhism and have been reading Buddhism for over 30 years but I don't read Tibetan and am still learning the intricacies of Madhyamaka history and philosophy. So, unless you're a student of Tibetan language studying graduate-level Buddhist philosophy, this is not a recommended volume.

[Timothy · Rating 5 out of 5]

I keep rereading it, because you will always pick up something "different," as your experience shifts. It is essential. A fun bonus is the Tibetan on the side. If you've learned Tibetan Grammar and know most basic Buddhist terms, you can easily keep up to date on your Tibetan just by reading and parsing the grammar on each left page.