Nagarjuna's Letter to a Friend

Wisconsin Bookwatch, March, 2006

Nagarjuna's Letter To A Friend

Nagarjuna

Kangyur Rinpoche, commentary

Snow Lion Publications

PO Box 6483, Ithaca, New York 14851

1559392274 $22.95 1-800-950-0313

Skillfully translated into English by Padmakara Translation Group, Nagarjuna's Letter To A Friend is an outline of the fundamental principles of Mahayana Buddhism as penned in the form of a poem by the Indian Buddhist master Nagarjuna (1st-2nd century A.D.) to a South Indian King. Now a classic of Indian Buddhist literature, Nagarjuna's Letter To A Friend has only 123 verses yet covers the whole of the Mahayana path, in which followers strive for Buddhahood for the sake of all beings, and offers a practical approach to daily conduct alongside a theological discussion of the different stages leading to enlightenment. Kangyur Rinpoche offers a commentary that sheds light on the more technical or mystifying aspects of Nagarjuna's poem, offering full explanations of difficult concepts. A structural outline and Tibetan line index allow reader to quickly locate quotes used in other Tibetan works; notes and a glossary round out this "must-read" text for serious-minded students and practitioners of Mahayana Buddhism.