Ocean of Reasoning A Great Commentary on Nagarjuna's Mulamadhyamakakarika

by Tsong khapa; Samten, Ngawang; Garfield, Jay L.

• ISBN13: 9780195147322
• ISBN10: 0195147324
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2006-04-20
• Publisher: Oxford University Press

Summary

Tsong kha pa (14th-century) is arguably the most important and influential philosopher in Tibetan history. An Ocean of Reasoning is the most extensive and perhaps the deepest extant commentary on Nagarjuna's Mulamadhyamakakarika (Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way ), and it can be argued that it is impossible to discuss Nagarjuna's work in an informed way without consulting it. It discusses alternative readings of the text and prior commentaries and provides a detailed exegesis, constituting a systematic presentation of Madhyamaka Buddhist philosophy. Despite its central importance, however, of Tsong kha pa's three most important texts, only An Ocean of Reasoning remains untranslated, perhaps because it is both philosophically and linguistically challenging, demanding a rare combination of abilities on the part of a translator. Jay Garfield and Ngawang Samten bring the requisite skills to this difficult task, combining between them expertise in Western and Indian philosophy, and fluency in Tibetan, Sanskrit, and English. The resulting translation of this important text will not only be a landmark contribution to the scholarship of Indian and Tibetan Buddhism, but will serve as a valuable companion volume to Jay Garfield's highly successful translation of The Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way .

Table of Contents

Translators' Introduction	ix
The Life and Works of Tsong khapa	ix
The Text and Its Structure	xii
Methodology	xiv
The Root Text and Its Translation	xix
Acknowledgments	xxii
Tsong khapa's General Outline of the Text	3	(4)
The Text	7	(562)
Preliminary Explanations	9	(12)
Homage Verses	21	(24)
Examination of Conditions	45	(56)
Examination of Motion	101	(26)
Examination of the Senses	127	(16)
Examination of the Aggregates	143	(8)
Examination of the Elements	151	(12)
Examination of Desire and the Desirous One	163	(12)
Examination of Arising, Enduring, and Ceasing	175	(46)
Examination of the Agent and Action	221	(14)
Examination of the Prior Entity	235	(14)
Examination of Fire and Fuel	249	(16)
Examination of the Beginning and End	265	(14)
Examination of Suffering	279	(10)
Examination of Compounded Phenomena	289	(14)
Examination of Contact	303	(10)
Examination of Essence	313	(16)
Examination of Bondage	329	(16)
Examination of Action	345	(24)
Examination of the Self and Phenomena	369	(24)
Examination of Time	393	(12)
Examination of Assemblage	405	(16)
Examination of Becoming and Destruction	421	(18)
Examination of the Tathagata	439	(14)
Examination of Errors	453	(16)
Examination of the Four Noble Truths	469	(46)
Examination of Nirvana	515	(20)
Examination of the Twelve Links of Dependent Origination	535	(8)
Examination of Views	543	(26)
Prostration to the Teacher in Gratitude for His Kindness in Teaching	563	(2)
Afterword	565	(4)
Appendices	569	(18)
Appendix I: Tibetan-English Glossary	569	(6)
Appendix II: English-Tibetan Glossary	575	(8)
Appendix III: English Translations of Works of Tsong khapa	583	(2)
Appendix IV: Selected Bibliography of Works in English on Tsong khapa	585	(2)
Bibliography	587	(6)
Index of Quotations and Citations	593	(4)
General Index	597