Overview

Discover the eloquence and insight of the philosopher Nagarjuna, held by tradition to be a second Buddha, in this concise instruction for a king that is considered a masterpiece of Buddhist literature. In this profound work of five hundred verses, we encounter a presentation of Buddhism that integrates both the worldly and the transcendent. The clear and sagacious advice laid out on every page serves as a road map to one's highest goal--whether that goal is a better life, here called the Dharma of ascendance, or the ultimate one of spiritual freedom, the Dharma of the highest good. The verses, written for an unnamed ruler, touch on questions of statecraft, but their broader themes speak to us today because they tackle the difficulty of integrating one's spiritual journey with the social and political demands of daily life. Nagarjuna was an Indian Buddhist teacher, probably of the second century CE, who was renowned for his astute articulation of the philosophy of the Middle Way (Madhyamaka). His thoroughgoing critique of all forms of essentialism became a touchstone for Mahayana Buddhism in India, Tibet, and throughout East Asia, and his importance for the development of the Mahayana tradition can scarcely be exaggerated. The translators here first rendered Nagarjuna's letter for the Dalai Lama's teachings on the work in Los Angeles in 1997. While that commemorative edition was translated from the Tibetan, the present volume prioritizes the surviving Sanskrit verses along with the only known Indian commentary, by the eleventh-century scholar Ajitamitra. This is the first complete translation in English of the Precious Garland that takes the Indian text and commentary as its primary authorities. In addition, the translators provide rigorous working editions of the Sanskrit and Tibetan verses they translate. This elegant and precise rendering of Nagarjuna's work is certain to become the touchstone translation of this celebrated Buddhist text.

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9781614298465

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Reviews

"""In addition to the beautiful and philosophically precise translation of the original text, McClintock and Dunne also masterfully introduce the modern reader to the structure of this ancient text and the complex philosophical arguments it makes, managing to convey at times highly specialized discussions in engaging and effortless prose. They also helpfully include both the Sanskrit and Tibetan working editions of the text. I highly recommend this translation to anyone interested in the history, philosophy, or literature of South Asian Buddhism.""--Emily McRae, Department of Philosophy, University of New Mexico ""With their masterful translation and brilliant commentary, addressed both to academic scholars and Dharma students, McClintock and Dunne guide us through Nagarjuna's exploration of the bodhisattva's life amid the complexities of our social and political worlds, inviting us to engage deeply with his poetic integration of emptiness and compassion.""--William Edelglass, director of studies, Barre Center for Buddhist Studies ""A sensitive and erudite study and translation of Nagarjuna's unique, Mahayana Buddhist philosophical approach to ethics and politics, which urges kings (and by extension those of us with kingly resources) to pursue a profoundly coordinated practice of compassion and wisdom.""--Jonathan C. Gold, author of Paving the Great Way: Vasubandhu's Unifying Buddhist Philosophy ""If it's true, as Nagarjuna says, that 'rare are those who speak well' and 'rarer those who listen, ' I am moved to consider how rare it is to hear an ancient Buddhist voice sound as vital, as urgent, and as transformatively present in English as Nagarjuna's does here. Sara McClintock and John Dunne have given us an unsurpassable gift--the opportunity to really listen to something truly worth hearing.""--Sonam Kachru, author of Other Lives: Mind and World in Indian Buddhism ""Nagarjuna's Ratnavali, the greatest Buddhist treatise on statecraft, is also a brilliant exposition of the deep connections between emptiness and ethical practice. McClintock and Dunne have given us a gem in this precise and readable translation adorned with helpful notes and scholarly apparatus. This will be the standard edition of this text for scholars, practitioners, and kings for a long time to come.""--Jay Garfield, author of Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way: Nagarjuna's Mulamadhyamakakarika ""The translation of the Ratnavali from the Sanskrit is reliable, readable, and clear. The introduction tells the reader what they need to know and a lot more. This is a major contribution to Madhyamaka studies and work of lasting value.""--Tom Tillemans, professor emeritus, University of Lausanne, and author of How Do Madhyamikas Think? ""This book is a must for everyone who is interested in understanding how one of the greatest Buddhist masters envisions the integration of wisdom, compassion, and ethical action.""--Thupten Jinpa, author of Tsongkhapa: A Buddha in the Land of Snows ""This new translation of Nagarjuna's Precious Garland is a wonderful book, with not only a new English translation but also comprehensive research on the text and the biography of the most celebrated Buddhist master Nagarjuna that is insightful, leaving no aspect uncovered, and is certain to benefit readers and researchers. Since the treatise's rich content addresses areas like spirituality, philosophy, and social and political governance, this book is particularly pertinent to society today.""--Geshe Ngawang Samten, former vice chancellor, Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, Sarnath ""With a thorough introduction covering the scholarship on Nagarjuna and the Ratnavali, McClintock and Dunne are to be commended on a very clear, precise, and jargon-free translation of the Ratnavali from Tibetan and Sanskrit. Making this work more accessible will hopefully bring more attention to what may be Nagarjuna's best work.""--Joseph Walser, author of Nagarjuna in Context: Mahayana Buddhism and Early Indian Culture"

Author Information

John D. Dunne serves on the faculty of the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he holds the Distinguished Chair in Contemplative Humanities at the Center for Healthy Minds. He is also chair of the Department of Asian Languages & Cultures. His work focuses on Buddhist philosophy and contemplative practice, especially in dialog with Cognitive Science and Psychology. His more than fifty publications appear in venues ranging across both the Humanities and the Sciences, including Foundations of Dharmakirti's Philosophy (2004) and Science and Philosophy in the Indian Buddhist Classics: The Mind (2020). John Dunne speaks in both academic and public contexts, and he occasionally teaches for Buddhist communities. His broader engagements include being a Fellow of the Mind and Life Institute, where he was previously a member of the board of directors, and serving as an academic advisor to the Rangjung Yeshe Institute in Kathmandu, Nepal. Sara L. McClintock is an assistant professor of religion at Emory University, where she teaches undergraduate and graduate courses in Indian and Tibetan Buddhism. She obtained her bachelor's degree in fine arts from Bryn Mawr College, her master's in world religions from Harvard Divinity School, and her doctorate in religion from Harvard University. She has spent time as a researcher at the Central Institute for Higher Tibetan Studies in Sarnath and the University of Lausanne, and has taught at Carleton College and the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Her interests include both narrative and philosophical traditions in South Asian Buddhism, with particular focus on issues of metaphysics, hermeneutics, and rhetoric.

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