Nagarjuna: The Founder of Madhyamaka
A thangka of Nagarjuna with Manjushri (top right) and Dorje Shugden (bottom right). Click to enlarge or click here for more high resolution Buddha images.
Arya Nagarjuna was a famous Mahasiddha, Buddhist philosopher, and alchemist who was born 400 years after Buddha Shakyamuni’s parinirvana.
He is known for establishing the Middle Path (Madhyamaka) Buddhist tradition, making gold to fulfil the needs of the Sangha, and retrieving the Prajnaparamita Sutra from the Naga realm.
Nagarjuna is considered the first of “The Six Scholarly Ornaments” of Buddhist India.
The other five include the famous scholars Aryadeva, Asanga, Vasubandhu, Dignaga, and Dharmakirti.
According to H.H. Pabongka Rinpoche:
“In ancient times, great adepts like Nagarjuna seemed to normal appearances to be ordinary monks, but in truth they were real Buddhas.”
Source: Pabongka Rinpoche. Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 2006, p. 249.
Prophecy of Nagarjuna’s Birth
Before Buddha Shakyamuni entered parinirvana, he foretold the appearance of Nagarjuna. This prediction is recorded in various sutras such as the Mahabheri, Mahamegha, Lankavatara, and Manjusrimulakalpa.
“A most famous and glorious monk,
Born in the land of Bhaita in the south,
Who will be named Naga,
Will destroy nihilism and substantialism.”Source: Pabongka Rinpoche. Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand. Boston: Wisdom Publications, 2006, p. 623.
Buddha Shakyamuni’s prediction is also recorded in the Great Cloud Sutra of Twelve Thousand Stanzas:
“Ananda, four hundred years after I [Shakyamuni Buddha] pass away, this Licchavi youth Liked-when-Seen-by-All-the-World will become a monk known as Naga and will extend my teaching widely [in the world]. Finally, in the land known as Very Pure Light he will become a One Gone Thus, a Foe Destroyer, a completely perfect Buddha named Light-Which-Is-A-Source of all Wisdom.”
Source: Jeffrey Hopkins (trans. & ed.). Nagarjuna’s Precious Garland. Ithaca: Snow Lion Publications, 1998, 2007, p. 18.
The Manjushri Root Tantra states:
“When four hundred years have passed
After I, the One Gone Thus, have passed away,
A monk called Naga will arise.
Faithful in and helpful to the teaching,
He will attain the Very Joyful ground,
Living for six hundred years,
That great being will also achieve
The knowledge[-mantra] of Mahamayuri
He will know the meaning of various treatises
And the meaning of no inherent existence
When he leaves that body,
He will be born in the [Pure Land of] Bliss.
Finally he will just definitely attain
Thoroughly the state of Buddhahood.”Source: Jeffrey Hopkins (trans. & ed.). Nagarjuna’s Precious Garland. Ithaca: Snow Lion Publications, 1998, 2007, p. 13.
The monk called Naga in the prediction is considered to be Nagarjuna. The prophecy also mentions that Nagarjuna would live for 600 years, and master various Buddhist treatises and the meaning of emptiness (sunyata).
Buddha Shakyamuni (left) and Manjushri (right)
Early Life
Nagarjuna’s actual date of birth is unknown. However, most historians believe that he was born between the middle of the first century and early second century.
According to folklore, there was a wealthy Brahmin in Vidarbha, an ancient Indian kingdom located in present-day Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra, who was married and had no sons. One day, the Brahmin dreamt that a son would be born to his family if he paid homage to one hundred other Brahmins. The Brahmin did just that and, soon, his wife gave birth to a son. The boy grew up to become the famed Buddhist philosopher, Nagarjuna. Many centuries later, the Andhra Pradesh government commemorated the birth of Nagarjuna by naming a dam, the Nagarjuna Sagar, on the River Krishna, after him.
The ancient ruins in Vidarbha
The Nagarjuna Sagar Dam
After his birth, a soothsayer said that Nagarjuna was endowed with the signs of exceptional qualities. However, he would only live for seven days. His parents were told that offerings of food to a hundred monks would help their son live for seven more years. Their love for their son compelled them to make the offerings and the boy lived and thrived.
Saraha, the powerful Indian Mahasiddha and arrow-maker. Click to enlarge or click here for more high resolution Buddha images.
As the end of the seven years drew closer, Nagarjuna’s parents decided that their son’s life could be saved by sending him to the famous Nalanda Monastery in present-day Bihar. It is said that during the journey to Nalanda, the boy experienced a vision of Arya Lokeshvara.
It was around this time that Nagarjuna met Saraha, the powerful Indian Mahasiddha and arrow-maker who would later become his teacher. Saraha told Nagarjuna that he could avoid death by becoming a Buddhist monk. Nagarjuna also received the Amitayus initiation to prolong his life, which he practised diligently.
On the last night of his seventh year, Nagarjuna became free from the fear of death. He went on to Nalanda Monastic University and received his initial ordination vows. He was given the ordination name of Shrimanta.
VIDEO: Nalanda Monastery
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Attraction to Buddhism
Click to enlarge or click here for more high resolution Buddha images.
There is another legend about how Nagarjuna became interested in Buddhism and entered Nalanda Monastery. As a young man, Nagarjuna and three other friends received the secret knowledge of invisibility from a sorcerer. The boys used this ability mischievously by stealing into the king’s palace with the intention of seducing the beautiful women at court. The plan ended in disaster when royal guards discovered their footprints and killed three of the boys. Nagarjuna was the only one to escape alive.
The death of his friends prompted a disillusioned Nagarjuna to go on a spiritual quest that eventually led him to Nalanda Monastery. There, he furthered his studies in Buddhism and was ordained as a monk.
Study at Nalanda Monastery
At Nalanda, Nagarjuna thrived in his studies. Within a relatively short period, he became proficient in the Hinayana and Mahayana sutras. He also received the teachings of secret mantrayana such as Guhyasamaja. After mastering all of these teachings, Nagarjuna took a break to visit his parents. Upon his return to Nalanda, Nagarjuna received his full ordination.
The ruins of Nalanda Monastery in North India. Hundreds of thousands of visitors per year visit this sacred site. It is a must visit holy place.
Nagarjuna the Alchemist
Once, a terrible famine struck the land of Magadha where Nalanda Monastery was located. Saraha told Nagarjuna to find a way to help the Nalanda monks.
Nagarjuna decided to learn how to turn iron into gold from a famous alchemist who lived on a faraway island across the ocean. He empowered two sandalwood leaves with appropriate mantras so they could transport him to the distant land. He concealed one of the leaves inside the sole of his sandal and used the other to travel to the alchemist’s island.
Raw gold stones
The famed alchemist was astonished that Nagarjuna was able to travel across the ocean so quickly. He agreed to teach Nagarjuna in exchange for the secret of Nagarjuna’s transportation.
Alchemist: “Let us exchange either our crafts or our wealth.”
Nagarjuna: “We should exchange our crafts.”Source: rinpoche.com
Nagarjuna gave the alchemist the mantra-empowered sandalwood leaf that he held in his hand. Thinking that Nagarjuna had surrendered his only means of transportation and would not be able to leave the island, the alchemist thought it was safe to teach Nagarjuna the secret of alchemy. However, once he received the knowledge, Nagarjuna used the sandalwood leaf that he had hidden in his sandal to return home and fulfil his teacher’s instruction to provide for the Sangha of Nalanda.
Sandalwood leaves
Contribution to Medicine
Nagarjuna was a skilled physician. He was especially proficient in Ayurveda, the Indian traditional medicine system, and Rasayana, the knowledge of using chemistry for medicines. Nagarjuna was credited for giving the explanations in the Sushruta Samhita, an ancient Sanskrit text on surgery and medicine, and had also written about various medicinal subjects such as Rasaratanakara. Modern Ayurveda practitioners still study his writings on medicinal herbs and chemistry.
Sushruta Samhita, an ancient Sanskrit text on surgery and medicine, crafted in palm leaves.
The Abbot of Nalanda University
His excellent knowledge, exemplary conduct, and contributions to the monastic community made Nagarjuna a respected and well-loved member of Nalanda. When he became its Abbot, he continued to make a name for himself by upholding the discipline, composing essential texts and commentaries, and defeating various non-Buddhist scholars. During his tenure as Abbot, Nagarjuna expelled 8,000 morally corrupt monks who did not observe the Vinaya rules.
Nagarjuna was a famous teacher of the Mahayana and was known as Acharya (instructor in religious matters). His teachings and writings on sunyata (emptiness) and other Buddhist topics are still considered as authoritative guides for many Buddhist practitioners and monasteries. He also defeated 500 non-Buddhists in debates on the validity of the Madhyamaka view and convinced them to convert to the practice of Buddhism.
Encounter with the Naga King
One day, two youthful men came to Nalanda to learn Dharma from Nagarjuna. When they arrived, the entire room was filled with the strong scent of sandalwood. When Nagarjuna asked them who they were, the men responded that they were the sons of Taksaka, the Naga king. At the time, Nagarjuna had a plan to build a temple for Tara, so he asked them to help build the temple and supply him with sandalwood for an image of Tara. The two men returned to their realm, Nagaloka, to seek permission from their father who agreed to help if Nagarjuna came to their realm to teach the Dharma.
In Nagaloka, Nagarjuna made many offerings and taught the Dharma to the Nagas. The Naga king was delighted and offered sandalwood to create the image of Tara and Naga clay for the temple’s construction. Nagarjuna used the clay to build many temples and stupas. According to the Rangjung Yeshe Glossary, Nagarjuna built 108 stupas as well as a stone wall to protect the Bodhi tree in Bodhgaya.
Depictions of Nagas crafted on stone slabs
When it was time for Nagarjuna to return, the Naga king offered him the Prajnaparamita Sutra (the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra) that was entrusted to them by Ananda, one of Buddha Shakyamuni’s close disciples. After Buddha Shakyamuni taught the Prajnaparamita, the Nagas, the Yakshas, and the gods kept a copy of the teaching. It is said that the Nagas kept the last two chapters of the Prajnaparamita Sutra in their possession to ensure that Nagarjuna would return to their realm and teach them again.
A Naga is a serpent being who belongs to both the animal and god realms. They live in water and often guard precious treasures. Some of them can transform themselves into human form.
Return to Nalanda Monastery
Nagarjuna’s influence grew at a stupendous rate upon his return to Nalanda. His experience with the Nagas and his mastery and speed in spreading the Mahayana teachings earned him the name of “Nagarjuna.” “Naga” represents his encounter with the Nagas and “arjuna” represents his mastery and speed in spreading the Dharma like Arjuna’s mastery of archery.
There is a story about Nagarjuna teaching the Prajnaparamita Sutra on a hot day. Six of his Naga disciples came and formed a parasol to protect him from the sun. This event is depicted in many of Nagarjuna’s iconography.
Nagarjuna explained both the abstract and the mundane aspects of the Buddha’s teachings:
“Whoever is born has to die; whoever are together have to separate; whatever is saved has to be used; whatever is created is impermanent. So do not be upset over these laws of nature.”
Source: chinabuddhismencyclopedia.com
Nagarjuna is also known to have warned against future misrepresentation of the Buddha’s teachings:
“The Conqueror (Buddha) taught openness (sunyata: emptiness) as the refutation of all (any) views. But those who hold openness as a view are called irremediable.”
Source: khandro.net
“Openness (sunyata) wrongly conceived destroys the dimly witted. It is like a snake grasped by the head, or a garbled incantation.”
Source: khandro.net
Nagarjuna in South India
Nagarjuna once came across a group of children on his way to the Northern Island to propagate the Dharma. He met a child named Jetaka playing with his friends on the road. Through his clairvoyance, he predicted that Jetaka would become the ruler of a vast kingdom in South India.
When his tenure as Abbot of Nalanda ended, Arya Tara advised Nagarjuna to return to South India where he saw that his prediction had come true. Jetaka had become King Udayibhadra.
Nagarjuna spent three years with King Udayibhadra. He taught the king Dharma and advised him on policy-making, how to apply considerate treatment to his subjects, especially those who were less fortunate, the objectives of punishment for grievous crimes, and other matters. It was around this time that Nagarjuna wrote “Precious Garland” (Ratnavali) and “A Letter to a Good Friend” (Suhrllekha) which contain the compilation of his advice to King Udayibhadra. Both remain popular to this day as their contents are still considered practical and relevant.
Modern scholars often identify King Udayibhadra with either King Gautamiputra Shatakarni (r. 106 – 130 CE) or his successor, King Vashishtiputra Pulumayi (r. 130 – 158 CE). Both kings belonged to the Shatavahana Dynasty (230 BCE – 199 CE).
Nagarjuna spent his remaining years in the practice of meditation at Shri Parvata, a holy mountain near present-day Nagarjunakonda. According to Xuanzang, the legendary monk who travelled to India to bring Buddhist scriptures back to China, King Udayibhadra built a magnificent monastery for Nagarjuna at Shri Parvata.
Xuanzang, the legendary monk who travelled to India to bring Buddhist scriptures back to China
It is said that Nagarjuna had an enormous impact on the minds of others. Once, he found a thief in his hut. Instead of forcing the thief out or reporting him to the authorities, Nagarjuna offered him a precious bowl that he had received from a king. The thief returned the next day with the bowl. He thanked Nagarjuna for making him realise that his mind was as empty as the bowl he had taken from Nagarjuna. The experience encouraged the thief to be ordained as a monk.
VIDEO: Nagarjunakonda
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Writings
Nagarjuna wrote extensively on various Buddhist topics and revealed the real meaning of the Buddhist doctrine. He wrote from the perspective of a Buddhist monk and a proponent of the Mahayana (Greater Vehicle) School. Nagarjuna used sound reasoning to eliminate wrong views. He also composed praises to the Buddha and wrote about ethical practice from the point of view of Buddhist philosophy.
His most important work, Mulamadhyamakakarika, contains his analysis of the concept of sunyata (emptiness), and examines the concept of dependent origination (pratiyasamutpada). Nagarjuna also provided an extensive explanation that nothing is independent or has inherent existence or independent reality (svabhava).
Nagarjuna is also closely associated with the Prajnaparamita, the Buddha’s teachings that he retrieved from the Nagas. He also compiled passages of 68 sutras into the Compendium of Sutras (Sutrasamuccaya). Aside from his teaching of logical reasoning and writing of scholarly treatises, Nagarjuna is also known for encouraging the practice of compassion. In the Sattvaradhana Stava, Nagarjuna explained:
“…how worshipping and taking care of all sentient beings is the highest and the only authentic way to worship or follow the Buddhas.”
Source: wayofbodhi.org
Other works attributed to or associated with Nagarjuna:
- Vyavaharasiddhi (Proof of Convention)
- Vigrahavyavartani (The End of Disputes)
- Yuktisastika (Sixty Verses on Reasoning)
- Ratnavali (Precious Garland)
- Pratityasamutpadahrdayakarika (Constituents of Dependent Arising)
- Suhrllekha (Letter to a Good Friend)
- Bodhicittavivarana (Exposition of the Enlightened Mind)
- Sunyatasaptati (Seventy Verses on Emptiness)
- Vaidalyaprakarana (Pulverising the Categories)
- Catuhstava (Hymn to the Absolute Reality)
- Bodhisambhara (Requisites of Enlightenment)
The Prajnaparamita Sutra crafted on palm leaves
Nagarjuna’s Lifespan
Many modern historians could not make sense of Nagarjuna’s 600-year lifespan. There are wide disagreements about his age. There are also various assumptions that Nagarjuna’s ventures in various parts of India were actually performed by different persons with the same name. For example, there is a claim that Nagarjuna the Abbot of Nalanda is not the same person as Nagarjuna the famous alchemist. However, most Buddhists believe that Nagarjuna lived for 600 years.
Nagarjuna’s Passing
There are several legends about Nagarjuna’s death. According to the translation by Kumarajiva, the famous translator from Kucha, Nagarjuna spent his last days in a room which was later found empty. It is believed that Nagarjuna had successfully dissolved his mind and body into the Dharmadhatu (the realm of truth).
Kumarajiva the famous translator from Kucha
According to another legend, Nagarjuna spent the last years of his life at Shri Parvarta. His opponents tried many ways to kill him but never succeeded because Nagarjuna had gained the knowledge of immortality.
Nagarjuna’s patron, King Udayibhadra, had a son named Kumara Shaktiman who wished to become king. However, his mother informed him that as long as Nagarjuna lived, Kumara Shaktiman would never inherit the throne because his father would live as long as Nagarjuna. Kumara’s mother told him, “Nagarjuna is a Bodhisattva. If you ask him for his head, he will give it to you.” [rinpoche.com]
Kumara visited Nagarjuna and requested his head. When Nagarjuna agreed, Kumara tried to behead him with his sword but failed.
Seeing Kumara’s desperation, Nagarjuna finally revealed the secret to his death. He told Kumara what happened in one of his previous lives: “Once when I was cutting kusha grass, I cut off the head of an insect. The karmic consequences of this act can still affect me and you can easily kill me with a blade of kusha grass.” [rinpoche.com]
Kumara did just that and severed Nagarjuna’s head from his body. His blood turned into milk, and the severed head spoke to Kumara, “Now I will go to Sukhavati Pure Land, but I will enter this body again.” [lodrodawa.dk]
Upon hearing the words from the severed head, Kumara took Nagarjuna’s head as far away as possible from his body. It is said that the head and the body are coming closer every year and when they finally reunite, Nagarjuna will return and propagate the Dharma once again.
Legacy
Nagarjuna’s spiritual sons, Nagabodhi, Aryadeva, and Shakyamitra, continued his teaching tradition after his death. Among these spiritual sons, Aryadeva is the most well-known and considered the second of the “Six Scholarly Ornaments.”
“The phenomena that appear to the mental consciousness, the chief of them all,
Are conceptualised and then superimposed.
When this activity is abandoned, phenomena’s lack of self-essence is known.
Knowing this, meditate on the Dharmadhatu.”Source: rinpoche.com
Aryadeva (left) and Nagabodhi (right)
Recommended Reading (Free Download)
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Videos Teachings on Nagarjuna
The Dalai Lama Teaching Nagarjuna’s Bodhichittavivarana
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https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/Naga003TheDalaiLamaTeachingNagarjunaBodhichittavivarana.mp4
The Fundamental Treatise of the Middle Way
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https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/Naga004-FundamentalTreatiseOfTheMiddleWay.mp4
Nagarjuna’s Precious Garland of the Middle Way
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https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/Naga005-PreciousGarland.mp4
Vice and Virtue in Nagarjuna’s Letter to a Friend
Or view the video on the server at:
https://video.tsemtulku.com/videos/Naga006-ViceAndVirtueInNagarjunaLetterToAFriend.mp4
Image Gallery
Sources:
- Nagarjuna. ‘Nagarjuna’s Precious Garland’. New York, NY. Snow Lion Publications, 26 January 2007
- Rinpoche, Pabongka. ‘Liberation in the Palm of Your Hand’. 2nd edition. Somerville, MA. Wisdom Publications, 3 November 2006.
- ‘Nagarjuna’. Wikipedia: The Free Encyclopedia. 1 August 2018. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nagarjuna (accessed 1 August 2018)
- Lopez, Donald S. ‘Nagarjuna: Buddhist Philosopher’. Encyclopaedia Britannica. 23 August 2017. https://www.britannica.com/biography/Nagarjuna (accessed 28 July 2018)
- ‘Nagarjuna’. khandro.net. http://www.khandro.net/buddhism_doctrine_Nagarjuna.htm (accessed 28 July 2018)
- Mabbett, Ian. ‘The Problem of the Historical Nagarjuna Revisited’. The Journal of the American Oriental Society. July 1998. http://ccbs.ntu.edu.tw/FULLTEXT/JR-EPT/ian.htm (accessed 28 July 2018)
- Hollmann, Gaby. ‘A Few Quotations on the Life of Nagarjuna, Lhudrub Nyingpo’. rinpoche.com. May 2006. http://www.rinpoche.com/stories/nagarjunalife.htm (accessed 28 July 2018)
- Berzin, Alexander, and Ricard, Mathieu. ‘Biography of Nagarjuna’. lodrodawa.dk. February 2006. http://www.lodrodawa.dk/ancient_masters/nagarjuna.html (accessed 28 July 2018)
- ‘Acharya Nagarjuna’. chinabuddhismencyclopedia.com. http://www.chinabuddhismencyclopedia.com/en/index.php?title=Acharya_Nagarjuna (accessed 28 July 2018)
- Vasilief. ‘Biographies of Aśvagosha, Nâgarjuṇa, Âryadeva, and Vasubandhu’. The Indian Antiquary: A Journal of Oriental Research in Archaeology, History, Literature, Languages, Philosophy, Religion, Folklore, &c., &c., &c, November 2002. http://www.sacred-texts.com/journals/ia/banav.htm (accessed 28 July 2018)
- Kaur, Ramandeep. ‘Who is Acharya Nagarjuna?’. mapsofindia.com. 16 January 2014. https://www.mapsofindia.com/my-india/history/who-is-acharya-nagarjuna (accessed 28 July 2018)
- ‘Sage Nagarjuna’. nagarjunaayurveda.com. https://www.nagarjunaayurveda.com/nagarjuna-group-sagenagarjuna/ (accessed 28 July 2018)
- ‘Acharya Nagarjuna – the Second Buddha’. wayofbodhi.org. https://www.wayofbodhi.org/acharya-nagarjuna-second-buddha/ (accessed 28 July 2018)
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Nagarjuna name is very powerful sounding, he is one of the lineage lamas on our Guru Tree, the next in line after Manjushri, indicating that is he indeed a Buddha.
In one version, Nagarjuna is also one of the two supremes alongside Asanga. Nagrajuna is the proponent and founder of the Profound View. He is also indicated to be next in line after Manjushri in the Guru Tree.
I always thought that Nagarjuna is very outstanding as the thangka always depicted him with few Nagas stay on top of his head giving protection, this makes him standout more among other deities. I like the story where Nagarjuna has went to the Naga’s realm giving teaching, and in exchange, the Naga King has offered the Prajnaparamita Sutra to Nagarjuna, this shows that the Nagas respect the dharma very much, and became the one of the main custodian. Stories like this alway fascinate me cause it opens our mind to places we cant see. By reading stories like this, we get some knowledge and understanding of how these master has benefited many others.
By reading this article, to me Nagarjuna is full of mysteries. He learned a lot of Dharma knowledge and very related to Naga realm. I always remember the story of how Nagarjuna’s death. Is a reminder to me that, if I have the karma to experience I will need to experience it. Like Nagarjuna, to kill him is by using Kusha grass because of he accidentally killed an insect by Kusha Grass.
From this article, I learned that our Prajnaparamita Sutra (the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra) came from Naga Realm.
I had always found Nagarjuna to be such an interesting figure in Buddhism as his stories are so magical. Going to the realm of Nagas and teaching them. It really also tell of how pure the minds were back then that the worlds interact and people are more focused on the practices with attainments more achievable. Now we are so obscured by our delusions and wants, that we find it so difficult to focus solely on our practices. Therefore reading inspiring stories of great Masters or Gurus serve to inspire us of our potential and the possibility to attain higher realizations. Thank you Rinpoche for these articles that inspire us and make us wish for more and practice to reach there.
Nagarjuna, the founder of the Madhyamaka system, was prophesied by the Buddha in many Sutras and Tantras. He was invited by the naga king to the land of naga to teach dharma. When it was time for him to return, Naga King offered him the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra in One Hundred Thousand Lines( Prajnaparamita Sutra). This Sutra was entrusted to the Nagas by Ananda, one of Buddha Shakyamuni’s close disciples. After having this sacred text, Nagarjuna spent the rest of his life studied, commented extensively and this became the Madhyamaka traditions that spread throughout India.
The iconography of Nagarjuna is often depicted seated in meditation beneath a protective canopy of 6 nagas, the serpents which associated with awakened wisdom. It is said that during Nagarjuna’s teachings on the Perfection of Wisdom Sutra, six nagas appeared behind him and formed a parasol over his head to shield him from the sun. This image became popularized in Nagarjuna’s statues and thangkas.
Among Nagarjuna’s spiritual sons, Aryadeva is the most well-known. When Nagarjuna was older, he actually met his foremost disciple, Chandrakirti who became a great scholar and was highly attained. He developed the Prasangika tradition based on Nagarjuna’s Madhyamaka teachings.
There were once Lama Tsongkhapa seeks advice from Manjushri in pure vision, whether he can rely on Chandrakirti commentaries in order to grasp Nagarjuna’s view. Manjushri replied that the purpose of Chandrakirti here was to clarify Nagarjuna’s excellent view of Emptiness. Later, Lama Tsongkhapa gained the complete realization of Emptiness. He infused his own writings and teachings with his realizations through these great masters who were the students of Nagarjuna. These teachings are so precious where Dorje Shugden arose as uncommon dharma protector, to protect the Nagarjuna’s Middle View as taught clearly by Lama Tsongkhpa. Dorje Shugden’s round yellow hat is representing Nagrajuna’s view that he promised to safeguard.
Nāgārjuna’s influence on the development of Buddhism and spreading the Dharma has been deeply influential, yet surprisingly we know very little about his life. His best-known work was the Mūlamadhyamakakārikā. It is “not only a grand commentary on the Buddha’s discourse to Kaccayana,[ the only discourse cited by name, but also a detailed and careful analysis of most of the important discourses included in the Nikayas and the Agamas, especially those of the Atthakavagga of the Sutta-nipata. Nāgārjuna is credited with developing the philosophy of the Prajñāpāramitā sūtras and, in some sources, with having revealed these scriptures in the world, having recovered them from the nāgas. He also was the one who brought prayer wheels back from their land. We owe him a debt of gratitude for all this, as so many beings have been helped by his kindness.
I’ve enjoyed reading about him and his past lives. My favourite work of his would be the Mūlamadhyamaka-kārikā (Fundamental Verses of the Middle Way).
Nice and interesting story about Nagarjuna and his miracles .I enjoyed reading this article very much. Now I know how Nagarjunaa got his name. I used to think Nagarjuna and Naga king are the same person.??. Intereresting videos included as well. Thank you Rinpoche and bog team for this wonderful write up!????