A Reader's Guide to Madhyamaka A Reader's Guide to Madhyamaka (The Middle Way) Madhyamaka (Sanskrit) or Uma (Tibetan) is a system of Buddhist thought first articulated by the 2nd century Indian Buddhist master Nāgārjuna and elucidated further by subsequent Indian and Tibetan masters such as Chandrakirti, Shantideva, Aryadeva, Longchenpa, and Tsongkhapa, to name a few. The premise [...]

The Works of Karl Brunnhölzl: A Guide for Readers This guide for readers is dedicated to the works of author, translator, and teacher, Karl Brunnhölzl. Originally trained as a physician, Karl Brunnhölzl later studied Tibetan language and Buddhist philosophy at the Marpa Institute for Translators and later the Nitartha Institute. Since 1989 he has been [...]

Xuanzang Learn More A Reader's Guide to the great pilgrim of Buddhism See Also:  Profiles of early Indian Mahayana figures | Tibetan Masters of the 8th Century | Tibetan Masters of the 10th-11th Centuries The Works of the Chan and Zen Patriarchs | The Works of Zen in the Tang Dynasty  (618-907) The Works of Zen in the Song Dynasty (960 [...]

Thomas Cleary (1949—2021) was one of the twentieth century’s greatest translators of Asian classics. He was extremely prolific, translating and authoring countless works. Shambhala Publications has published over sixty. His books have sold millions of copies and his translations have in turn been translated into over twenty languages worldwide. His first published project, in collaboration [...]

Patrul Rinpoche See Our Reader's Guide Patrul Rinpoche (1808–1887) was one of the greatest Tibetan teachers of the nineteenth century. Famous for his precise and direct style, he shunned high monastic office and lived the life of a homeless wanderer, writing his book in a rustic hermitage under an overhanging rock. Praise to Patrul Rinpoche [...]

Buddha Nature Read More In the eleventh century, the great Tibetan scholar-practitioner Gampopa (1079–1153) began his composition known as The Jewel Ornament of Liberation with an exposition on the cause for awakening. What is the cause for awakening? In the Vajrayana and third turning traditions of Buddhism it is buddha nature. Buddha nature is our [...]

The Six Paramitas Learn More The Six Paramitas, or "Perfections," are a fundamental set of teachings for Mahayahana Buddhism Statue of Bodhisattva Guan Yin (Avalokiteshvara) The six paramitas, or transcendent perfections, are an essential concept in the practice of Mahayana Buddhism. They are so fundamental in fact that the “Vehicle of the Perfections” is a [...]

The Heart Sutra: A Reader's Guide     This is part of a series of articles on the arc of Zen thought, practice, and history, as presented in The Circle of the Way: A Concise History of Zen from the Buddha to the Modern World.  You can start at the beginning of this series or [...]

Khenpo Shenga (1871–1927) There are thirteen classics of Indian Mahayana philosophy, still used in Tibetan centers of education throughout Asia and beyond, particularly the Nyngma tradition, with overlap with the others.  They cover the subjects of vinaya, abhidharma, Yogacara, Madhyamika, and the path of the Bodhisattva.  They are some of the most frequently quoted texts [...]