Nagarjuna
Ārya Nāgārjuna
c. 150-250 • Indian
Buddhism
2nd-century Indian Buddhist philosopher, founder of the Madhyamaka ('Middle Way') school. His Mūlamadhyamakakārikā develops the doctrine of śūnyatā (emptiness) — that no phenomenon possesses inherent existence — through razor-sharp dialectical analysis.
Key Works
- Mūlamadhyamakakārikā
- Letter to a Friend
- Precious Garland
111
quotes in library
Quotes by Nagarjuna
111 quotes“That, being a dependent designation, is itself the middle way.”
middle-wayMulamadhyamakakarika 24.18
“There is no dharma whatsoever that is not dependently arisen.”
dependent-arisingMulamadhyamakakarika 24.19
“Therefore there is no dharma whatsoever that is not empty.”
emptinessMulamadhyamakakarika 24.19
“Without dependence on the conventional truth, the ultimate is not taught.”
two-truthsMulamadhyamakakarika 24.10
“Without realizing the ultimate, nirvana is not attained.”
realizationMulamadhyamakakarika 24.10
“Empty things are not born, do not perish, are not permanent or impermanent, are not one or many, do not come or go.”
emptinessMulamadhyamakakarika dedication
“There is no difference between samsara and nirvana.”
non-dualityMulamadhyamakakarika 25.19
“There is no difference between nirvana and samsara.”
non-dualityMulamadhyamakakarika 25.19
“That which is the limit of nirvana is also the limit of samsara.”
non-dualityMulamadhyamakakarika 25.20
“Between the two, not even a subtle distinction can be found.”
non-dualityMulamadhyamakakarika 25.20
“For whom emptiness is possible, everything is possible.”
emptinessMulamadhyamakakarika 24.14
“For whom emptiness is not possible, nothing is possible.”
emptinessMulamadhyamakakarika 24.14
“To say a thing 'is' is to be caught in eternalism.”
middle-wayMulamadhyamakakarika 15.10
“To say a thing 'is not' is to be caught in nihilism.”
middle-wayMulamadhyamakakarika 15.10
“The wise should rely on neither extreme.”
middle-wayMulamadhyamakakarika 15.7
“All views — even the view of emptiness — must finally be released.”
non-clingingMulamadhyamakakarika 13.8
“Emptiness is the relinquishing of all views; for whom emptiness becomes a view, that one will accomplish nothing.”
non-clingingMulamadhyamakakarika 13.8
“Form is empty; emptiness is form.”
emptinessHeart Sutra (attrib. lineage)
“Attachment is the root of suffering.”
letting-goMulamadhyamakakarika
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