Blumenthal, James : The Ornament of the Middle Way

Synopsis:
Shantarakshita's work is among the most important Mahayana Buddhist philosophical treatises to emerge on the Indian subcontinent. It represents the culmination of 1,300 years of philosophical dialogue and inquiry. Shantarakshita set forth the foundation of a syncretic approach to contemporary ideas by synthesizing the three major trends in Indian Buddhist thought at the time - the Madhyamaka thought of Nagarjuna, the Yogacara thought of Asanga, and the logic of Dharmakirti - into one consistent and coherent system.

Shantarakshita's text is considered to be the quintessential exposition or root text of the philosophical school known in Tibet as Yogacara-Svatantrika-Madhyamaka. This book includes a translation of Shantarakshita's treatise, extensive extracts from his autocommentary, and the first complete translation of the primary Gelug commentary on his treatise, Remembering the Ornament of the Middle Way by Gyaltsab Je.

"This study is an invaluable contribution to the West's understanding of the history of Madhyamaka both in India and Tibet. Blumenthal's analysis of the Gelug materials on Shantarakshita's thought are particularly insgightful." Geshe Lhundup Sopa.