The M dhyamaka School of Indian Buddhist thought has had tremendous influence in the Buddhist world, particularly in Tibet, China and Japan: in the West it has become the subject of intense interest in the fields of comparative religion and philosophy. Many aspects of M dhyamaka thought, however, remain obscure, especially during the period when Buddhist thought was first introduced to Tibet.
Jñ nagarbha's Commentary on the Distinction between the Two Truths is a concise and lucid introduction to the issues and personalities that dominated Indian M dhyamaka thought on the eve of its introduction to Tibet. As an example of the influential but little-known Sv tantrika branch of the M dhyamaka School, Jñ nagarbha's work shows quite vividly how the commitment to reason in the search for ultimate truth shaped not only the dialogue between M dhyamaka thinkers and members of other Buddhist schools, but also the evolution of the M dhyamaka tradition itself.
David Eckel has translated Jñ nagarbha's text in its entirety and provided an introduction that situates the text clearly in its historical and philosophical context. Extensive notes, a transliterated version of the Tibetan translation, and a reproduction of the original Tibetan blockprints make this volume useful to scholars as well as to the interested general reader.
