Verse 5 We have been discussing this text of Nagarjuna’s, Letter to a Friend, which he wrote for his friend King Udayibhadra. We have been going through it slowly, filling in a lot of details about what he has been saying to the king. We’re up to verse five: [5] Always entrust...

Verse 5 We have been discussing the text, Letter to a Friend, which the great Indian master of Madhyamaka, Nagarjuna, wrote to his patron, King Udayibhadra, in South India. In this letter, Nagarjuna outlines the basic principles of the Mahayana path. We have been going through...

Verse 5 We have been going through Nagarjuna’s Letter to a Friend, and we are on verse five, which says: [5] Always entrust yourself, with body, speech, and mind to the ten pathways of constructive karma. Turn away from intoxicants, and likewise delight as well in livelihoods...

Verse 5 In our discussion of Nagarjuna’s Letter to a Friend, we are up to verse five: [5] Always entrust yourself, with body, speech, and mind to the ten pathways of constructive karma. Turn away from intoxicants, and likewise delight as well in livelihoods that are...

Verse 5 We have been going through Nagarjuna’s Letter to a Friend very slowly, trying to fill in all of the basic teachings that are there. We are on the fifth verse: (5) Always entrust yourself, with body, speech, and mind to the ten pathways of constructive karma. Turn away...

Verse 5 We have been discussing this letter that Nagarjuna wrote to his friend King Udayibhadra. We are on Verse 5, in which we have gone into a long discussion of karma: [5] Always entrust yourself, with body, speech, and mind to the ten pathways of constructive karma. Turn...

Verse 5 In our discussion of Letter to a Friend that Nagarjuna wrote, we have been going into a detailed discussion of karma which, hopefully, we’ll finish today. We are expanding on Verse 5: (5) Always entrust yourself, with body, speech, and mind to the ten pathways of...

Verses 6–11 In our discussion of this text by Nagarjuna, we have taken a very long diversion, I must say, in our discussions of Verse 5 in which we went through the various qualities of a Buddha – the body, speech, and mind of a Buddha – and then had a long discussion of...

Verses 1–3 This evening, I am very happy to begin a new course on a wonderful text by the great Indian master, Nagarjuna, called Letter to a Friend. This is a text I studied in India with one of my teachers, Geshe Ngawang Dhargyey. I'll try to explain it according to his...

Verses 12–14 In our discussion of the first seven verses in Letter to a Friend, Nagarjuna has given his basic, introductory discussion, and now he is going into more detail. We saw that there are several commentaries to the text and that each of the commentaries has a...