DESCRIPTION
This second approach to being Buddhist could be called the ‘philosophical’ or ‘contemplative’ path, and loosely corresponds to the Madhyamika School (‘Middle Way’) founded by the Indian Buddhist monk Nāgārjuna (c. 1st Century AD). This school is also known as the Śūnyatavāda ("Emptiness School") or the Sānlùn School in Chinese (三論宗, Jp. Sanron) the "Three Treatise School" based upon three important commentary poems composed by Nāgārjuna.
First we will explore the philosophy of early Buddhism, focusing primarily on the teachings of ‘no-self’ (anātman) and the Five Skandhas (’aggregates’), the constituent elements of any sentient being, which are: Form (rūpa), Sensations (vedanā), Perception (saṃjñā), Conditioning (saṃskāra), and Consciousness (vijñāna).
Then we will examine the philosophical innovations of Nāgārjuna and the formation of the Madhyamika School
Primary Texts
The Prajñāpāramitā sutras: Heart Sutra and the Vajra Sutra
Suggested Reading
Paul Williams, Mahāyāna Buddhism; The Doctrinal Foundations, Chapter 2 & 3.