DESCRIPTION
The Mahāprajñāpāramitā Śāstra (“the treatise on the perfection of wisdom”) by Nāgārjuna (c. 2nd century A.D.) is an encyclopedia of Mahayana Buddhism in the form of a commentary on the Pancavimsatisahasrika Prajnaparamita Sutra (“the perfection of wisdom in twenty-five thousand lines”).
Volume I describes the conditions of time, place and individuals under which the Perfection of Wisdom was revealed. Volume II describes the spirit in which the bodhisattva should practice the virtues of his state. Volume III describes the practices auxiliary to enlightenment (bodhipaksikadharma) and the attributes of the Buddhas. Volume IV describes the desires or aspirations of the bodhisattva. Volume V formulates a series of vows, the success of which absolutely requires the practice of the Prajnaparamita.