Candrakīrti's Introduction to the Middle Way

Abstract Candrakīrti’s “Introduction to the Middle Way” (Madhyamakāvatāra) is a central work of Buddhist philosophy for two reasons. First, it provides an introduction to Madhyamaka, one of the three major philosophical schools of Buddhist thought (the other two being Abhidharma and Yogācāra). Second, within Madhyamaka, Candrakīrti’s text occupies a very prominent role. This is primarily due to its enormous influence in Tibet, where Candrakīrti’s work became the main entry-point into the study of Madhyamaka thought and constitutes one of the five texts of the curriculum of the dGe lugs pa school. While the historical importance of the “Introduction to the Middle Way” for understanding a major section of Buddhist thought is evident, what makes it particularly interesting for students is the role it plays as an “introduction.” It is one of Candrakīrti’s earlier works and precedes his extensive commentary on the foundational text of the Madhyamaka school, Nāgārjuna’s “Fundamental Verses on the Middle Way” (Mūlamadhyamakakārikā). The aim of this book is to act as a guide to the philosophically interested reader of the “Introduction to the Middle Way.” The commentary will focus on the philosophical content of the text, using Candrakīrti’s autocommentary as the main explicatory resource.