Nagarjuna's Advice for Buddhists - by Lhundub Sopa (Hardcover)

About the Book

"A Letter to a Friend stands out among Nåagåarjuna's works because of its minimal philosophical content and limited discussion of Mahayana practices. A Letter to a Friend is a comprehensive yet brief summary of the basic ideas and practices that form the substrate for all forms Buddhism: in other words, the text outlines the practices common to the Hinayana-more respectfully called the âSråavakayåana-and the Mahayana in both its Sutrayana and Vajrayana forms. In that regard, it can be seen as a very early precursor of the presentation of the graduated path to awakening in a single text developed centuries later by Atiâsa (circa 982-1055), and expanded in Tibet by the master Je Tsongkhapa (1357-1419). Geshe Sopa was an exemplary Buddhist monk practitioner as well as a superlative scholar. His quiet and compassionate traditionalism drew people in; he did not blast people with charisma. He was a recognized master of his tradition and also knew how to reach a contemporary audience. His teachings on A Letter to a Friend roughly follow the commentary written by Rendawa Shonu Lodro (1349-1412). However, he added much, much more. He brought in additional material from many sources: the sutras, other texts by Nåagåarjuna, works by great Indian masters such as âSåantideva, åAryadeva, Candrakåirti, Vasubhandu and others, and from multiple works by Je Tsongkhapa.15 Although Nåagåarjuna's text primarily teaches the common path with little emphasis on philosophy, Geshe Sopa's explanation supplements it to teach the Mahayana path and Madhyamaka philosophy"--

Book Synopsis

A modern commentary by a beloved Tibetan teacher on a classical Indian Buddhist text and an introduction to Buddhism by one of the tradition's most famous authors. A teaching on how to live a Buddhist life in contemporary society.

Letter to A Friend, by the great Indian philosopher Nagarjuna, is one of the best-known introductions to Buddhism in classical Indian Buddhist literature. In this warm and generous commentary, one of the twentieth century's most beloved teachers, Geshe Lhundup Sopa, shows how Nagarjuna's advice on how to follow Buddhist ethics while living fully in the world speaks just as clearly to us today as it did to the Indian king for whom it was composed.

Nagarjuna maintained that all Buddhists can embody the full teachings of the Buddha. Therefore, this book covers topics from simple virtues to the most profound truths of emptiness. Expertly compiled by his student, scholar Beth Newman, from talks given over a number of years, the commentary brings this ancient Buddhist teaching to a modern audience.

Review Quotes

"Nagarjuna's Advice for Buddhists is an excellent resource for anyone who wishes to understand how Buddhists think, speak, and act--and how the Buddhist vision was articulated two thousand years ago by one of the tradition's most esteemed thinkers."--Roger R. Jackson, John W. Nason Professor of Asian Studies and Religion, emeritus, Carleton College

"Beautifully introduced and edited, with useful explanatory notes and appendices, this book is a wonderful tribute both to Nagarjuna's original Letter, and to Geshe Sopa's exceptional teachings on that work."--José Ignacio Cabezón, Dalai Lama Professor of Tibetan Buddhism and Cultural Studies, UC Santa Barbara

"Geshe Sopa embodies every part of what he is teaching, exerting a power of awakened compassion and awareness that comes through his words to the heart and mind of the reader."--John Makransky, professor of Buddhism and comparative theology, Boston College

"Geshe Sopa was a lineage holder of our time, and having this teaching on Nagarjuna's Letter in his words will be a great benefit for us. Reading Nagarjuna's text through the lens of Geshe-la's wisdom and compassion is an unbelievable opportunity for readers to gain realizations."--Yangsi Rinpoche, president, Maitripa College

About the Author

Born in the Tsang region of Tibet in 1923, Geshe Lhundub Sopa was both a spiritual master and a respected academic. He rose from a humble background to complete his geshe studies at Sera Je Monastic University in Lhasa with highest honors and was privileged to serve as a debate opponent for the Dalai Lama's own geshe examination in 1959. He moved to New Jersey in the United States in 1963 and in 1967 began teaching in the Buddhist Studies program at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. In 1975 he founded the Deer Park Buddhist Center in Oregon, Wisconsin, site of the Dalai Lama's first Kalachakra initiation granted in the West. He was the author of several books in English, including the five-volume comprehensive teaching Steps on the Path to Enlightenment. Geshe Lhundub Sopa passed away on August 28, 2014, at the age of 91. His Holiness the Dalai Lama composed a prayer of request for the swift return of Geshe Sopa.

Beth Newman received her PhD in South Asian Languages and Literature from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. She teaches at Ringling School of Art and Design in Sarasota, Florida, and is the translator of The Tale of the Incomparable Prince.