{"id":219,"date":"2022-09-24T04:23:41","date_gmt":"2022-09-24T04:23:41","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/maitripa.org\/library\/?page_id=219"},"modified":"2026-07-22T23:15:48","modified_gmt":"2026-07-22T23:15:48","slug":"indian-madhyamaka-masters","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/maitripa.org\/library\/subject-guides\/madhyamaka\/indian-madhyamaka-masters\/","title":{"rendered":"Indian Madhyamaka Masters"},"content":{"rendered":"

\n

The Madhyamaka (Middle Way) school is one of the most important and profound philosophical traditions of Mah\u0101y\u0101na Buddhism and is key to the understanding of emptiness (\u015b\u016bnyat\u0101). The Indian master N\u0101g\u0101rjuna (ca. 2nd<\/sup> c.) is traditionally considered to be the founder of the Madhyamaka school. N\u0101g\u0101rjuna\u2019s writings became the basis for a vast commentarial tradition, giving rise to different philosophical schools based on diverging interpretations of his ideas. These traditions were eventually transmitted to Tibet, where competing understandings of Madhyamaka emerged within the different Tibetan schools.<\/p>\n

Tsongkhapa (1357\u20131419), the founder of the Geluk school, became one of the most important and prolific commentators on Madhyamaka, seeking to clarify doubts about the views of the great Indian Madhyamaka masters. Tsongkhapa argued that the Pr\u0101sa\u1e45gika-Madhyamaka (Middle Way Consequentialist) view (as taught by N\u0101g\u0101rjuna, \u0100ryadeva, Buddhap\u0101lita, and Candrak\u012brti) was the highest view, distinguishing it from the Sv\u0101tantrika-Madhyamaka (Middle Way Autonomist) views of masters such as Bh\u0101vaviveka, Kamala\u015b\u012bla, and \u015a\u0101ntarak\u1e63ita.<\/p>\n

Below are selections of translated works by these masters.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<\/div>

Indian Madhyamaka Masters<\/h2>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

Na\u0304ga\u0304rjuna<\/a>
\n(ca. 2nd century) 
\n\u0f40\u0fb3\u0f74\u0f0b\u0f66\u0f92\u0fb2\u0f74\u0f56\u0f0d<\/h3>\n
\n

Bha\u0304vaviveka<\/a>
\n(ca. 500-570)
\n\u0f63\u0f7a\u0f42\u0f66\u0f0b\u0f63\u0fa1\u0f53\u0f0b\u0f60\u0f56\u0fb1\u0f7a\u0f51\u0f0d<\/h3>\n
\n

S\u0301a\u0304ntaraks\u0323ita<\/a>
\n(725-788)
\n\u0f5e\u0f72\u0f0b\u0f56\u0f0b\u0f60\u0f5a\u0f7c\u0f0d<\/h3>\n
\n

 <\/h3>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

A\u0304ryadeva<\/a>
\n(ca. 170-270 CE) 
\n\u0f60\u0f55\u0f42\u0f66\u0f0b\u0f54\u0f0b\u0f63\u0fb7\u0f0d<\/h3>\n
\n

Candrak\u012brti<\/a>
\n(ca. 600\u2013c.650)
\n\u0f5f\u0fb3\u0f0b\u0f56\u0f0b\u0f42\u0fb2\u0f42\u0f66\u0f0b\u0f54\u0f0d<\/h3>\n
\n

Kamalas\u0301i\u0304la<\/a>
\n(ca. 740-795)
\n\u0f54\u0f51\u0fa8\u0f60\u0f72\u0f0b\u0f44\u0f44\u0f0b\u0f5a\u0f74\u0f63\u0f0d<\/h3>\n
\n

 <\/h3>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div>

Buddhapa\u0304lita<\/a>
\n(ca. 470-540)
\n\u0f66\u0f44\u0f66\u0f0b\u0f62\u0f92\u0fb1\u0f66\u0f0b\u0f56\u0f66\u0f90\u0fb1\u0f44\u0f66\u0f0d<\/h3>\n
\n

S\u0301a\u0304ntideva<\/a>
\n(8th century)
\n\u0f5e\u0f72\u0f0b\u0f56\u0f0b\u0f63\u0fb7\u0f0d<\/h3>\n
\n

At\u012b\u015ba<\/a>
\n(982-1054)
\n\u0f68\u0f0b\u0f4f\u0f72\u0f0b\u0f64\u0f0b\u0f58\u0f62\u0f0b\u0f58\u0f7a\u0f0b\u0f58\u0f5b\u0f51\u0f0b\u0f51\u0f54\u0f63\u0f0b\u0f61\u0f7a\u0f0b\u0f64\u0f7a\u0f66\u0f0d<\/h3>\n
\n

 <\/h3>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div>

 <\/p>\n

\n
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