Mulamadhyamakakarika: 8 key ideas
The core ideas of Mulamadhyamakakarika, each in under a minute, written in our own words. Want the full depth? Get the book.
- IDEA 1 OF 8
Nothing exists entirely by itself
Nagarjuna, founder of the Madhyamaka school of Buddhism, argues that no thing has svabhava, an independent and unchanging essence of its own.
Everything exists only in relation to causes, conditions and parts, so nothing stands entirely on its own.
- IDEA 2 OF 8
Emptiness means dependence
Nagarjuna calls this lack of independent essence shunyata, or emptiness.
He links emptiness directly to dependent origination, the Buddhist teaching that all things arise through conditions. To be empty is simply to be dependently arisen, not to be nothing at all.
- IDEA 3 OF 8
Two levels of truth
Nagarjuna distinguishes conventional truth, the everyday way we speak about tables, people and causes, from ultimate truth, which is emptiness.
Conventional truth is useful and valid, but it must not be mistaken for the final nature of things.
- IDEA 4 OF 8
The middle way avoids extremes
Nagarjuna presents emptiness as a middle way between two extremes: believing things truly exist forever, and believing nothing exists at all.
Both views, he argues, misunderstand how things actually are.
- IDEA 5 OF 8
Arguments test every view
Nagarjuna uses careful arguments to show that ideas like cause, motion and time lead to contradictions if we think things have fixed essences.
He often examines four possibilities and shows that none holds.
- IDEA 6 OF 8
Nirvana and samsara are not separate
Nagarjuna controversially argues that nirvana, liberation, and samsara, the cycle of rebirth, are not two different realms.
When the emptiness of samsara is understood, there is nothing further to escape to.
- IDEA 7 OF 8
Emptiness is also empty
Nagarjuna warns against clinging to emptiness as a new absolute truth.
Emptiness itself is empty, a tool for letting go rather than another belief to hold tightly. Even the teaching must be held lightly.
- IDEA 8 OF 8
Letting go of views brings peace
Nagarjuna suggests that understanding emptiness frees the mind from attachment to fixed views.
This understanding leads to calm and freedom from suffering. Without fixed positions to defend, the mind becomes open, flexible and at ease.
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