Buddhist Philosophy
Nagarjuna
The Logician Who Emptied Every Category
Where to Start Reading
The Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way (trans. Jay Garfield)
Nagarjuna's masterwork — the Mulamadhyamakakarika — with Garfield's exceptional philosophical commentary. Each of 27 chapters dismantles a concept you thought was solid. Not easy, but Garfield makes it as accessible as it can be.
Nagarjuna's Middle Way (trans. Mark Siderits and Shōryū Katsura)
An alternative scholarly translation with verse-by-verse commentary. More technical than Garfield, better for readers with some background in Buddhist or analytic philosophy.
The Sun of Wisdom: Teachings on the Noble Nagarjuna's Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way (Khenpo Tsültrim Gyamtso)
A Tibetan Buddhist teacher's oral commentary on the text — the most accessible way into Nagarjuna for readers without a philosophy background. Warm, practical, and deeply grounded in meditative tradition.
“Whatever is dependently arisen, that is explained to be emptiness.”