For centuries, Dharma students have traditionally studied "Nagarjuna's Letter to a Friend," for it provides a concise and thorough introduction to the entire Buddhist path practice. By examining the Four Noble Truths and the Six Perfections, Nagarjuna describes logically and poetically the internal patterns of experience which leads a person to buddhahood.
Nagarjuna wrote this letter to his friend King Satavahana in order to alert him to the worldly impurities, especially in discharging his royal activities, and to integrate spiritual values into his daily life. In this respect, his advice is still of special interest to those who wish to cultivate a religious practice while continuing to live and work in society.
The commentary accompanying Nagarjuna's epistle was composed by Venerable Rendawa, Zhon-nu Lo-dro. This famous scholar hailed from the great "Sa-sKya" monastery in north central Tibet. During the initial period of their relationship, he served as a teacher to the renowned Tsong-Khapa, later, they instructed each other. Rendawa's commentary is quite clear and simple, and suitable for all levels of students.

Nagarjuna's Letter, Commentary by Venerable Rendawa, Zho-nu Lo-dro, Library of Tibetan Works and Archives, 1995, 146 pages, $12.00

Nagarjuna (circa 2nd Centry C.E.), one of Buddhism's greatest philosophers, has held continuous attention of Buddhist scholars in Asia since his own day. Even today he comamnds the greatest attention in the Western world insfoar as philosophic Mahayana tradition is concerned. Though he did not establish a school of a system fo thought as such, he did attract such overwhelming interest and appeal on the part of the masses by way of his unique writings that a tradition of a sort soon arose during his lifetime and a large following in consquence of it. His ideas though subtle and profound, carried such deep understanding and implications of fundamental Buddhist truths that they will influence, one way or another, all or most the subsequent Mahayana developments in India, China, Tibet, Korea and Japan.

	Contents: Nagarjuna's Letter
	Publisher's Note	vii
	Preface	ix
	About the Translation	xi
	A Biography of Venerable Rendawa	1
	A Biography of Acarya Nagarjuna	5
	The Elucidated Meaning (Sputartha), a commentary on Acarya Nagarjuna's The Letter to a Friend (Suhrllekha) composed by the Sakya Lama Venerable Rendawa	13
	Prefacing Verses	15
	Part I: A Recommendation to Hedd	17
	Part II: The Actual Intruction	21
	A. General Advice concerning Virtous Practices	22
	Chapter 1: General Advice for Both House-holders and Those Departed from the Home Life	23
	Chapter 2: Intruction Directed Primarily to Householders	37
	Chapter 3: Instruction for Both concerning the Pursuance of Higher States and Supreme Beatitude	62
	B. Development of Aversion for Samsara through contemplating its Defects	87
	Chapter 4: Presentation in Brief and Full	89
	C. Pursuance of the Path, having Contemplated Nirvana's Virtues	111
	Chapter 5: That which is Common to all Vehicles	113
	Chapter 6: Pursuing what is the Mahayana Path, together with its Results	129
	Notes to the Text	133
	An Outline of the Text	143