Nāgārjuna's advice for Buddhists : Geshe Sopa's explanation of a letter to a friend

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. "A Letter to a Friend stands out among Nāgārjuna'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 Śrāvakayāna-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 Atiśa (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 Nāgārjuna, works by great Indian masters such as Śāntideva, Āryadeva, Candrakīrti, Vasubhandu and others, and from multiple works by Je Tsongkhapa.15 Although Nāgārjuna'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"-- Provided by publisher