Nagarjuna

Nagarjuna (c. 2nd–3rd century CE) was an Indian Buddhist monk and philosopher who became a central figure in Mahayana Buddhism. He is commonly regarded as the founder of the Madhyamaka (Middle Way) school, though some traditions describe him more as a reformer or systematizer than a the founder. The exact dates and birthplace are uncertain, with traditional accounts placing him in northern or central India.

Nagarjuna is best known for articulating the theory of emptiness (shunyata), the idea that all phenomena lack inherent, independent existence and arise only in dependence on causes and conditions. He also developed the two truths doctrine, distinguishing conventional reality from ultimate reality, and employed the logic of the tetralemma to critique views that posit ultimate essences. His method sought a middle way between nihilism and essentialist realism.

His principal work is the Mūlamadhyamakakārikā (Fundamental Verses on the Middle Way), a foundational text that outlines the Madhyamaka critique of ontological essentialism. Other important works attributed to him include the Vigrahavyāvartanī (The End of Defilements) and various treatises. The authorship of some writings is debated among scholars, but the core ideas are widely associated with Nagarjuna.

Nagarjuna's ideas influenced later Madhyamaka thinkers and shaped Tibetan, Chinese, and East Asian Buddhist thought, as well as broader discussions of emptiness in Buddhist philosophy. His legacy rests on a rigorous critique of essentialist claims and an attempt to provide a coherent metaphysical framework for Buddhist practice and theory. He remains a central figure in studies of Buddhist metaphysics and logic.