Ornament of the Middle Way

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Shantarakshita, author of the Madhyamakalankara

The Ornament of the Middle Way (Skt. Madhyamakālaṃkāra; Tib. དབུ་མ་རྒྱན་, Uma Gyen, Wyl. dbu ma rgyan) was written by Shantarakshita, the great Indian scholar who assisted Guru Padmasambhava in introducing Buddhism to Tibet and founding the famous monastery of Samyé. There is a famous commentary by Mipham Rinpoche, his most comprehensive work on Madhyamika, which brilliantly sets out the unique Nyingma view bringing together themes from the Middle Way and the Mind Only schools.

It was translated from Sanskrit into Tibetan by Yeshe De under the guidance of acharya Shilendrabodhi. Kamalashila's Commentary on Difficult Points was also translated by Yeshe De, under the guidance of Surendrabodhi and Prajñāvarman.

Text

Commentaries

Indian

Tibetan

English

Teachings Given to the Rigpa Sangha

  • Dominique Side, Rigpa Shedra West, Dzogchen Beara, 30 September 2004, Introduction to Madhyamakalankara.
  • Ringu Tulku Rinpoche, Rigpa Shedra West, Dzogchen Beara, 2-13 October 2004
  • Ringu Tulku Rinpoche, Rigpa Shedra West, Lerab Ling, 13-21 September, 2005
  • Khenpo Sönam Tobden, Rigpa Shedra East, 11 December 2007 to 29 March 2008
  • Lopön Lodrö Palge, Rigpa Shedra East, 2014
  • Lopön Tashi Tseten, Rigpa Shedra East, 2018

Further Reading

  • Kennard Lipman, A Study of Śāntarakṣita's Madhyamakālaṃkāra, PhD dissertation, Saskatchewan 1979.
  • Masamichi Ichigo, Madhyamakālaṃkāra, Kyoto 1985.