[Publication] Extensive Treatise on the Right Principles of Madhyamaka: Taking This as a Lamp — Extracting the essence of five Chinese-translated sacred texts: the Mūlamadhyamakakārikā, Śunzhong Lun, Prajñāpradīpa-mūlamadhyamaka-vṛtti, Mahāyāna Madhyamaka-darśana-vyākhyā, and Catuḥśataka-vṛtti. A total of 45 fascicles (including 14 fascicles of the main text and 31 fascicles of appendices and separate treatises), totaling nearly 100,000 words.
Extracting the essence of five Chinese-translated sacred texts: the Mūlamadhyamakakārikā, Śunzhong Lun, Prajñāpradīpa-mūlamadhyamaka-vṛtti, Mahāyāna Madhyamaka-darśana-vyākhyā, and Catuḥśataka-vṛtti.
I. Preface to the Extensive Treatise on the Right Principles of Madhyamaka
Madhyamaka is the wisdom eye of all Buddhas and the marrow of the Mahayana.
Mahāsattva Nāgārjuna, with his profound and vast compassionate vows, composed the five hundred verses of the Mūlamadhyamakakārikā (Middle Treatise). Like the Vajra King's precious sword, it cuts through the tangled vines of conceptual proliferations of ordinary beings and non-Buddhists regarding both existence and non-existence, pointing directly to the true reality of dependent origination and the emptiness of inherent nature. Since then, over the course of a millennium, commentaries have sprung up like bees. Some advocate reductio ad absurdum (Prāsaṅgika) to refute the heterodox, some establish syllogisms (Svātantrika) to reveal the orthodox, while others integrate Yogācāra (Consciousness-Only) to harmonize nature and characteristics. However, most scholars cling to one and reject the rest; as sectarian prejudices have deepened, the perfectly integrated principles have consequently become hidden.
Observing the Chinese Buddhist canon today, although five rare and precious commentaries survive, they are scattered across various collections. Their language and meanings are archaic and profound, and the translation styles are sometimes convoluted, making it difficult for later students to glimpse their complete picture.
Piṅgala's commentary is concise and direct, but does not detail Hetuvidyā (logic);
Bhāviveka's commentary is rigorous and meticulous, but his self-established syllogisms are difficult to understand;
Asaṅga's commentary smoothly enters Prajñā, but heavily emphasizes practical cultivation guidance;
Sthiramati and Dharmapāla's commentaries deeply analyze the object and consciousness, but the Yogācāra terminology is complex.
Regardless of my own superficiality, I have vowed to integrate the various schools and compile the Extensive Treatise on the Right Principles of Madhyamaka. Naming it "Taking This as a Lamp" draws upon the meaning of the Lamp of Wisdom (Prajñāpradīpa) illuminating and breaking through ignorance, as well as the principle of the Śunzhong Lun smoothly entering True Suchness. The entire work consists of 45 fascicles, using Nāgārjuna's root verses as the warp and the commentaries of the five great masters as the weft, supplemented by modern structural outlines and discernment of profound meanings.
It is hoped that this treatise will melt Piṅgala's directness, Bhāviveka's rigor, Dharmapāla's subtlety, Sthiramati's perfect integration, and Asaṅga's vastness into a single furnace. When scholars open these scrolls, it will be like entering a mountain of treasures where whatever they pick up is precious; or like drinking from the great ocean, where every single drop contains the complete flavor.
May this merit be dedicated to all sentient beings in the Dharmadhātu.
May all who see or hear of it generate Bodhicitta;
break the attachments to self and dharmas, and realize the patience of non-arising dharmas.
Respectfully prefaced by Wang Muti
In the year 2025 CE, cyclical year Yisi.
II. Reading Guide for the Complete Book (Study Guide)
(I) Origin of the Compilation: Why is this treatise needed?
Traditional Madhyamaka studies often exclusively venerate one single school (e.g., the Tibetan Gelug school exclusively venerates Candrakīrti's Prāsaṅgika, while the Chinese Sanlun school exclusively venerates Piṅgala's commentary). However, the development of the Indian Madhyamaka schools was pluralistic and vibrant. The purpose of compiling this treatise is to provide a "panoramic" Madhyamaka commentary:
Filling Logical Gaps: Although Piṅgala's commentary is easy to read, it is often too brief regarding the specific viewpoints of non-Buddhists (such as Samkhya and Vaisesika). This treatise introduces the commentaries of Bhāviveka and Dharmapāla, restoring the intense debate scenes between Buddhism and heterodox paths of that time, making the "refutation of the heterodox" more concrete and powerful.
Bridging the Schools of Emptiness and Existence: Historically, Madhyamaka (Emptiness) and Yogācāra (Existence) have often been set in opposition. This treatise specifically incorporates the commentaries of Sthiramati and Dharmapāla to show that on the point of "refuting substantial inherent nature," Yogācāra and Madhyamaka actually reach the same destination via different paths.
Moving from Theory to Practical Cultivation: Introducing Asaṅga's Śunzhong Lun, it emphasizes that Madhyamaka is not just Buddhist philosophical speculation, but rather a practical cultivation method for "smoothly entering Prajñāpāramitā."
(II) The Convergence of the Five Lamps: Characteristics of the Five Major Commentaries Relied Upon in this Treatise
The title of this treatise, "Taking This as a Lamp," is actually formed by the convergence of five lamps of wisdom:
| Master | Representative Work (Base Text) | Core Style (Lamp Characteristic) | Key Contribution |
| Piṅgala | Mūlamadhyamakakārikā | The Lamp of Breaking Attachments | Inherits Nāgārjuna's "reductio ad absurdum" spirit, pointing directly to the opponent's flaws without establishing its own thesis; the purest form. |
| Bhāviveka | Prajñāpradīpa-mūlamadhyamaka-vṛtti | The Lamp of Logic | Advocates "self-established syllogisms" (Svātantrika). Whenever establishing a thesis, he invariably adds the qualification "in the ultimate sense," establishing rigorous three-part syllogisms. |
| Asaṅga | Śunzhong Lun | The Lamp of Following the Principle | Emphasizes conforming to the correct principle of dependent origination, guiding Madhyamaka toward the practical realization of "the patience of non-arising dharmas," and quoting extensively from sutras for proof. |
| Dharmapāla | Catuḥśataka-vṛtti | The Lamp of Micro-Analysis | Uses "consciousness-only without external objects" to supplement Madhyamaka, meticulously analyzing the logical fallacies of "atoms" (paramāṇu) and the "divine self" (ātman); the most powerful in refuting the heterodox. |
| Sthiramati | Mahāyāna Madhyamaka-darśana-vyākhyā | The Lamp of Perfect Integration | Integrates ancient Yogācāra teachings, advocating that "both object and consciousness are empty," emphasizing the manifest realization of non-discriminating wisdom. |
(III) Structural Analysis: The Logical Arrangement from the Main Commentary to the Appendices
The entire book of 45 fascicles is arranged according to the sequence of "Object, Practice, and Fruit":
Main Section (Fascicles 1–14):
Following the order of the 27 chapters of the Mūlamadhyamakakārikā, it details each verse using the explanations of these five masters.
Key Points: Fascicle 1 (Examination of Conditions) refutes arising; Fascicle 18 (Examination of Dharmas) reveals the true reality; Fascicle 24 (Examination of the Four Noble Truths) establishes the Two Truths.
Extensive Discourse Section (Fascicles 15–25):
Conducts thematic dialectics on profound meanings that could not be fully elaborated in the Main Section.
Fascicle 15: Explores the methodologies of "Svātantrika" and "Prāsaṅgika."
Fascicle 16: Exclusively refutes the heterodox concepts of the "divine self" and "atoms."
Fascicles 24 & 25: Answers the "Eighteen Great Objections."
Practice and Fruit Section (Fascicles 26–31):
Shifts from view to cultivation.
Fascicle 26: How to use emptiness to subsume the Six Pāramitās and myriad practices.
Fascicle 40: The realization stages of the Ten Bodhisattva Grounds.
Fascicle 43: The establishment of the Buddha's fruitional merits (Dharmakāya, Rūpakāya, Omniscience).
Tools Section (Fascicles 32–45):
Provides learning tools, such as a glossary of terminology (Fascicle 18), charts and diagrams (Fascicle 36), daily recitation rituals (Fascicle 41), and an index of original texts (Fascicle 35).
(IV) Reading Suggestions: How to Delve into this Treatise
Beginners:
First, read Fascicle 18 (Examination of the Terminology and Meanings Chapter) to grasp basic concepts. Then, read Fascicle 41 (Examination of Daily Practice) and recite the verses daily to cultivate an intuition for emptiness. Subsequently, read Fascicle 1 (Examination of Conditions Chapter) and Fascicle 24 (Examination of the Four Noble Truths Chapter) to establish the core of right view.
Advanced Learners:
Read sequentially by fascicle. When encountering difficult passages (such as the refutation of coming and going, or the refutation of atoms), please refer to Fascicle 20 (Profound Meaning Analysis I) and Fascicle 38 (Examination and Analysis of Difficult Sentences).
Practitioners:
Should pay special attention to Fascicle 17 (Examination of the Stages of the Path of Practice) and Fascicle 23 (Profound Meaning: Dual Cultivation of Śamatha and Vipaśyanā), translating theory into the actual meditation practices of the "Sevenfold Reasoning" and the "Illusion-like Contemplation."
"Taking this as a lamp to illuminate and shatter the two extremes."
These two texts aim to provide readers with the key to entering this massive palace of doctrines, explaining the origin of the compilation, the characteristics of the five base texts, and the structural context of the entire book.
May every person who opens these scrolls be able to perceive, between the lines, the refreshing moonlight of the inherent emptiness of self-nature.