On the Bodhicittavivaraṇa of Nāgārjuna
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On the Bodhicittavivaraṇa of Nāgārjuna
Journal Article
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Description
This article by Chizuko Yoshimizu examines the Bodhicittavivaraṇa (BV), a treatise traditionally attributed to Nāgārjuna that serves as a doctrinal bridge between the Sūtra and Tantra vehicles. While the work centers on the "Bodhicitta Verse" found in the Mahāvairocana and Guhyasamāja tantras, Yoshimizu argues that the BV's primary objective is to redefine "Bodhicitta" through a strict Madhyamaka lens rather than a Yogācāra one. The author suggests the text is a post-eighth-century work influenced by the philosophical frameworks of Śāntarakṣita and Kamalaśīla, specifically characterized by its rigorous critique of Yogācāra concepts like "self-awareness" and "intrinsic purity." Ultimately, the BV asserts that Bodhicitta must be understood not as a "pure mind" but as the realization of emptiness and the lack of inherent existence, aligning the highest view of the Pāramitāyāna with the practice of the Vajrayāna. (Abstract created by Gemini Apr 22, 2026)
Citation
Yoshimizu, Chizuko. "On the Bodhicittavivaraṇa of Nāgārjuna." (In Japanese.) Journal of Indian nad Buddhist Studies (Indogaku Bukkyogaku Kenkyu) 36, no. 2 (1988): 80–84.
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Interconnections
1 Scholarship on
The Bodhicittavivaraṇa (Tib. བྱང་ཆུབ་སེམས་ཀྱི་འགྲེལ་པ།, Eng. Commentary on the Awakening Mind) is a foundational Mahāyāna text comprising 112 verses, originally composed in Sanskrit, preceded by a prose introduction, traditionally attributed to the second-century master Nāgārjuna. This work serves as both a comprehensive Madhyamaka analysis and a practical guide for cultivating bodhicitta in its two dimensions: conventional bodhicitta as the compassionate aspiration for all beings' enlightenment, and ultimate bodhicitta as the direct realization of emptiness (śūnyatā). The text grounds ethical aspiration in ontological analysis, demonstrating how understanding the empty nature of phenomena naturally generates universal compassion, while also refuting competing philosophical positions including Vijñānavāda idealism, the tīrthika conception of self, and the śrāvaka understanding of the skandhas. Although scholarly questions persist regarding its authorship—particularly given the text’s apparent tantric elements, critique of Vijñānavāda, and absence of citation by Nāgārjuna’s principal commentators Buddhapālita, Candrakīrti, and Bhāvaviveka—the Bodhicittavivaraṇa has exerted profound influence across Indian and Tibetan Buddhist traditions. Its remarkable interpretive flexibility has allowed it to serve as a scriptural foundation for diverse philosophical schools and contemplative practices, from strict Prāsaṅgika philosophy to mahāmudrā and mind training (lojong), making it an essential text for both monastic and lay bodhisattvas throughout the history of Mahāyāna Buddhism.
