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Description
Nāgārjuna (1st-2nd century A.D.) wrote this celebrated poem as a letter of advice to his friend King Gautamiputra/Satavahana.
This advice gives a concise and comprehensive introduction to the entire path and practice of Buddhism. It guides both householders and the ordained onto the path leading to liberation and enlightenment. The instructions are of special interest to those who wish to take up spiritual activity while continuing to live and work in society; they are meant to convey the whole meaning of the Dharma to the ordinary person in a language and style that are easy to understand.
Despite its short length (123 verses), it covers the whole Mahāyāna path with unusual clarity and memorable imagery; thus it is widely quoted by Tibet's great masters and scholars in the many commentaries they have written on the Buddhist path. (Source Accessed Feb 13, 2026)
Rendawa's outline, for example, divides the text into three main sections: general advice concerning virtuous practices, developing aversion to samsara, and pursuing the path to nirvana. Sakya Pandita's outline views the Letter to a Friend more in terms of how it presents the Three Trainings, while the commentary by the Gelugpa Geshe Lobsang Jinba divides the text into practices for the three kinds of beings. Kangyur Rinpoche's outline puts the emphasis on the six transcendent perfections, and in this respect it is very similar to the outline that determines Lama Mipham's commentary.
Secondly, the commentary furnishes explanations on the more difficult points in Nagarjuna's poem by the insertion of notes between the words of the root text. These notes vary in their scope and purpose. Some constitute the simple insertion of synonyms to provide clarification of ambiguous words or modern equivalents for anachronistic expressions. Other notes explain what Nagarjuna means by particular terms. In some cases, Kangyur Rinpoche inserts quotations from the sutras and shastras, and for a number of topics he has written entire pages of detailed commentary.
The third purpose of Kangyur Rinpoche’s commentary is to render the original, sometimes cryptic, verse into relatively straightforward prose. (Source: Nagarjuna’s Letter to a Friend, 17–18)
Rendawa's outline, for example, divides the text into three main sections: general advice concerning virtuous practices, developing aversion to samsara, and pursuing the path to nirvana. Sakya Pandita's outline views the Letter to a Friend more in terms of how it presents the Three Trainings, while the commentary by the Gelugpa Geshe Lobsang Jinba divides the text into practices for the three kinds of beings. Kangyur Rinpoche's outline puts the emphasis on the six transcendent perfections, and in this respect it is very similar to the outline that determines Lama Mipham's commentary.
Secondly, the commentary furnishes explanations on the more difficult points in Nagarjuna's poem by the insertion of notes between the words of the root text. These notes vary in their scope and purpose. Some constitute the simple insertion of synonyms to provide clarification of ambiguous words or modern equivalents for anachronistic expressions. Other notes explain what Nagarjuna means by particular terms. In some cases, Kangyur Rinpoche inserts quotations from the sutras and shastras, and for a number of topics he has written entire pages of detailed commentary.
The third purpose of Kangyur Rinpoche’s commentary is to render the original, sometimes cryptic, verse into relatively straightforward prose. (Source: Nagarjuna’s Letter to a Friend, 17–18)
