Nagarjuna’s Letter to a Friend
June 10 @ 6:30 pm - 8:00 pm
Join us as we embark upon a 3-month exploration of this famous text. Guided by Geshe Tenzin Namdak, we will delve into Arya Nagarjuna’s poetic instructions that convey the entire Mahayana path with unusual clarity and memorable imagery.
About the Author
Arya Nagarjuna (2nd-3rd century) is widely regarded as the second Buddha and the trailblazer of the Madhyamika school of Buddhist philosophy. His coming was prophesied by Shakyamuni himself as the teacher who would appear when the karma of beings was ripe, to expound and clarify the Buddha’s profound teaching on emptiness.
About the Text
Letter to a Friend is a poem composed by Nagarjuna as a letter of advice to his friend, King Gautamiputra, who presided over the powerful kingdom of Satvahana. The Letter is a concise and comprehensive introduction to the entire path and practice of Buddhism. Widely studied by both lay and monastic, the instructions therein 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 Mahayana 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.
About the Teacher
After completing his university studies in Hydrology, Geshe Namdak worked as an environmental researcher in the Netherlands. He began studying Buddhism at Maitreya Institute and was eventually ordained by His Holiness the Dalai Lama before completing the 20-year Geshe degree at Sera Jey monastic university in India, as well as the traditional one-year Vajrayana study program at Gyume Tantric College. He is now Resident Teacher of Jamyang London Buddhist Centre.
Schedule
- Starting on 6th May and running until the 22nd July, 2025
- Tuesday evenings | 18:30 – 20:00
How to join
Registration for the short course on Nagarjuna’s Letter to a Friend hasn’t opened yet but if you let us know your name and email address we’ll contact you when it does. Click here to register your interest
