Ebook: Speech of Delight: Mipham's Commentary on Santaraksita's Ornament of the Middle Way

The process of intelligent and open-minded inquiry can lead to complete liberation within the discovery of the natural state. In his Ornament of the Middle Way, the great Indian master Santaraksita reveals how the path of reasoning can lead the mind to increasingly profound insight and experience. Ju Mipham's illustrious commentary highlights and explains the pithy reasoning of this classic treatise and unfolds the expansive view of the Great Vehicle in a clear, engaging, and compassionate way.

Review
"Simultaneously direct and profound, it displays the hallmarks of Mipham's accomplished authorship."—Savannah Jones, SirReadaLot.org

From the Back Cover
Santaraksita's Madhyamakalamkara is a condensed presentation of later Indian "Middle Way" philosophy and is structured around one recurring theme, namely, the impossibility of entities being consistently analyzable as either single individuals (i.e., wholes) or plural composites (parts. In contrast to Santaraksita's encyclopedic and multifaceted treatment of Indian philosophy in his well-known Tattvasamgraha, the tour de force of his Madhyamakalamkara is to see all the seemingly diverse Buddhist and non-Buddhist ontologies as hinging on failed attempts to solve part-whole problems.
The philosophy of this Indian master, and that of his disciple, Kamalasila, has inspired thinkers from all the major indigenous schools in Tibet, one of the most important issues for Tibetans is how and where this so-called "Yogacara-Svatantrika" philosophy is to be situated in the hierarchy of Indian Buddhist schools. Some of the best philosophy in Tibet has been done on precisely this question.

About the Author
Ju Mipham (1846–1912) displayed a universal genius as he wrote on all aspects of Buddhist theory and practice, as well as on the traditional sciences. He has emerged as one of the most influential figures to come out of the Tibetan tradition in recent centuries.

From the Inside Flap
In his Ornament of the Middle Way, the great Indian master Santaraksita reveals how the path of reasoning can lead the mind to increasingly profound insight and experience, and how the process of refining our view of reality through intelligent and open-minded inquiry can bring about complete liberation within the discovery of the natural state.
Speech of Delight, Ju Mipham's illustrious commentary, highlights and explains the pity reasoning of this classic treatise, and unfolds the expansive view of the Great Vehicle in a clear, engaging, and compassionate way. Treasured dearly as "The Eyes of Ju Mipham Rinpoche," this commentary is a key element in the curriculum of many of the monastic colleges in Tibet and South Asia. Simultaneously direct and profound, it displays the hallmarks of Mipham's accomplished authorship.

Excerpt.
FOREWORD
by
Chökyi Nyima Rinpoche

Our Teacher, the Buddha, and Transcendent Conqueror is like a great unknown friend to all us sentient beings. He is a master of inconceivable and inexpressible qualities, such as wakeful wisdom, loving compassion, enlightened activity, and the power that saves and protects. His authentic teachings are expressed in the three consecutive wheels of the Dharma. Within these teachings, the Ornament of the Middle Way is classified primarily as an explanation on the intent of the intermediate Dharma wheel, which directly reveals the abiding way of all objects of cognition and establishes the principles of emptiness. Its author, the great preceptor õåntarakýita, was the founder of the Middle Way of Yogic Action and is repeatedly praised in prophecies in sÒtras and tantras of the Victorious One. He became indisputably renowned, like the sun and the moon, in both the Noble Land of India and Tibet.

In his Ornament of the Middle Way, õåntarakýita emphasizes the way to establish the unity of the two truths, which is the great indivisibility of appearance and emptiness and thereby authentically elucidates the realization of the Victorious Lord of the Capable Ones. Due to the power of õåntarakýita’s cultivation of the enlightened mind, and through his aspirations, the Buddha’s teachings were disseminated and established in the snowy land of Tibet. Composed by this kind master, the Ornament of the Middle Way is a perfect scripture of extreme profundity.

The Lord of Speech in the Land of Snow, the king of all who has gained expertise and accomplishment, the all-seeing mahåpaòçita Mipham Jamyang Namgyal Gyatso, saw many special reasons for writing a commentary on the Ornament of the Middle Way and so composed this perfect î¦kå. Intended for those who pursue knowledge that is both profound and vast, this commentary is given in a style that is concise and lucid. Profound and vast in meaning, it conveys the heart practice of all accomplished knowledge-holders and reveals the single path traversed to omniscience. Containing key points and oral instructions for all philosophies, it is like a single bridge that spans a hundred rivers.

This commentary has now been rendered into English by my direct disciple, Thomas Doctor, also known by his Dharma name, Lungtog Sangpo, who has unchanging faith and trust in the Buddhadharma. Rejoicing from my heart in this fact, I offer benedictions and prayers that the genuine tradition of the Victorious Lion of the Śākyas may be present throughout all corners of the world as the source of happiness and joy for the benefit of the teachings and sentient beings.

This was written by Chökyi Nyima, who bears the name of Tulku, on the auspicious 10th day of the waxing second moon in the male water horse year, the year 2129 of the Tibetan kings.