Originally published: 2025/08/19 A thorough breakdown of one of the most fundamental works of Buddhist philosophy, with lots of context and background. Heavily indebted to the commentary of Jay L. Garfield and other work by him.

00:00:00 - Introduction 00:02:02 - Buddhist Thought Up to 150 AD: Siddhartha Gautama 00:06:19 - Buddhist Thought Up to 150 AD: The Abhidharma 00:20:29 - Buddhist Thought Up to 150 AD: The Mahāyāna 00:23:34 - Nāgārjuna's Innovation 00:34:39 - Structure and Method of the Mūlamadhyamakakārikā 00:44:40 - Chapter 1: Examination of Conditions 00:53:39 - Chapter 2: Examination of Motion 01:03:04 - Chapter 3: Examination of Senses 01:04:21 - Chapter 4: Examination of the Aggregates 01:06:33 - Chapter 5: Examination of Elements 01:10:28 - Chapter 6: Examination of Desire and the Desirous 01:12:33 - Chapter 7: Examination of the Conditioned 01:23:43 - Chapter 8: Examination of the Agent and Action 01:29:44 - Chapter 9: Examination of the Prior Entity 01:31:55 - Chapter 10: Examination of Fire and Fuel 01:35:30 - Chapter 11: Examination of the Initial and Final Limits 01:39:30 - Chapter 12: Examination of Suffering 01:41:28 - Chapter 13: Examination of Compounded Phenomena 01:47:36 - Chapter 14: Examination of Connection 01:50:10 - Chapter 15: Examination of Essence 01:53:40 - Chapter 16: Examination of Bondage 01:55:41 - Chapter 17: Examination of Actions and Their Fruits 02:02:01 - Chapter 18: Examination of Self and Entities 02:06:45 - Chapter 19: Examination of Time 02:09:35 - Chapter 20: Examination of Combination 02:12:14 - Chapter 21: Examination of Becoming and Destruction 02:14:01 - Chapter 22: Examination of the Tathāgata 02:17:22 - Chapter 23: Examination of Errors 02:18:48 - Chapter 24: Examination of the Four Noble Truths 02:24:32 - Chapter 25: Examination of Nirvana 02:26:34 - Chapter 26: Examination of the Twelve Links 02:27:51 - Chapter 27: Examination of Views 02:32:41 - Closing Words