The Madhyamika or Middle Way, a school of Buddhist thought that originated in
India in the second or third century, was a decisive influence in the subsequent
developement of Mahayana Buddhism. In a new approach to its study, The Emptiness
of Emptiness reconsiders the central doctrine of emptiness and shows that the
Madhyamika critique of all philosophical views is both subtler and more radical
than most Western interpretation indicates. Building on earlier research into
Sanskrit and Tibetan sources, the present work also examines the assumptions
that have governed the study of Asian soteriological philosophy. In assessing
the philosophical significance of the Madhyamika, the author demonstrates that
the