This thesis presents some elements of Nāgārjuna's conception of emptiness and nirvāṇa in his work Mūlamadhyamakakārikā (The Fundamental Verses of the Middle Way), which ranks among the most fundamental texts of Indian Buddhist philosophy. The chapter following the introduction presents some of the basic teachings of Buddhism and the concepts of Mahāyāna Buddhism and the Madhyamaka school. Nāgārjuna's doctrine of emptiness, which he conceives of as the field of in-betweenness between permanence and nothingness, is further outlined. The thesis then turns to an analysis of Chapter 25 of the Mūlamadhyamakakārika (Nirvāna pariksā), in which he discusses on the various ways of defining nirvāṇa, pointing to the necessity of transcending conventional views and calling for a non-conceptual experience.
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