Nāgārjuna the Chameleon: A Flexible Interpreetation of the Madhyamaka Position

Abstract

This article proposes to interpret Nāgārjuna’s Madhyamaka philosophy as a flexible philosophical position rather than a fixed position within the metaphysical landscape. Nāgārjuna’s enigmatic mode of reasoning complicates efforts to definitively delineate his position in respect to the status of reality. Instead, it proves more worthwhile to consider his philosophical stance as dynamic, flexible non-static, and adaptive relative to his philosophical opponents. Presenting the Nāgārjuna as occupying a clearly defined metaphysical position fails to capture the full richness and complexity of the Madhyamaka philosophy, and goes precisely against the Mādhyamika’s spirit and method. Nāgārjuna constantly undermines the assertions of his adversaries, expressing no fixed thesis of his own, thereby embodying the fluidity of the middle way. I contend that Nāgārjuna’s adeptness at articulating the middle way stems from his subversive-styled rhetorical strategies coupled with his application of the prasaṅga method. Furthermore, this interpretation aligns more closely with Buddhist practice in general a sheds light on the pedagogical dimensions of the Madhyamaka philosophy.