Ratnāvalī — Precious Garland
Nāgārjuna's advice to a king on Dharma and ethics.
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Exposition of the Ratnāvalī — Precious Garland of Royal Counsel
Background
The Precious Garland of Royal Counsel (Ratnāvalī) is an important work by the Venerable Nāgārjuna, around the second century, one of the greatest holy figures of the Mahayana tradition. According to tradition, Nāgārjuna accomplished the bodhisattva Dharma in a past life and manifested in the western land in order to teach the Dharma.
This scripture was composed in the form of a precious letter (ratnā = jewel, valī = row, garland) addressed to an Indian king, whom many scholars identify as King Sātavāhana. Rather than presenting the Buddhadharma in the usual manner, Nāgārjuna skillfully wove and nourished faith within the royal personage, helping this king recognize that the practice of the Buddhadharma is not the private affair of monks and nuns, but the responsibility of an ethical leader.
Main Contents
This treatise has two core parts: ethical conduct for kings and the ultimate purpose of rule according to the Buddhadharma.
First, Nāgārjuna teaches that a king who wishes to govern the country enduringly and bring happiness to the people must observe the five basic precepts: not killing, not stealing, not engaging in sexual misconduct, not lying, and not using alcohol or intoxicants. These are not theocratic commands from above, but natural laws: wholesome actions create wholesome causes; unwholesome actions create unwholesome causes, karma, cause and effect. The king is a model for others, and therefore must practice self-restraint and cultivate himself before making demands of the people.
Second, Nāgārjuna emphasizes the power of loving-kindness (mettā) and compassion (karuṇā). A wise king abandons vengeance and violence; instead, he instructs the people in cause and effect and encourages them to cultivate the four immeasurables. When the people are freed from greed, hatred, and delusion, society naturally becomes harmonious, without the need for armies or overly severe punishments.
The third part addresses the final purpose: that living as an independent and prosperous nation is an instrument for attaining awakening.
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