Tuesday, May 12, 2026 · 天火 · tianmu.org
Indian Wisdom and Statecraft
Indian wisdom literature, statecraft, and conduct texts preserved in Tibetan Buddhist collections.
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Texts
Chanakyas Treatise on Royal Policy — CanakyaThe legendary Indian strategist Chanakya's treatise on kingship, ethics, and governance — wisdom for rulers gathered from many sources, in eight chapters of verse. First English translation from the Tibetan Tengyur.The Hundred Verses — VararuciA hundred wisdom verses on learning, virtue, impermanence, and the holy life, by the great Indian poet-grammarian Vararuci, translated from Tibetan for the first time.Treatise on Proper Conduct — Masuraksas NitishastraFirst English translation of Masūrakṣa's classical Indian treatise on ethics, statecraft, and proper conduct — a seven-chapter nītishāstra preserved in the Tibetan Tengyur, offering practical wisdom on daily life, lessons from animals, the art of dealing with enemies, strategic self-interest, discernment of character, the nature of wealth, and the qualities of an ideal court.