Nāgārjuna's Approach to the Problem of the Existence of God

The present paper is concerned to examine the way in which Nāgārjuna, an influential Buddhist philosopher who lived in the second century A. D., dealt with the problem of the existence of God. It is, in fact, concerned to show that such theological positions as theism, atheism, agnosticism, or pantheism are not those taken by Mādhyamika Buddhism. Based on a critical analysis Nāgārjuna, as a representative of the Mādhyamika Buddhism, does not deny the existence of God; neither does he regard it as dubious. He, in fact, regards the question of the existence of God as senseless. The position of Mādhyamika Buddhism is neither theistic nor atheistic. It regards the propositions "God exists" and "God does not exist" as senseless. This writing is an attempt to provide the readers with a detailed explanation of Nāgārjuna's approach to the problem of the existence of God. It aims to provide a proper understanding of the position taken by Mādhyamika Buddhism on the problem of the existence of God.