Madhyamaka is thus conceived of as a means, with liberation as its ultimate end. But the question remains, how does philosophical argumentation lead to spiritual goals?

This article explains the basic tenets of Madhyamaka thought found in Nagarjuna’s Mūla-madhyamaka-kārikās, and then, focusing on chapter 23, proceeds to show how such philosophical inquiry and its resultant understanding lead to final liberation (nibbana).