This is the first part of a complete translation of the original Tibetan text "dBu-ma-rtsa-ba'i-tshig-leur-byas-pa-shes-rab-ces-bya-ba'i-rnam-bshad-rigs-pa' i-rgya-mtsho-zhes-bya-ba-bzhugs-so" by the great Je Tsongkhapa (1357–1419) - a commentary on the text "Mulamadhyamakakarika" (Root Verses on the Middleness), the main among the writings on Madhyamaka by the outstanding Buddhist philosopher and tantric master Arya Nagarjuna (2nd century). The Nāgārjuna text, containing 27 chapters, is the fundamental text of the Madhyamika school of philosophy, which had a great influence on all subsequent development of the Mahāyāna, especially in Tibet and China. Je Tsongkhapa's commentary is known by its abbreviated title, The Great Commentary. The first part of the translation includes a preliminary section and chapters I–VIII, containing a brief explanation of the selflessness of phenomena and personality and that part of a detailed explanation of the doctrine of emptiness, which contains the rationale for the selflessness of phenomena.