Shakya Chokden broke from Sakya orthodoxy and wrote a highly critical commentary to
Sakya Pandita's "A thorough differentiation of the three vows" posing over 100 questions to Sakya scholars on this text. This event caused some controversy and Chokden answered his own questions in his subsequent "Golden lancet". Shakya Chokden's
Definite ascertainment of the middle way criticized
Tsongkhapa's Madhyamaka views as being too logo-centric and still caught up in conceptualization about the ultimate reality which is beyond language. In his later years, Shakya Chokden moved away from a strictly
Prasangika Madhyamika view (as held by
Chandrakirti) and adopted a kind of
Shentong (emptiness of other) view influenced by the works of
Asanga,
Vasubandhu and
Maitreya-nātha. Madhyamaka is seen by Shakya Chokden as removing the fault of taking the unreal as being real, and Yogacara removes the fault of the denial of Reality. Likewise, the
Shentong and
Rangtong views are seen as complementary by Shakya Chokden; Rangtong negation is effective in cutting through all clinging to wrong views and conceptual rectification while Shentong is more amenable for describing and enhancing meditative experience and realization. Therefore, for Shakya Chokden, the same realization of ultimate reality can be accessed and described in two different but compatible ways. Shakya Chokden held that this view was more in concordance with
Vajrayana teachings and Tantras. Since his views conflicted with those of
Sakya Pandita, they were not well received by the Sakya school. In the 17th century, followers of the politically dominant
Gelug school proscribed his writings and shut down the printery where his works were kept. ==Works==