Dhammapada

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The Dhammapada (Pāli, sometimes translated as Path of the Dharma. Also Prakrit Dhamapada, Sanskrit Dharmapada) is a Buddhist scripture, containing 423 verses in 26 categories. According to tradition, these are verses spoken by the Buddha on various occasions, most of which deal with ethics. A fourth or fifth century commentary attributed to Buddhaghosa includes 305 stories which give context to the verses. [1]

The Dhammapada is a popular section of the Pāli Tipitaka and is considered one of the most important pieces of Theravada literature.

Although the Pāli edition is the most well known, a Gandhari edition written in Kharosthi and a seemingly related text in Sanskrit known as the Udanavarga have also been discovered.

Despite being a primarily Theravada text, the Dhammapada is read by many Mahayana Buddhists and remains a very popular text across all schools of Buddhism.

1 Excerpt from the Dhammapada
2 Translations of the Dhammapada
3 External links
4 References

[edit] Excerpt from the Dhammapada

Contrary Ways

What we are today comes from our thoughts of yesterday, and our present thoughts build our life of tomorrow: our life is the creation of our mind. If a man speaks or acts with an impure mind, suffering follows him as the wheel of the cart follows the beast that draws the cart.
He insulted me, he hurt me, he defeated me, he robbed me. Those who think such thoughts will not be free from hate.
For hate is not conquered by hate: hate is conquered by love. This is a law eternal.

(Translation by Juan Mascaro)

Check your mind,

Be on your guard,

Pull yourself out,

As an elephant from mud.

— xxiii.8

[edit] Translations of the Dhammapada

Tr F. Max Müller, in Buddhist Parables, by E. W. Burlinghame, 1869; reprinted in Sacred Books of the East, volume X, Clarendon/Oxford, 1881; reprinted in Buddhism, by Clarence Hamilton; reprinted separately by Watkins, 2006; the first English translation (a Latin translation had appeared in 1855)
Tr J. Gray, American Mission Press, Rangoon, 1881
Hymns of Faith, tr Albert J. Edmunds, Open Court, Chicago, & Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co., London, 1902
The Buddha's Way of Virtue, tr W. D. C. Wagiswara & K. J. Saunders, John Murray, London, 1912
Tr Silacara, Buddhist Society, London, 1915
Tr Suriyagoda Sumangala, in Ceylon Antiquary, 1915
Tr A. P. Buddhadatta, Colombo Apothecaries, 1920?
The Buddha's Path of Virtue, tr F. L. Woodward, Theosophical Publishing House, London & Madras, 1921
In Buddhist Legends, tr E. W. Burlinghame, Harvard Oriental Series, 1921, 3 volumes; reprinted by Pali Text Society [2], Lancaster; translation of the stories from the commentary, with the Dhammapada verses embedded
Tr R. D. Shrikhande and/or P. L. Vaidya (according to different bibliographies; or did one publisher issue two translations in the same year?), Oriental Book Agency, Poona, 1923; includes Pali text
"Verses on Dhamma", in Minor Anthologies of the Pali Canon, volume I, tr C. A. F. Rhys Davids, 1931, Pali Text Society, Lancaster; verse translation; includes Pali text
Tr N. K. Bhagat, Buddha Society, Bombay, 1935; includes Pali text
Tr Irving Babbitt, Oxford University Press, New York & London, 1936; revision of Max Müller
Tr Dhammajoti, Maha Bodhi Society, Benares (date?)
Tr Jack Austin, Buddhist Society, London, 1945
Tr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Oxford University Press, London, 1950; includes Pali text
Tr Narada, John Murray, London, 1954
Tr ?, Cunningham Press, Alhambra, California, 1955
Tr C. Kunhan Raja, Theosophical Publishing House, Madras, 1956; includes Pali text
Growing the Bodhi Tree in the Garden of the Heart, tr Khantipalo, Buddhist Association of Thailand, Bangkok, 1966
Tr P. Lal, New York, 1970
Tr Juan Mascaró, Penguin Classics, 1973
Tr Thomas Byrom, Shambhala, Boston, Massachusetts, & Wildwood House, London, 1976 (ISBN 0-87773-966-8)
Tr Harischandra Kaviratna, Pasadena, 1980; includes Pali text
Tr Buddharakkhita, Buddhist Publication Society, Kandy, Sri Lanka, 1984; includes Pali text
Commentary, with text embedded, tr Department of Pali, University of Rangoon, published by Union Buddha Sasana Council, Rangoon (date uncertain; 1980s)
Tr Daw Mya Tin, Burma Pitaka Association, Rangoon, 1986; probably currently published by the Department for the Promotion and Propagation of the Sasana, Rangoon, and/or Sri Satguru, Delhi
Path of Enlightenment, tr David J. Kalupahana, Universities Press of America, Lanham, Maryland, c. 1986
Tr Eknath Easwaran, Arkana, London, 1986/7
Tr John Ross Carter & Mahinda Palihawadana, Oxford University Press, New York, 1987; the original, expensive hardback edition also includes the Pali text and the commentary's explanations of the verses; the cheap paperback reprint in the World's Classics Series omits these
Tr Ananda Maitreya & co-translator, 1988
Tr Thomas Cleary, Thorsons, London, 1995
The Word of the Doctrine, tr K. R. Norman, 1997, Pali Text Society, Lancaster; the PTS's preferred translation
Tr Anne Bancroft?, Element Books, Shaftesbury, Dorset, & Richport, Massachusetts, 1997
Tr F. Max Müller (see above), revised Jack Maguire, SkyLight Pubns, Woodstock, Vermont, 2002
Tr Glenn Wallis, Modern Library, New York, 2004 (ISBN 0-679-64397-9)
Tr Gil Fronsdal, Shambhala, Boston, Massachusetts, 2005 (ISBN 1-59030-380-6)