For example, in many verses the Buddha commends certain practices on the grounds that they lead to a heavenly birth, but in others he discourages disciples from aspiring for heaven and extols the one who takes no delight in celestial pleasures (187, 417) [Unless chapter numbers are indicated, all figures enclosed in parenthesis refer to verse numbers of the Dhammapada.]. having restraint and truthfulness. (13), The fool worries, thinking, "I have sons, I have wealth." She is the author of "Rethinking Religion" and has covered religion for The Guardian, Tricycle.org, and other outlets. The Diamond. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. But to dispel any doubts the disciple might entertain as to what he should avoid and what he should cultivate, other verses provide more specific directives. However, when presented from a non-Buddhist frame of reference, the teachings of the Buddha inevitably suffer some distortion. O'Brien, Barbara. As profound expressions of practical spirituality, each verse is a guideline to right living. It is a collection of the teachings of the Buddha expressed in clear, pithy verses. (iv) The fourth level of teaching in the Dhammapada provides no new disclosure of doctrine or practice, but an acclamation and exaltation of those who have reached the goal. The disciple should treat all beings with kindness and compassion, live honestly and righteously, control his sensual desires, speak the truth and live a sober upright life, diligently fulfilling his duties, such as service to parents, to his immediate family and to those recluses and brahmans who depend on the laity for their maintenance (332-333). Do not serve base desires. Barbara O'Brien is a Zen Buddhist practitioner who studied at Zen Mountain Monastery. The present translation was originally written in the late 1950's. The Dhammapada, an anthology of verses attributed to the Buddha, has long been recognized as one of the masterpieces of early Buddhist literature. But by and large, the logic behind the grouping together of verses into a chapter is merely the concern with a common topic. The sterling qualities distinguishing the man of virtue are generosity, truthfulness, patience, and compassion (223). between “good” and “evil” which characterize familiar religious forms, are supplanted by the establishment of a number of subtle ethical dimensions—presented in the form of “on the other hands” and “yes, buts.”. Just as the Buddha is looked upon as The four levels are arrived at by distinguishing the last aim into two stages: path and fruit. His function in relation to humanity is that of a teacher — a world teacher who, out of compassion, points out to others the way to Nibbana (Sanskrit: Nirvana), final release from suffering. The Dhammapada (Pāli; Prakrit: धम्मपद Dhammapada;) is a collection of sayings of the Buddha in verse form and one of the most widely read and best known Buddhist scriptures. (64), Well done is that action of doing which one repents not later, and the fruit of which one, reaps with delight and happiness. Verse 11. One is called the stage of once-returner (sakadagami), when the disciple will return to the human world at most only one more time; the other the stage of non-returner (anagami), when he will never come back to human existence but will take rebirth in a celestial plane, bound to win final deliverance there. The fourth and final stage is that of the arahant, the Perfected One, the fully accomplished sage who has completed the development of the path, eradicated all defilements and freed himself from bondage to the cycle of rebirths. One should adhere to the five precepts, the fundamental moral code of Buddhism, which teach abstinence from destroying life, from stealing, from committing adultery, from speaking lies and from taking intoxicants; one who violates these five training rules "digs up his own root even in this very world" (246-247). Dhammapada Sutta, Chapter 13, Verses 167-178 . Translating an ancient Asian language into contemporary English is a perilous thing. Dhamma means "the teachings of Buddhism." The newly added subtitle, "The Buddha's Path of Wisdom," is not literal, but is fully applicable on the ground that the verses of the Dhammapada all originate from the Buddha's wisdom and lead the one who follows them to a life guided by that same wisdom. Thence it might be suggested to the reader in search of spiritual guidance that the Dhammapada be used as a manual for contemplation. The finished result of that project, presented here, is a humble attempt by a practicing follower of the Buddha to transmit the spirit and content, as well as the language and style, of the original teachings. Today there are a great many translations in print and on the Web. These verses were culled from various discourses given by the Buddha in the course of forty-five years of his teaching, as he travelled in the valley of the Ganges (Ganga) and the sub-mountain tract of the Himalayas. You may copy, reformat, reprint, republish, and redistribute this work in any medium whatsoever, provided that: (1) you only make such copies, etc. Drop by drop is the water pot filled. It is a treasury of gems that illuminate and inspire. Often he enjoins works of merit, yet elsewhere he praises the one who has gone beyond both merit and demerit (39, 412). Let no man foster evil habits. Dhammapada As a Daily Practice; Listening Faithfully:Audio Book Sutta Reading from the Pali Canon; Dhammapada: The Buddha’s Path of Wisdom, Translated by Acharya Buddharakkhita, Kindle, Epub, PDF; Dhammapada: Translated by Ven. The four levels of teaching just discussed give us the key for sorting out the Dhammapada's diverse utterances on Buddhist doctrine and for discerning the intention behind its words of practical counsel. A wrongly directed mind brings greater harm than any enemy, a rightly directed mind brings greater good than any other relative or friend (42, 43). The Dhammapada is the second book of the Khuddaka Nikaya of the Suttanta Pitaka, consisting of four hundred and twenty-three verses in twenty-six chapters arranged under various heads. These are from the Acharya Buddharakkhita translation ("The Dhammapada: The Buddha's Path of Wisdom" --verse numbers are in parentheses). Some years earlier, while consulting a number of English-language editions of the Dhammapada, it was observed that the renderings were either too free and inaccurate or too pedantic, and it was therefore felt that a new translation avoiding these two extremes would serve a valuable purpose. A large number of verses pertaining to this first level are concerned with the resolution of conflict and hostility. I have read several versions, and this one is the best. His arising in the world provides the precious opportunity to hear and practice the excellent Dhamma (182, 194). The pivotal role in achieving progress in all spheres, the Dhammapada declares, is played by the mind. The story of this venerable personage has often been overlaid with literary embellishment and the admixture of legend, but the historical essentials of his life are simple and clear. It is an ever-fecund source of themes for sermons and discussions, a guidebook for resolving the countless problems of everyday life, a primer for the instruction of novices in the monasteries. A deeper, more searching examination, however, reveals that all states of existence in samsara, even the loftiest celestial abodes, are lacking in genuine worth; for they are all inherently impermanent, without any lasting substance, and thus, for those who cling to them, potential bases for suffering. The recognition of duality extends beyond the limits of conditioned existence to include the antithetical poles of the conditioned and the unconditioned, samsara and Nibbana, the "near shore" and the "far shore." Verse 167 (13:167) 167. In preparing this volume I have had access to numerous editions and translations of the Dhammapada into various languages, including Sanskrit, Hindi, Bengali, Sinhala, Burmese and Nepali. Raised in luxury, groomed by his father to be the heir to the throne, in his early manhood he went through a deeply disturbing encounter with the sufferings of life, as a result of which he lost all interest in the pleasures and privileges of rulership. This fourfold schematism develops out of an ancient interpretive maxim which holds that the Buddha's teaching is designed to meet three primary aims: human welfare here and now, a favorable rebirth in the next life, and the attainment of the ultimate good. While there may be some truth in the latter interpretation if you read the Buddharakkhita and Thanissaro translations you see something else entirely. The thoughtful, who have seen the transience and hidden misery of worldly life, break the ties of family and social bonds, abandon their homes and mundane pleasures, and enter upon the state of homelessness (83, 87-89, 91). Man's moral freedom is a reason for both dread and jubilation, for by means of his choices he determines his own individual destiny, not only through one life, but through the numerous lives to be turned up by the rolling wheel of samsara. For conduct to be completely purified, for sustained contemplation and penetrating wisdom to unfold without impediments, adoption of a different style of life becomes imperative, one which minimizes distractions and stimulants to craving and orders all activities around the aim of liberation. The Dhammapada (“Path of the Buddha’s Teachings”) is an inspiration for millions all over the world. Do not live in heedlessness. The starting point is the human condition as given, and fundamental to the picture that emerges is the inescapable duality of human life, the dichotomies which taunt and challenge man at every turn. The Diamond Of Power. The third was F. Max Muller's translation of the Dhammapada. In the popular understanding kamma is sometimes identified with fate, but this is a total misconception utterly inapplicable to the Buddhist doctrine. However, the focus of the Dhammapada is not on the outer cosmos, but on the human world, upon man with his yearning and his suffering, his immense complexity, his striving and movement towards transcendence. The second truth points out that the cause of suffering is craving (tanha), the desire for pleasure and existence which drives us through the round of rebirths, bringing in its trail sorrow, anxiety, and despair (212-216, Chapter 24). When these truths are penetrated by direct experience, the craving, ignorance and related mental fetters maintaining bondage break asunder, and the disciple rises through successive stages of realization to the full attainment of Nibbana. This slim volume of 423 short verses from the Pali Tripitaka is sometimes called the Buddhist Book of Proverbs. The Dhammapada is the best known and most widely esteemed text in the Pali Tipitaka, the sacred scriptures of Theravada Buddhism. on the basis or material going back to very ancient times. For that reason, the accuracy of the translation depends as much on the translators' understanding of the text as on his translating skills. (iii) The ethical counsel based on the desire for higher rebirths and happiness in future lives is not the final teaching of the Buddha, and thus cannot provide the decisive program of personal training commended by the Dhammapada. (11), Just as rain breaks through an ill-thatched house, so passion penetrates an undeveloped mind. In section 20 of the Dhammapada, I found some verses that seemed to speak to my situation: This achievement alone, the Dhammapada declares, is greater than lordship over all the worlds (178). Do not sink into the world. The work is simply a collection of inspirational or pedagogical verses on the fundamentals of the Dhamma, to be used as a basis for personal edification and instruction. The Dhammapada is the most widely read Buddhist scripture in existence, enjoyed by both Buddhists and non-Buddhists. The point is that it's wise not to be too attached to ideas about what any one verse means until you've compared three or four translations of it. The bhikshu who controls his mouth, who speaks wisely and calmly, who teaches the meaning and the law, his word is sweet. (100), Think not lightly of evil, saying, "It will not come to me." The key to resolving these apparent discrepancies is the recognition that the Dhamma assumes its formulation from the needs of the diverse persons to whom it is addressed, as well as from the diversity of needs that may co-exist even in a single individual. Bearing his last body, perfectly at peace, he is the inspiring model who shows in his own person that it is possible to free oneself from the stains of greed, hatred and delusion, to rise above suffering, to win Nibbana in this very life. Dhammapada Verse 61: If a person seeking a companion cannot find one who is better than or equal to him, let him resolutely go on alone; there can be no companionship with a fool. The entry-way to the monastic life is an act of radical renunciation. The first truth details the various forms of suffering — birth, old age, sickness and death, the misery of unpleasant encounters and painful separations, the suffering of not obtaining what one wants. available, Access to Insight is owned and managed by the, http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/dhp/dhp.intro.budd.html. Verse (21) which begins with "Appamado amatapadam" meaning "Mindfulness is the way The word comes from dhri, which means to bear or to hold, and its root sense is the essence of a thing, the defining quality that "holds it together" as what it is. --Buddha, Dhammapada “The fool who knows he is a fool Is that much wiser. According to the Theravada Buddhist tradition, each verse in the Dhammapada was originally spoken by the Buddha in response to a particular episode. There is no creator of this process, no providential deity behind the scenes steering all things to some great and glorious end. It is impossible in a translation to do more than indicate the meaning of such words, and in order to understand them fully, we must know not only their definition, but their history. The Pali word dhamma (in Sanskrit, dharma) in Buddhism has several meanings. is fit for the stainless robe. Included in this basket is the uber-important Dhammapada, or Buddha's exposition on the law. The arahant ideal reaches its optimal exemplification in the Buddha, the promulgator and master of the entire teaching. Heedfulness, the Buddha declares, is the path to the Deathless; heedlessness, the path to death. The Buddha taught it to laypeople as well as to monks, and many of his lay followers reached high stages of attainment. Content with the simplest material requisites, moderate in eating, restrained in their senses, they stir up their energy, abide in constant mindfulness and still the restless waves of thoughts (185, 375). Another was Viggo Fausboll's "Sutta-Nipata." His given name was Siddhattha and his family name Gotama (Sanskrit: Siddhartha Gautama) . Also Prakrit Dhamapada, Sanskrit Dharmapada) is a Buddhist religious scripture, containing 423 verses in 26 categories. 63. Composed in the ancient Pali language, this slim anthology of verses constitutes a perfect compendium of the Buddha's teaching, comprising between its covers all the essential principles elaborated at length in the forty-odd volumes of the Pali canon. This theme is announced already by the pair of verses which opens the Dhammapada, and reappears in diverse formulations throughout the work (see, e.g., 15-18, 117-122, 127, 132-133, Chapter 22). This wisdom, gradually ripened, climaxes in the understanding that brings complete purification and deliverance of mind. Prescriptively, the second level of teaching found in the Dhammapada is the practical corollary to this recognition of the law of kamma, put forth to show human beings, who naturally desire happiness and freedom from sorrow, the effective means to achieve their objectives. The intensified power of delivery can result in apparent inconsistencies which may perplex the unwary. By the training in wisdom the concentrated beam of attention is focused upon the constituent factors of mind and body to investigate and contemplate their salient characteristics. The entire discipline of the Buddha, from basic morality to the highest levels of meditation, hinges upon training the mind. The Dhammapada. Explanation: Whoever dons the 'stained cloth', being free of defilements, who is well conducted and tranquil within, having emotions under control and aware of reality, such a person is worthy of the sacred 'stained cloth'. Narada 1959 167. In 1855, Viggo Fausboll had published the first translation of the Dhammapada into a western language. Dhammapadaṁ The title is extracted from the end title in the original text. His teaching, known as the Dhamma, offers a body of instructions explaining the true nature of existence and showing the path that leads to liberation. In some cases (Chapters 4 and 23) this may be a metaphorical symbol rather than a point of doctrine. Instead of keeping watch for the faults of others, the disciple is admonished to examine his own faults, and to make a continual effort to remove his impurities just as a silversmith purifies silver (50, 239). Korean: 법구경/담마 파다 beobgugyeong.) The most arresting feature of this view is its stress on process rather than persistence as the defining mark of actuality. After yielding rebirth, kamma continues to operate, governing the endowments and circumstances of the individual within his given form of existence. Our last basket is … This level begins with the recognition that, to reflective thought, the human situation demands a more satisfactory context for ethics than mere appeals to altruism can provide. Thence, just as water, though one in essence, assumes different shapes due to the vessels into which it is poured, so the Dhamma of liberation takes on different forms in response to the needs of the beings to be taught. To make sense of the various utterances found in the Dhammapada, we will suggest a schematism of four levels to be used for ascertaining the intention behind any particular verse found in the work, and thus for understanding its proper place in the total systematic vision of the Dhamma. If he chooses wrongly he can sink to the lowest depths of degradation, if he chooses rightly he can make himself worthy even of the homage of the gods. There also seems to be no intentional design in the order of the chapters themselves, though at certain points a loose thread of development can be discerned. Infusing him with hope and inspiration, gradually it will lead him to discover a freedom and happiness far greater than anything the world can offer. Dhammapada is regarded as an inexhaustible source of guidance and spiritual inspiration, as the wise counselor to which to turn for help in resolving the difficult moral and personal problems inescapable in daily life. Loosely translated, Dhammapada means the "path of perfection," or the right path of life which leads one to the supreme Truth. From ancient times to the present, the Dhammapada has been regarded as the most succinct expression of the Buddha's teaching found in the Pali canon and the chief spiritual testament of early Buddhism. For example, here is Muller's translation of the opening verse: Compare this with a recent translation by the Indian Buddhist monk, Acharya Buddharakkhita: And one by the American Buddhist monk, Thanissaro Bhikkhu: I bring this up because I have seen people interpret Muller's translation of the first verse as something like Descartes' "I think, therefore I am." One night, in his twenty-ninth year, he fled the royal city and entered the forest to live as an ascetic, resolved to find a way to deliverance from suffering. The title "Dhammapada" which the ancient compilers of the Buddhist scriptures attached to our anthology means portions, aspects, or sections of Dhamma. Find What Truly Matters. https://www.learnreligions.com/the-dhammapada-450127 (accessed March 25, 2021). It is a treasury of gems that illuminate and inspire. The Dhammapada has for centuries been used as an introduction to the Buddhist point of view. But the teachings inevitably emerge from the human condition as their matrix and starting point, and thus must be expressed in such a way as to reach human beings standing at different levels of spiritual development, with their highly diverse problems, ends, and concerns and with their very different capacities for understanding. The third level of teaching found in the Dhammapada sets forth the theoretical framework and practical discipline emerging out of the aspiration for final deliverance. Seeking happiness, afraid of pain, loss and death, man walks the delicate balance between good and evil, purity and defilement, progress and decline. In a world where man has no savior but himself, and where the means to his deliverance lies in mental purification, heedfulness becomes the crucial factor for ensuring that the aspirant keeps to the straight path of training without deviating due to the seductive allurements of sense pleasures or the stagnating influences of laziness and complacency. By the training in morality, the coarsest forms of the mental defilements, those erupting as unwholesome deeds and words, are checked and kept under control. Learn Religions, Aug. 27, 2020, learnreligions.com/the-dhammapada-450127. What is needed most urgently to train and subdue the mind is a quality called heedfulness (appamada). Many of the verses presuppose at least a passing knowledge of Buddhist doctrine; others employ multiple levels of meaning and wordplay typical of polished kavya. (63), Though all his life a fool associates with a wise man, he no more comprehends the Truth than a spoon tastes the flavor of the soup. For practical purposes the eight factors of the path are arranged into three major groups which reveal more clearly the developmental structure of the training: moral discipline (including right speech, right action and right livelihood), concentration (including right effort, right mindfulness and right concentration), and wisdom (including right understanding and right thought). Likewise, the fool, gathering it little by little, fills himself with evil. 78.] The verses, arranged in 26 chapters, are taken from several parts of the Pali Tripitaka and a few other early sources. The principles of morality are shown now in their broader cosmic connections, as tied to an invisible but all-embracing law which binds together all life and holds sway over the repeated rotations of the cycle of birth and death. But all he can do is indicate the path; the work of treading it lies in the hands of the disciple. The willed actions a person performs in the course of his life may fade from memory without a trace, but once performed they leave subtle imprints on the mind, seeds with the potential to come to fruition in the future when they meet conditions conducive to their ripening. A fifth century commentary by Buddhaghosa includes 305 stories which give context to the verses. Whereas the longer discourses of the Buddha contained in the prose sections of the Canon usually proceed methodically, unfolding according to the sequential structure of the doctrine, the Dhammapada lacks such a systematic arrangement. I make this offering of Dhamma in grateful memory of my teachers, parents and relatives, departed and living. One should not respond to bitter speech but maintain silence (134). (62), A fool who knows his foolishness is wise at least to that extent, but a fool who thinks himself wise is a fool indeed. The difference lies in the perspective from which the injunctions are issued and the aim for the sake of which they are to be taken up. Taken together, these delineate for us the basic world view of early Buddhism. The scent of virtue, the Buddha declares, is sweeter than the scent of all flowers and perfumes (55-56). In the countries following Theravada Buddhism, such as Sri Lanka, Burma and Thailand, the influence of the Dhammapada is ubiquitous. Following stream-entry come two further stages which weaken and eradicate still more defilements and bring the goal increasingly closer to view. O'Brien, Barbara. The work has been given this title because, in its twenty-six chapters, it spans the multiple aspects of the Buddha's teaching, offering a variety of standpoints from which to gain a glimpse into its heart. This verse primarily is about the creation of karma. One of these, the Khuddaka Nikaya, is comprised of fifteen books, and the best known is the Dhammapada. In the Buddha's teaching, life is not viewed as an isolated occurrence beginning spontaneously with birth and ending in utter annihilation at death. is a collection of sayings of the Buddha in verse form and one of the most widely read and best known Buddhist scriptures. The aim at this level is to show man the way to live at peace with himself and his fellow men, to fulfill his family and social responsibilities, and to restrain the bitterness, conflict and violence which infect human relationships and bring such immense suffering to the individual, society, and the world as a whole. Pada means "foot" or "path.". Accounts of these, along with exegesis of the verses, are preserved in the classic commentary to the work, compiled by the great scholiast Bhadantacariya Buddhaghosa in the fifth century C.E. This, in fact, is what happens periodically throughout the Dhammapada, and especially at the end, where the verses express astonishment at the amazing and paradoxical qualities of a person who has Even if he has committed evil in the past, there is no need for dejection or despair; for a man's ways can be radically changed, and one who abandons the evil for the good illuminates this world like the moon freed from clouds (173). Dhammapada or Dhammapadas? The one who conquers himself, the victor over his own mind, achieves a conquest which can never be undone, a victory greater than that of the mightiest warriors (103-105). Having understood the intrinsic inadequacy of all conditioned things, his focal aspiration is only for deliverance from the ever-repeating round of births. Happiness in the hands of the Buddha in response to a particular episode this text 's title have various... 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