The Dhammapada

Great Book

I'm a non religious atheist person becos I believe in God but not the man made god. But i found this book to good as it says & shows the way one should live his or her life.

This has a very special space in my collection, the content in the book is precious

tiny , crap quality paper. not worth 20 bucks get something proper a leatherbound or hardcover from a good known brand

I am so glad I purchased this book. The Dhammapada has been translated numerous times, and for any student of Buddhism or the Dhammapada itself, it is important to seek out the most scholarly versions, but also versions that hopefully truly capture the words of the Buddha. This particular version is written by a profound man, a devout monk and scholar, who has devoted his life to his Buddhist beliefs. Hence, it is inspirational, thought provoking and fascinating to read his interpretation of what the Buddha said. His particular choice of words, particularly on the verses regarding MIndfulness and Mind, I find to be so clear and sharp and resonant, in my mind, hopefully truly reflecting the words of the Buddha. One of the unique features of this particular book is that it is pocket size, and so easy to carry with you anywhere, in a car, a fanny pack, even the chest pocket of the a jacket. The font size is a little smaller than some versions, so anyone who has a problem with smaller font sizes should consider that. But in terms of a succinct, clear interpretation of the Buddha's words, this is an important one to add to your collection, to ponder, to ruminate, to digest, with words that will hopefully provide insight and clarity.

This is one of the top books on Buddha words. Please buy and read.

Ein sehr hilfreiches und weißes Buch. Umfangreiches und universelles Wissen über das Leben, Gott und den Menschen selbst. Keine einfache Sprache jedoch. Wörterbuch bereit halten!

I have ten different translations of the Dhammapada, and this is perhaps my overall favorite. The teamwork of Ananda Maitreya (a scholar and experienced monk) and Rose Kramer (a semanticist and translator) is credible and understandable. The book is also easy to carry around, and IMHO is much preferable to other, more popular small translations. Incidentally, I certainly recommend using at least three or four translations of this deep book . Unfortunately, many Pali words do not have a one-to-one equivalent with English, so translations of this gentle book will necessarily be either too literal and specific, or too poetic and vague, and will be misleading at certain points. For example, the word "dukkha" has been translated many ways, and reading several texts will help expand your appreciation of the original word. A Pali dictionary (including those on websites like accesstoinsight) also helps uncover a more meaningful translation, and so does a work which includes the Pali text, like Carter and Palihawadana (older edition, not the newer condensed version). Other sources and sites, like the Barre Center for Buddhist Studies, have valuable commentaries on the Dhammapada and the Pali language. Obviously, a small text like Ananda Maitreya's will not have notes or references, so consider using it alongside a larger, more scholarly version (like the older edition of Carter and Palihawadana or Kalupahana). This will be more expensive, but a book like the Dhammapada is worth it and you can spend far more money for far less benefit. I would also recommend reading and re-reading one chapter of the book each week, perhaps each one from a different text. In a few short weeks you will have encountered one of the masterpieces of humanity -- a gem of literature, spirituality, and character development. I hope you enjoy this little book.