Regular marked price: $18.95Discount Price: $12.89
Cost Savings: $6.06 (32%)Price fluctuation possible.
How soon does it ship: In stock soon. Order now to get in line. First come, very first served.
Shipping? Absolutely FREE if you qualify for Super Saver Shipping.
Type of bind: Hardcover
Dewey Decimal Number: 294.382322
EAN num: 9781590302118
ISBN number: 1590302117
Label: Shambhala
Manufacturer: Shambhala
Quantity: 1
Page Count: 176
Printing Date: August 09, 2005
Publishing house: Shambhala
Release Date: August 09, 2005
Sale Popularity Level: 49034
Studio: Shambhala
Other books you might be interested in perusing:
Editor's Notes and Comments:
Product Description:
The Dhammapada is the most widely read Buddhist scripture in existence, enjoyed by both Buddhists and non-Buddhists. This classic text of teaching verses from the earliest period of Buddhism in India conveys the philosophical and practical foundations of the Buddhist tradition. The text presents two distinct goals for leading a spiritual life: the very first is attaining happiness in this life (or in future lives); the second goal is the achievement of spiritual liberation, freedom, absolute peace. Many of the key themes of the verses are presented in dichotomies or pairs, for example, grief and suffering versus joy; developing the mind instead of being negligent about one's mental attitude and conduct; virtuous action versus misconduct; and being truthful versus being deceitful. The purpose of these contrasts is, very simply, to describe the difference between what leads to desirable outcomes and what does not.
For centuries, this text has been studied in its original Pali, the canonical language of Buddhism in Southeast Asia. This fresh new translation from Insight Mediation teacher and Pail translator Gil Fronsdal is both highly readable and scholarly authoritative. With extensive explanatory notes, this edition combines a rigorous attention to detail in bringing forth the original text with the translator's personal knowledge of the Buddhist path. It is the very first truly accurate and highly readable translation of this text to be published in English.
User popularity level:
Rated by buyers -
"You hold in your hands the most beloved of all Buddhist texts, both poetic and profound. These verses of the Dhammapada sum up in the simplest language the core teachings of the Buddha. Memorized and chanted by devoted followers for thousands of years, these words remind all who hear them the universal truths expounded by the Buddha: Hatred never ends by hatred. Virtue and wise action are the foundation for happiness. And the Buddha's teachings offer the possibility of a thoroughly unshakable peace and liberation of heart for those who follow the way of the Dharma and free themselves from clinging."
- from the Forward, by Jack Kornfield
I currently have three favorite translations of "The Dhammapada." Ananda Maitreya's version available in an attractive pocket-sized edition from Parallax Press, Glenn Wallis' erudite rendition for Modern Library, and this one by Gil Fronsdal. In his Preface, Fronsdal sets forth his purpose in writing yet another translation of this popular Buddhist scripture. His aim, he writes, is to reach an understanding of the text free of his own personal interpretation, cultural bias and latter-day interpolations. The result is something that brings the reader as close as possible to understanding what early Buddhism was probably like.
The translation itself is beautiful. Like Wallis, Fronsdal thankfully takes a more literal approach. Most translations rob the text of its poetic beauty by rendering the almost telegraphic quality of the original Pali (not unlike the ancient Sanskrit of the Vedic scriptures or Chinese of Lao Tzu) into bland prose. The prime example of this is Max Mueller's influential version. Consider his rendering of the opening text:
"All that we are is the result of what we have thought: it is founded on our thoughts, it is made up of our thoughts. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, pain follows him, as the wheel follows the foot of the ox that draws the carriage."
Now compare that with Fronsdal's:
"All experience is preceded by mind,
Led by mind,
made by mind.
Speak or act with a corrupted mind,
And suffering follows,
As the wagon wheel follows the hoof of an ox."
It's almost hard to believe they are the same verse. Mueller's translation is actually rather popular. So popular, in fact, that many subsequent translators borrow heavily from him. (Check out the preview pages provided by Amazon for Eknath Easwaran's and Thomas Byrom's versions - you will no doubt note the similarities with Mueller's.)
Yet, for me, Fronsdal's more spacious rendition is much more evocative of the mindset that the Buddha advocated. The language of the Indian scriptures is refreshingly clear and direct, in stark contrast to the opaque koans and esoteric treatises that would follow. Fronsdal captures this directness, without ruining the restraint and poetry of the text. I find his translation choices for some Pali words highly insightful, especially "experience" for "dhamma." It's an inclusive, all-encompassing word that captures the feeling of dying to our ego-attachments and awakening to life itself that is at the heart of practice.
Definitely a translation worth checking out.
Rated by buyers -
I am no expert on translation, so I will comment on the merits of the text. The Dhammpada does indeed strike one as a classic of the Buddhist tradition - a brief, but very insightful work into human nature, spirituality, and ethics. If one were to read the Bhagavad-Gita to get a beginning grasp of Hinduism, one should read the Dhammapada to get a basic grasp of Buddhism. There is, of course, always more to study, but this small gem should give a glittering exposition to the reader of the basic principles of Buddhist thought.
Rated by buyers 
-
Gil not only created a great translation from the original Pali, but was also able to put the Dhammapada back into verse (a very difficult thing to do successfully).
It is a great translation.
Rated by buyers -
I have read the Penguin Classics as well as the Thich Nhat Hanh version of the Dhammapada, and this version speaks more clearly (less cumbersome language) and is deeper touching for me. It will be a great choice for most other average Westerners, even if you're just picking it up out of curiosity.
Rated by buyers -
I have several translations of the Dhammapada and this translation is the one that I take with me on my travels, and refer to most often.
Find other books like this one:
