The Dhammapada (Classics of Indian Spirituality) - Compare Prices on New & Used Textbooks, Cheap Textbooks

Dhammapada means “the path of dharma,” the path of truth, harmony, and righteousness. Eknath Easwaran’s translation of this essential Buddhist text, based on the oldest version, consists of 423 short verses gathered by the Buddha’s direct disciples after his death and organized by theme: anger, thought, joy, pleasure, and others. The Buddha’s timeless teachings take the form of vivid metaphors from everyday life and are well served by Easwaran’s lucid translation. An authoritative introduction and chapter notes offer helpful context for modern readers.

		The Dhammapada (Classics of Indian Spirituality) by Eknath Easwaran (Introduction), Eknath Easwaran (Translator) ISBN-10: 9781586380205 ISBN-10: 1-58638-020-6 ISBN-13: 9781586380205 ISBN-13: 978-1-58638-020-5 Paperback 2007-04-13 Nilgiri Press Find Lowest Price
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Product Description Dhammapada means “the path of dharma,” the path of truth, harmony, and righteousness. Eknath Easwaran’s translation of this essential Buddhist text, based on the oldest version, consists of 423 short verses gathered by the Buddha’s direct disciples after his death and organized by theme: anger, thought, joy, pleasure, and others. The Buddha’s timeless teachings take the form of vivid metaphors from everyday life and are well served by Easwaran’s lucid translation. An authoritative introduction and chapter notes offer helpful context for modern readers.
Amazon.com Review According to Eknath Easwaran, if all of the Buddhist sutras had been lost except the Dhammapada, it alone would be enough for readers to understand and appreciate the wisdom of the Buddha. Easwaran's version of the Dhammapada goes a long way toward proving this. In a lengthy introduction, Easwaran summarizes the life of the Buddha and the main tenets of his thought, including key concepts such as dharma, karma, and nirvana. The language of the Dhammapada is as lucid and flowing as the Psalms or the Sermon on the Mount, and this is why it is one of the most loved and remembered of all Buddhist sutras. Its subject matter, succinctly, is about training the mind, which leads to kind thoughts and deeds, which bring peace and freedom from suffering. If you are interested in reading one of the gems of Buddhist literature, this is a good place to start; and if you are looking for a great version of this beloved scripture, you can't do better. Like all great world scripture, the verses here reward rereading and reflection, prompting you to "strive for wisdom always." --Brian Bruya
Reviews

A Treasure! This is a treasure of both translation and commentary by Eknath Easwaran. Yes, the actual sutras of the Buddah are well worth the pondering. Not only are the sutras classics ... the concepts and puzzling koans are applicable to our 21st century lives. If this were the last book you were to ever buy, it would be a wise choice.
An excellent translation by a non-Buddhist scholar I have read several English translations of the Dhammapada --a dozen partially, half a dozen totally. As a non-Pali reader, I do not have any opinion on the grammatical quality of such translations. By reading any two, you will easily understand the difficulty of putting ancient eastern texts in west languages. As a rule, however, the spirit of most of the versions remains clear and transmits a good sense of the Buddha's Teaching. On the other hand, anybody can judge the readability and the beauty of any work regardless its origin. As such, Eknath Easwaran's book is excellent. His 80-page Introduction to Siddhattha Gotama's life and Teachings by itself justifies acquiring the book. The Pali Canon paragraphs that Easwaran quotes are "tuned" for the west reader. (Even though he probably overdid it at least once, I could not trace in any of Buddha's discourses "what a disciple losses through meditation: sickness, anger, depression, the burden of old age, the fear of death." I do not think the Buddha said such words but that is probably what he meant.) Chapters' introductions by Stephen Ruppenthal are also very illustrative. The fact that Easwaran is an Eastern scholar, not a Buddhist one, provides his writings the impartiality and independence that the Buddha would like to see in the spreading of his Teachings. Gustavo Estrada. Author of Hacia el Buda desde el occidente: Sus Ensenanzas sin mitos ni misterios
Wonderful! First, I must say that this is the only translation of the Dhammapada I have read. That aside, this translation is more than just another translation. The first 100 pages or so makes this book worth its weight in gold. Eswaran gives an overview of the history of the Buddha's life, from pre-enlightenment to his death. Eswaran hits many highlights of the Buddha's teachings from the nature of the world of form to karma and reincarnation and numerous other areas of the dharma. The translation of the scriptures is easy to read, and notes on many of the scriptures are in the back of the book, which help to clarify many of the passages even further. The chapters are broken down by theme, and each chapter, or sometimes two chapters, are introduced by Stephen Ruppenthal. These introductions are handy and help the reader to understand what he or she is about to encounter in the upcoming chapter. Many references are cited and much of the Buddhist philosophy is explained both in the introduction by Eswaran, and by the chapter introductions by Ruppenthal. Besides all of that, the quality of this paperback is excellent. The pages are recycled material, and the cover is thick and sturdy for being a paperback. If you appreciate Buddhist philosophy, or any of the works of Indian spirituality, you must add this book to your library.
Best explanation ever. Incredible writing by Eknath Easwaran The introduction and explanation by Eknath is incredibly clear, insightful, and profound. To read the Dhammapada you need an explanation and this one is great. Normally, I don't like to read introductions to books, but I found that this introduction to be the best part! I found myself reading it and saying, "wow, now that's what they are talking about! well put!" He explains Buddhism concepts in a terrific way. Big thumbs up.
very easy reading the book presents the dhammapada, a book text of the Buddha's words for those who don't know, in an easy to read and understandable way. each chapter is headed by a introduction that explains the meaning of the chapter and clarifies some of the content. this is a must read for any Buddhist, non Buddhist looking for wisdom, or for anyone with any interest in the subject.