The Dhammapada: Buddha's Path of Wisdom (Pali Text with English Translation and Notes)

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The Dhammapada is a collection of sayings of the Buddha in verse form and one of the most widely read and best known Buddhist scriptures. The original version of the Dhammapada is in the Khuddaka Nikaya, a division of the Pali canon of Theravada Buddhism.

It is a sympathetic counsellor and its direct teachings inspire humility and reflection for the seekers and is a source of inspiration and practical instruction. It is also an authoritative treatise whoever earnestly practices the teachings found in Dhammapada will taste the bliss of emancipation.

Shri R.N. Gautam, who has been taking Vipasana Meditation Courses for the last many years under the organisation of Vipasana Research Institute (V.R.I. Igatpuri) has prepared this English version for the benefit of those who are not well versed in the Hindi language.

R.N. Gautam, b. 1949, Delhi

Class-I Officer, Govt. of India (Retd.)

Research Scholar on Buddhism from University of Delhi, studied Pali, Tibetan and Hindi literatures

M.Phil, M.A. (Pali), M.A. (Hindi), Diploma in Pali and Tibetan, P.G.D., worked with Acharya S.N. Goenka since 1989 and now running Vipasana Meditation Courses since 2000.

Published articles in the journals from Delhi, Jaipur and Bareilly Universities, besides poems in Dhamma Darpana, Dharmacakra Parvartan etc., edited Thera Gatha Books: The Dhammapada, Pali Text with Hindi translation.

The Dhammapada is the best known and widely esteemed text in the Pali Tipitaka literature, the sacred scripture of Theravada Tradition. The Dhammapada is most important part of Khuddaka Nikaya of the Sutta Pitaka. This is composed in the ancient Pali language. In this, Buddha's teaching comprising between its covers are all the essential principles elaborated at length in many volumes of the Pali canon.

According to the Theravada tradition, each verse in the Dammapada was originally spoken by the Buddha in response to a particular episode. The contents of verses, however, transcend the limited and particular circumtances of their origin, reaching out through the age of various types of people in all the diverse situations of life. For the simple and unsophisticated, the Dhammapada is a sympathetic counsellor for the intellectuals. In respect of overburden, it is clear that direct teachings inspire humility and reflection for the earnest seekers that is source of inspiration and practical instruction. Insights that flashed into heart of the Buddha, have crystallized into these luminious verses of pure wisdom. As profound expressions of practical form, each verse is a guide to right living. On the basis of practical approach, Buddha pointed out that whoever earnestly practises the teachings found in the Dhammapada, will taste the bliss of emancipation.

Due to its immense importance, the Dhammapada has been translated into several languages, i.e. in Hindi, English and other languages.

References of the teachings of Buddha from the Dhammapada of Dharam Rakhsitta, V.R.I. Narada etc. are taken for guidence or style of Gatha.

The Pali term Dhamma, it has to be understood according to the Buddha. Here, it is used in the sense of saying or teachings of the Buddha. 'Pada' implies sections, portions, parts or the way. Dhammapada may be rendered 'sections or Portions of the Dhamma', 'The way of Dhamma'.

According to its literal meaning 'The Way of Truth' 'The Way of Righteousness', 'The Path of Virtues', are rendering. That has been suggested by various scholars.

The Dhammapada consist of 424 melodious pali verses, uttered by Buddha on about 300 occasions, to suit the temperaments of the listeners in the course of his preaching tours during his ministry of forty-five-years. Circumstances that led to the noble utterances are presented in the form of short or long stories but in the text are not given. As per requirements footnotes are given and technical terms also.

The gems of truth embodied in these texts aptly illustrate the moral and philosophical teaching of Buddha. The very first two stanzas briefly represent ethico-philosophical system of the Buddha, the importance of the mind in assessing morality. According to Buddha, the law of moral causation, i.e., Kamma, the problem of pain and happiness, self-responsibility, etc, accompanied by simple homely illustrations, find expression in these twin verses.