Customer Reviews

The Dhammapada (Classics of Indian Spirituality)

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Another soothing gem by Easwaran. I had earlier read The Upanishads by the same author, and was inspired into further exploration of his writing. A few words on the author before the book is due here. Easwaran can definitely be counted as one of those individuals who has made a sincere and thorough attempt to understand numerous religions and draw out their common parallels and apply them to his life, in an almost saint-like manner. Easwaran influence on thought can be said to be similar to Parthasarathy's, another great writer more focused on Hinduism. It is in reading such authors, that we are left with an indelible impact on our psyche, and within a few weeks of regular reading, can see our daily lives transformed by the power of our own tranquil thinking.

In The Dhammapada, Easwaran now embarks on a similar voyage of peace and calm in the exploration of Buddhism, as he did with the Upanishads. The introduction of the book once again gives a brief backrgound into the life of Siddharta, the prince and charts his transformation into the Buddha, the "one who is awake". The book then goes on to describe one of the fundamental "religious-books" of Buddhism, the Dhammapada and its teachings. The parallels with the Upanishadic teachings, the mystic sufis and the Sermon on the Mount is often illustrated, thus underlining Easwaran's belief of the unity of fundamental thought across religions.

Every two chapters are preceeded with an introduction to the concepts and principles enshrined in them, and hence makes reading and comprehension and indeed, personal thinking and evaluation that much more effective. Buddhism in the end, comes out as it should, another monumental religion based on very basic truths and grounded in infallible and extremely rigorous logic. The book is a pure delight to read and has an almost immediate impact on the reader's approach to life itself.

Incidentally, another wonderful book and religion on similar lines is "The way of Zen", by Alan Watts, and I am out to procure it. This is supposed to describe the confluence of Taoism and Mahayana Buddhism to create the Zen.

Somewhere out there lies the truth, our own selves shining in the dark.

Somehow I have managed to collect ten different translations of the Dhammapada. This one is my favorite. The introductions to each section are very helpful to understanding the context these verses originated from. The translations themselves are alive, unlike some of the others that I have in my library.

I highly recommend this translation.

"Our life is shaped by our mind," the Buddha tells us in the opening lines of The Dhammapada, "we become what we think" (p. 78). This is the essence of Buddhism, and the central theme of The Dhammapada ("the path of dharma"), a collection of teachings preserved most likely by the Buddha's original students in the sixth century before Christ. And as Eknath Easwaran tells us, it is a collection of discourses "meant for everyone," not just monks and nuns (p. 75). "If everything else were lost," Easwaran observes in his excellent, 65-page Introduction to this translation, "we would need nothing more than the Dhammapada to follow the way of the Buddha" (p. 7). Although I'm not qualified to comment on his abilities as a translator, Easwaran succeeds at conveying the essence of the Buddha's teachings that point the way down a path less traveled, but a path that makes all the difference when it comes to self-realization. In my opinion, Easwaran's translation is the one to travel.

G. Merritt

If you decide to buy one book in your life, buy this one.
It's the most warmful book. The one you need to open all others path. But it's the most difficult to put in practice, to transcend the teaching.

If you want to know why you exist, it's a direct door, but to pass the door, you need to do steps one by one...

the kind of book you read 2 pages a day.

Wishing you to find this door, opening it and change your life deeply.

After purchasing and reading two translations of the Dhammapada, this one turned out to be my favorite. The verses that make up the Dhammapada each deal with a certain aspect about being and Mr Easwaran presents them in a very powerful way.

Besides the translation, what convinced me to praise this translation, is the great introduction given by Stephen Ruppenthal for each Verse (chapter). It explains the meaning and it's insight very well.

I just liked this book. I like that the introduction has a brief on the four noble truths and the eightfold path, encouraging one to look deeper. I also like the explinations and or insites that come before the verses, not in-between the verses like some other publications which tend to muddy the lesson. Its just a very comfortable book to read and re-read time and again, and because of this I think the lessons unfold in a more natural fashion. No hurry, just relax.

The Dammapada went to the core of my being like few books have done before. This book literally transformed previous pain into genuine compassion and understanding. The work of Eknath Easwarren is a noble gift to humanity. His introduction brings you into the life of Buddha, where you "feel" what He went through, and how he overcame the same doubts, anxieties, and responses from ego that we all strive to overcome.
There is no preaching in this tradition, only the heartfelt and breathtaking teaching of the way out of pain.
This book reads like a jewel that brings light to your mind and your soul. It encompasses the greatest teachings of Buddha, and will show you exactly how to achieve Nirvana. This is not a religion, it is a way of life, paved with the eightfold path, that is for all of humanity equally, even if you subscribe to another religion. It will reach your human mind, and help you transform into an "awakened" one. HIGHLY Recommended for the everlasting peace you deserve.
Barbara Rose, author of "Stop Being the String Along: A Relationship Guide to Being THE ONE" and 'If God Was Like Man'
Editor of inspire! magazine

Eknath Easwaran's translation of "The Dhammapada" is superb. I'm not a Buddhist and you don't have to be to glean an ounce of wisdom from these pages. The Buddha's words can apply to anyone and everyone who reads with an open mind and heart.

Easwaran begins with a fantastic, lengthy, introduction detailing the Buddha's life. The concepts of Karma, Dharma and Nirvana are also explained.

The Bhudda's words are comprised in 25 chapters, grouped by topic. Each chapter recieves an introduction by Stephen Ruppenthal.

If you enjoy this version of "The Dhammapada", might I also recommend "The Bhagavad Gita" and the "Upanishads", also by Easwaran. These two books provide a wonderful spiritual and philosophic look into the Hindu religion.

An essential text with a rich introduction by Eknath Easwaran, and chapter introductions by Syephe, Ruppenthal.The general introduction is interesting to understand the background of this fundamental collection of sayings from the Buddha. A whole vision in 423 verses. So far so good. The chapter introductions are also interesting though at timers they more or less summarize or repeat if not plagiarize the verses themselves, as if we could not understand them. But the most critical aspect is a desire to christianize this Buddhist text in order to penetrate the American society. I have noticed systematic references to Jesus, to John's gospel, to catholic friars, etc... This does not help at all to understand the real dimension of Buddhism. The translation is at times very unfaithful to add here and there the famous christian love, which no Buddhist would acceot because it is attachment : help others yes but love them no. To help is an action. To love is a volitional activity of the mind that has to be discarded. Universal love can only exist beyond any particular love, even the generic love for neighbours. But I want to state two examples. In verse 399, the brahmin is put in prison and to death (the original text speaks of reproach, flogging and punishments), then the power of love replaces the power of patience (which is no love, mind you, in Buddhist thought) and the army of his patience changes camps and we get : « He has the power of love no army cand efeat » instead of : « whose power and the potent army is patience. » Second example. Verse 416 between 415 and 417 has no corresponding verse between the two represenytin 415 anjd 417 ? Finally, I do not understand why the author numbered all the verses from 1 to 423, whereas in the traditional text they are numbered by chapter (26 chapters and the verses of each chapter are numbered separately).

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, Université Paris Dauphine, Université Paris I Panthéon Sorbonne

We are always alive. We do not die. We can only anticipate death (or not, as we see fit).

We can never die because the "we" that is real and conscious is never alive in the sense that our bodies are alive. Our bodies live and die, but we do not.

There never was a time we were not, and there never will be a time when we are not.

This understanding comes from the Vedas and was known at the time of the Buddha's birth. But this is not something that somebody can tell you, and nobody told it to the Buddha. He realized this truth only after years of striving toward it. He saw what the problem was. He saw that the problem could be solved. He formulated a teaching so that others could understand, and then he went out into the world and for forty-some years taught others what he had discovered. The essence of what the Buddha learned is in the Dhammapada.

This translation by the eminent scholar Eknath Easwaran is elegant in its timeless simplicity. How like the original Pali it must be! Comparing this to the most venerable of the English translations, that of Max Muller from 1870, is like comparing poetry to prose, like comparing a holograph to a flat screen. This is not to denigrate Muller's translation, which is very good; it is only to emphasize the penetrating beauty and lucidity of Easwaran's work.

Additionally, Easwaran has written a 65-page Introduction in which he recalls the traditional life of the Buddha in some detail, although with perhaps a bit more flourish than most scholars would allow! He incorporates the Buddhist teachings and--like others such as David Darling and Fritjol Capra--finds a striking connection to modern physics which he explains very well. He also gives us his idea of the four stages of meditation, the first, second, third, and fourth dhyanas. He closes with a brief discussion of karma, death, birth and nirvana explained from what he sees as the Buddha's understanding.

Another excellent feature of this book are the chapter introductions by Stephen Ruppenthal. They are twenty little essays that illuminate what is to come. Ruppenthal compares the ideas of each chapter with those of other chapters as well as calling in ideas from other works. He even finds reasons to quote from the poets Robert Frost and John Keats. In this way the student is guided to a comprehensive understanding of the Dhammapada and an appreciation of its universal appeal. Ruppenthal's scholarship and deep understanding of Buddhism is obvious.

In short, this book is an outstanding introduction to Buddhism through its most beloved and practical work, the timeless Dhammapada.