The Dhammapada

by Eknath Easwaran

Indica Books opened its first bookshop to the public on 3rd November 1994, at the center of Varanasi in Godowlia. Through the years the company has established itself as one of the best booksellers and publishers in the field of Indology. Unfortunately, Dilip Kumar Jaiswal passed away in July, 2018 and the company was reformed with Alvaro Enterria and his son Arun Enterria as the new partners. In 2021, Indica Books had to leave its premises in Godowlia and has shifted to a new and improved showroom at B 2/218 Bhadaini, Varanasi.

Genres: Philosophy, Buddhism, Spirituality

400 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 2023

About the author

Eknath Easwaran (1910–1999) is the originator of passage meditation and the author of more than 30 books on spiritual living.

Easwaran is a recognized authority on the Indian spiritual classics. His translations of The Bhagavad Gita, The Upanishads, and The Dhammapada are the best-selling editions in the USA, and over 1.5 million copies of his books are in print.

Easwaran was a professor of English literature and well known in India as a writer and speaker before coming to the United States in 1959 on the Fulbright exchange program. In 1961, he founded the Blue Mountain Center of Meditation, based in Tomales, California, which continues his work today through publications and retreats.

His 1968 class on the theory and practice of meditation at UC Berkeley is believed to be the first accredited course on meditation at any Western university. For those who seek him as a personal spiritual guide, Easwaran assured us that he lives on through his eight-point program of passage meditation.

"I am with you always”, he said. “It does not require my physical presence; it requires your open heart."

Please visit bmcm.org for a fuller biography.

Reviews

[Diane B · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Influential scholar of religion Huston Smith and his coauthor Philip Novak wrote that "Our favorite translation is Eknath Easwaran's The Dhammapada. His Indian heritage, literary gifts, and spiritual sensibilities... here produce a sublime rendering of the words of the Buddha."

[Lavanya · Rating 4 out of 5]

The author’s commentary provides helpful context and is easy to read and understand. I got a lot more out of the actual text.

Piqued my curiosity about meditation.
Wise words about how state of mind is more important than state of the world.
The verses have a lot of dos and don’ts that are easier said than done.. maybe meditation helps

[Rosyfeelsgood · Rating 3 out of 5]

Buddha's teaching does not resonate much with me, and I suspect that his disciples added too much of their own interpretations. The only thing I find helpful is to find the middle path (be balanced). Here are several things I find misleading/confusing from reading this book:

1. There is too much emphasize on the distinction between "good" and "bad." However, in reality, there is not always a clear cut between "good" and "bad". Your candy can be other people's poison. Who is there to judge? Also, "good" is good because there is "bad" to contrast. So why not appreciate the existence of both sides?

2. Encouraging people to do "good" deeds and despising the "bad," to follow the "good" thoughts, not the "bad" thoughts. This can certainly backfire. People will have a hard time accepting their dark side. And you will see more bad people doing good things to look good. This also contradicts yoga, where we should take notice of both good and bad thoughts, but do not judge, just be aware.

3. Too much emphasize on the suffering. The Buddhist teaching seems to like talking about selfless service a lot, and people should neglect their needs to serve others. Why not care about your needs and, if possible, also help others? Love and empathize with your ego, and you will find your ego also loves you; it just does not know how to protect you in a way that the higher wisdom does.

[★Matthew★ · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely excellent translation and supplementary information. This was my first relatively deep dive into the Buddhist teachings and I still love it. My biggest gripe with the Dhammapda (more so the context it exists in) is that it's held in regards too high without being able to provide proper context or understanding of the teachings it contains. This translation doesn't sacrifice the brevity that makes the Dhammapada accessible while providing comprehensive information on the topics covered articulated beautifully. I would recommend this specific book to anyone interested in learning about the Buddhist religion.

[jacob.eru · Rating 5 out of 5]

Any Westerner familiar with the Bible books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes will recognize the basic, straightforward style and format of this collection of Indian wisdom snippets. I read it as a beginner Buddhist, after having difficulty with zen koans. this book was much more accessible, quite easy to understand, though some repeated terms are foreign to english. highly recommended for anyone interested in getting pointers and strategies on how to live both more content, and kinder.

[Cambria]

I personally believe more in atman than I do anatta, maybe that's just my ego? Nevertheless, I do really respect buddha's teachings of non-attachment, your mind creates your reality, dharma, and the importance of meditation.

I'm also glad I read the Upanishads first because the introduction referenced them and I think it deepened my understanding since the Dhammapada came after the Upanishads.

[Ernest · Rating 4 out of 5]

The uncharitable do not go to the world of the gods; fools only do not praise liberality; a wise man rejoices in liberality, and through it becomes blessed in the other world.

He who gives himself to vanity, and does not give himself to meditation, forgetting the real aim (of life) and grasping at pleasure, will in time envy him who has exerted himself in meditation.

There never was, there never will be, nor is there now, a man who is always blamed, or a man who is always praised.

[Elvis Gregory-sayce · Rating 5 out of 5]

My Favourite Book Of the Year
changed My Life

[Yeagerist225 · Rating 4 out of 5]

Came along at just the time I needed it. Beautiful forewords and introductions. The Dhammapada is a great group of texts. I’m excited to read read this many times over

[Braga · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of gems in it! Definitely worth a read!

[Glue Huffer · Rating 5 out of 5]

pleasurable read, good translation, some odd commentary -- but a good version of the text past this.