Wisdom of the Buddha: The Unabridged Dhammapada

by Anonymous, Gautama Buddha, F. Max Müller (Editor)

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.

Genres: Religion, Philosophy, Spirituality, Nonfiction, Buddhism, Poetry, Classics

49 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 101

About the author

Books can be attributed to "Anonymous" for several reasons:

* They are officially published under that name
* They are traditional stories not attributed to a specific author
* They are religious texts not generally attributed to a specific author

Books whose authorship is merely uncertain should be attributed to Unknown.

See also: Anonymous

Reviews

[Jon Nakapalau · Rating 5 out of 5]

The sayings of Buddha as taken down by his followers. A beautiful and uplifting book. There is a calmness that permeates this work; I have only found it in such depth in the works of the Stoics - the absolute acceptance of the way things are. It is truly amazing how much time and effort we put into wanting things that we can never have (if only I looked like Brad Pitt - I would have women just throwing themselves at me - and I would be happy!) What we control and what we allow to control us - that is what this book has taught me.

[Po Po · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting little book. It seems that Benjamin Franklin 'borrowed' many of these sentiments for Poor Richard's Almanack. There is an emphasis on hard work and restraint in activities of the tongue: eating and speech.

This is organized by subject matter into tiny chapters of one to three pages long: " impurity" , "self" , "happiness" and "evil" are a few examples.

Here is one overtly sexist idea I strongly oppose: "bad conduct is the taint of woman". And then there are some extremely obvious words of wisdom which I didn't benefit from at all like this one: "do not have evil-doers for friends." Like, really?! It kind of goes without saying, don't ya think?

Overall, this is pretty good and is especially relevant in this day and age when folks are obsessed with desire and are desirous of ever more ____ , and discontentment reigns. Solid 3 stars.

* * *

+ "Beset with lust, men run about like a snared hare; held in fetters and bonds, they undergo pain for a long time, again and again."

+ "It is better to live alone, there is no companionship with a fool; let a man walk alone, let him commit no sin, with few wishes."

+ "So long as the desire of man toward women, even the smallest, is not destroyed, so long his mind is in bondage."

+ "He who has given up both victory and defeat, he, the contented, is happy."

+ "Health is the greatest of gifts, contentedness the best riches."

+ "Those who love nothing, and hate nothing, have no fetters."

+ "From affection comes grief, from lust comes fear; he who is free from lust knows neither grief nor fear."

+ "There is no satisfying lusts; he who knows that lusts have short tastes and cause pain, he is wise."

+ "Danger comes out of the forest of desires."

[Anthony Thompson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book came up a few weeks ago over a round of drinks, and I was properly flexed on for not having read it. I believe I've read/listened to two extended commentaries on these teachings, but I've never just read the text. The Bhagavad Gita is the same to me. I've never read the short form.

This also comes at a point in time in my life where my inclinations towards impulse have left me contemplating the wisdom of my ways. The complete lack of it, I suppose.

So this book exists as a call to action for me. It's time to master the wants of the body. A crash course in asceticism is needed for my budget right now anyway. I'm looking forward to the challenge.

There's a line I thought particularly pretty and poignant.

"If anything is to be done, let a man do it, let him attack it vigorously! A careless pilgrim only scatters the dust of his passions more widely."

[Kaaveh · Rating 5 out of 5]

امیال، ریشه رنج‌های ماست.

اگه بخوام اولین و مهمترین نکته‌ای که توی این کتاب و تفکر بودیسم دیدم رو بگم، این جملس. حالا بماند که غرور، حسادت، خشونت و ... زندگیمونو جهنم کرده، توی این زمونه دغدغه‌های زیادی مثل موقعیت اجتماعی، کسب ثروت بیشتر، غرق شدن توی عشق‌های رمانتیک و ... درگیرمون کرده. اینها عملا تبدیل به معیارهایی شدن که باشون خودمون رو تعریف می‌کنیم و بحدی از فرآیند و تلاش رسیدن بشون بما استرس وارد میشه که حتی نتونستیم درست و حسابی ازشون لذت ببریم. هرچند بودا معتقده برای رسیدن به آرامش باید از همه این آرزوها و لذت‌ها چشم پوشید اما حداقل آموزه‌ای که میشه برای زندگیمون ازش بهره ببریم اینکه به خودمون دقیقتر فکر کنیم. به تعریف دقیقتری از چیزی که هستیم و انسانی که میخایم باشیم برسیم. ببینیم دغدغه‌هایی که داریم واقعا تا چه حد مهمن و برای آرامش و خوشبختیمون ضروریه. اصن چه مقدار ازشون رو نیاز داریم. این قضیه منو یاد دیدگاه و متد اپیکور فیلسوف یونانی میندازه که اعتقاد داره بعد تفکر زیاد به این نتیجه میرسیم که ابزار و پیشنیازهای اصلی خوشبختی و آرامش توی سه چیز: داشتن دوستان هم‌فکر، آزادی و فلسفیدن خلاصه میشه.
میشه اینطور نتیجه گرفت که متاسفانه چیزهایی که ما برای رسیدن به خوشی و آرامش برای خودمون تعریف کردیم بخش عمده‌اش برمیگرده به فرهنگ که خودکار یه سری ارزش‌ها و هنجارهارو از کودکی توی مغزمون حک کرده و بخش دیگرش برمیگرده به جهالت و فکر نکردن الگوریتمیک به ملزومات آرامش و متعاقباتش. از اولین گام‌هایی که بودا برای رسیدن به آرامش پیشنهاد میده، بحث تفکر و اندیشه درمورد خودشناسیه (یا بقول سقراط: Know yourself).
متن این کتاب شاید توی نگاه اول معمولا کلیشه‌ای و بعضی سطراش زیاد توی سراسر کتاب تکرار شده باشه اما به نظر من یکی از مشکلات ما دقیقا اینجاس که این نکات و اطلاعات رو هیچوقت درست و حسابی هضمش نکردیم و راحت از کنارشون گذشتیم. شاید خوندن این کتاب فرصت خوبی باشه تا با چن دقیقه فکر کردن پس هر پاراگرافش، به فهم دقیقتری از آرامش برسیم.
کسایی که به این مباحث علاقه‌مندن، پیشنهاد میکنم فلسفه رواقیون و فلسفه لذت‌گرایی اپیکور رو هم دنبال کنن.

[Tracy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Common sense, philosophy, and the religious/mystical parts of Buddhism. A good amount of the Dhammapada is aimed at monks and nuns or Arhats, so not a lot of Middle Path thought, and not something everyday people will practice. Some is repetitious and some seems contradicting unless you think of a different interpretation.

[Appu · Rating 3 out of 5]

Mere platitudes or profound wisdom? I don't quite know. The Buddhist ideal is the man who is free from all passions and attachments. He is impervious to pleasures and pains. He treads the middle path, carefully avoiding the arrows of Mara, the tempter, towards Nirvana and thus escapes the cycle of births and rebirths. But is a life without passions worth living?

[globulon · Rating 1 out of 5]

I didn't find this collection particularly inspiring. The phrasing is repetitive and the sayings don't have much character beyond generic sounding religious aphorisms. Perhaps it's the fault of the translation, perhaps there are just more inspiring ways to study Buddhism.

[Brad Bagley · Rating 4 out of 5]

5 stars for the first 15 chapters.
3 stars for the rest.

It was excellent until the chapter on pleasure; where we are told not to love anyone or anything because the loss of something you love is evil.

I guess if you think the point of life is to avoid all pain and suffering (which I am gathering that according to Buddha it is) then this is necessary. Because if you love you open yourself up to loss, and loss hurts.

However, loss is also beautiful. Because, it exposes the connection you had to another person. And I believe life is about connection. Not about living on an emotional island. Is it safer out on that island? Maybe, but is it worth the life you will miss? I don’t think so.

I believe there is truth in the popular saying that “what’s worse than losing someone you loved is to have never loved at all.”

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly, just like the Bhagavad Gita, reading Buddhism/Hinduism from the source is quite good, even if I disagree with the core tenets of the religion. There is are lot of early philosophy and wisdom to get, and that is inspiring and also historically important. Dhammapada is very close to the book of Proverbs, so close that you could read one and mix it with the other - and that was the bigger surprise.

[David Coody]

🗽

[Brice Fuqua · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a translation from 1900 which is not very accurate.

[Verreisen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Common wisdom you should remind yourself consistently. 50 pages of wisdom that would take you 50 self help books to discover.

[J. Allyn · Rating 3 out of 5]

- 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.
- Fools follow after vanity. The wise man keeps earnestness as his best jewel.
- The odor of good people travels even against the wind; a good man pervades every place.
- Long is the night to him who is awake; long is a mile to him who is tired; long is life to the foolish, who do not know the true law.
- Well makers lead the water wherever they like; Fletchers bend the arrow; carpenters bend the wood; wise people fashion themselves.
- The pure and the impure stand and fall by themselves, no one can purify another.
- A man, full of faith, if endowed with virtue and glory, is respected, whatever place he may choose.
- Good people shine from afar, like the snowy mountains; bad people are not seen, like arrows shot by night.

[George Eraclides · Rating 4 out of 5]

First things first. It is very hard to live up to the aims of Buddha and become a Brahmana i.e. an enlightened sage who has reached the maximum in understanding, has let go of all desire and thus become freed from the cycle of birth/death/rebirth and the suffering it brings. To give you some idea of how hard it is: Mr Spock did not make it. Suffering is part of this reality we inhabit in our physical form. Because all we have the power to do is control our response to life, extinguish desire, then by so doing, we can cease to suffer. But hold on: To give up all desire is to cease to be human, which I suppose is precisely the point. You must transcend your humanity; become more than human. If that is too scarily Nietzschean for you, then become less than human, by eliminating desire for what is good or bad, beautiful or ugly, anything and everything in this physical world. How hard can that be? Do it by next Tuesday. The logician in me has to ask: Is not eliminating desire, also a desire; so you need to desire one thing at least, the ending of desire. But to do that you must desire something, and so on for a rather unpleasant regress. I must have got something wrong? Anyway, there are some wonderful principles in these teachings, worth contemplation and enacting in your life. They will make you a better human being. And yes, if you can tone down some desires, expectations, demands of life, then maybe you will be more chilled out. A calmer spirit. Then maybe you will see that the Buddha was right. May you be born into peace.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Dhammapada is fairly familiar philosophical territory with allusions to punishment for sins and rewards for righteousness. I can't avoid a comparison to the New Testament and especially the Beatitudes. For example; "If a man commits evil let him not repeat it again and again; let him not delight in it, for the accumulation of sin brings suffering. If a man commits a meritorious deed, let him perform it again and again; let him develop a longing for doing good; happiness is the outcome of the accumulation of merit. Even the wrongdoer finds some happiness so long as (the fruit of) his misdeed does not mature; but when it does mature, then he sees its evil results." (Canto 9, verses 117 - 119)

I certainly enjoy the Dhammapada and recommend it if you are interested in personal and/or spiritual philosophy.

[Bryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

The consummate guide to virtue and happiness. Where the Greeks always seem to leave the connection between righteousness and fulfillment vague, the Buddhists make a clear and compelling case for their interdependence. According to the Dhammapada, what underlies both virtue and contentment is a mastery over our cravings, which can be achieved (or approximated) by constant "mindfulness." There's little to no theological baggage here... no supernatural being issuing commands upon penalty of His wrath. Instead, we get sound, solid advice on our own peace of mind.

[Richard · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was an assignment for an Asian History class, but became the definitive book for me to open up and fundamentally alter my view of the world. This collection of what the Buddha taught is, for me priceless, and I reccomend it to anyone with an open mind. One of the most important spiritual books in existance.

[Vishruth Chandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very confronting read. A must read for those wants to discover themselves. Not a religious book though it says it is the wisdom of buddha, preaches no religion but the intricacies of life. Which is a guide for those who are looking for happiness, not the materialistic happiness though. More serene and spiritual. A medicine for an agitated mind. Very soothing for a confused mind.

[Bryan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very insightful collection of teachings and verses passed down from the Buddha. I found it very interesting how many similarities there were to biblical teachings, particularly those of Jesus. I think if more people were open to learning about other religious teachings other than their own, they would be more understanding and respectful.

[Rebecca · Rating 2 out of 5]

Surprisingly short and perhaps it was the translation but I've got to say that this was one of the most uninspiring Holy Books/religious scriptures I've read. The underlying theme was that vitue and happiness go hand in hand and that conquering desire is the supreme virtue.

[Jmp · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting to read the stilted words of the Buddha. Disappointing that the pronouns are masculine. Here’s the most glaring and offensive: “Bad conduct is the taint of woman, niggardliness the taint of a benefactor, tainted are all evil ways, in this world and in the next”

[Christopher · Rating 4 out of 5]

the material is great. though i don't care for translators translating religious text with king james bible style english. it is more distracting than anything else.

[Carol · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a book that i re-read from time to time. It introduces the basic concept of buddhism.

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent translation.

[Parappadarappa]

Unabridged Dhammapada. I have some conflicts with this philosophy, but its a good read, good translation.

[Joan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I mean, I'm not dissin the Buddha, but this is kind of blah, though it has a few good zingers.

[Isha Sharma · Rating 5 out of 5]

good

[Missmeganbunny · Rating 5 out of 5]

https://www.goodreads.com/search?utf8...#

[Lola · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beautiful.

[Augustus · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of it is difficult to get hold of. The Buddha seems to be asking too mcuh. The only way to achieve 'awakening' is to give everything away, and we can't just do that.