The Dhammapada: Teachings of Buddha

by Gerald Schoenewolf

THE DHAMMAPADA is one of the most translated works of Buddhist teachings. In this volume, Gerald Schoenewolf--a noted psychoanalyst, author, and poet, as well as a long-time student of Eastern philosophy--has given it a new slant. He has interpreted each verse using simple, poetic phrases that bring out the fundamental nature of the Buddha's teaching. At the same time, he interprets it from a psychological standpoint. He notes that Freud wrote about the “compulsion to repeat” that results from unconscious conflicts that have not been resolved, and he compares this to the Buddhist repetition of the death and rebirth cycle that must occur until one achieves nirvana. The author studied numerous versions of THE DHAMMAPADA before coming up with his own take on this ancient text. He also contributed 26 original drawings to bring out the earthy elements of the work. The result is an easy-to-read, modern, and inspirational rendition of this popular Buddhist work that may well turn out to be the most original, if not the most moving, translation ever done. This is a Buddhist book for beginners, poetry lovers, and for all who are students of Buddhism.

165 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 11, 2021

About the author

Gerald Schoenewolf is a licensed psychoanalyst and professor of psychology. He is the author of 22 books, most of which are about clinical psychology and psychotherapy. He has also written six novels, a poetic translation of Chinese Daoist philosophy and an illustrated book of poetry, HOLDING ON AND LETTING GO (revised in 2020). He has also written 20 screenplays and written, directed and produced two feature films. Five of his screenplays have won awards at festivals. He lives with his wife, Julia and his parrot and two cats in the mountains of Pennsylvania.