The Dhammapada (The
Words of Truth) consists of 423 verses in Pali uttered by the Buddha on some
305 occasions for the benefit of a wide range of human beings. These sayings
were selected and compiled into one book as being worthy of special note on
account of their beauty and relevance for moulding the lives of future
generations of Buddhists. They are divided into
26 cantos or chapters called 'vagga' and the stanzas are arranged according to subject matter.
The great commentator Buddhaghosa in the 5th century (A.C.) wrote voluminous notes on the traditional interpretations of the Pali verses and technical terms. He also added the stories about the circumstances in which the stanzas were uttered and the effect they had on the listeners. It is generally believed that most of these stories had been handed down orally for generations since the days of the Buddha.
26 cantos or chapters called 'vagga' and the stanzas are arranged according to subject matter.
The great commentator Buddhaghosa in the 5th century (A.C.) wrote voluminous notes on the traditional interpretations of the Pali verses and technical terms. He also added the stories about the circumstances in which the stanzas were uttered and the effect they had on the listeners. It is generally believed that most of these stories had been handed down orally for generations since the days of the Buddha.
The first translation
of the Dhammapada into a European language was carried out by the eminent
Danish scholar, Victor Fausboll in 1855. He translated the Pali text into Latin
for the first time with notes and excerpts from the commentaries. The first
German translation by Weber appeared in 1860 and the English translation (by
Max Mueller) in 1908. Besides the translation from the Pali text, English
translations were also made from ancient Chinese and Tibetan texts as early as
1878 and 1883. It may be noted that these texts were themselves translated from
the original Pali and Sanskrit canons.
Those with a mind to
understand will gain much from the verses of the Dhammapada and the commentary.
Those who are in search of a message of hope through love and wisdom will
certainly find it in these ancient but ever-fresh verses of the
DHAMMAPADA.
Oliver Abeynayake,
Senior Lecturer in the Department of Pali and Buddhist Studies at the
University of Kelaniya, Sri Lanka, in his book 'A Textual and Historical Analysis
of The Khuddaka Nikaya' says:
'The Pali Dhammapada
contains twenty-six vaggas and 423 verses. The majority of verses are found in
other Canonical works such as the Digha, Majjhima, Samyutta, Anguttara,
Udana, Itivuttaka, Theratherigatha, Mahavagga and Cullavagga. The verses found
in the Samyutta and Theragatha are frequently seen in the Dhammapada. The
Milindapanha and Nettippakarana present a lot of Dhammapada stanzas. The
parallel passages to the gathas that occur in the Dhammapada are found in
the following Sanskrit texts: Maitreya, Brhadaranyaka, Mahavastu, Divyavadana,
Uttaradyayana, Mahabharata, Manusmrti and Jatakamala.'
The Dhammapada is a
highly venerated and esteemed sacred book in Sri Lanka. It is customary to use
this as a textbook for novices who are required to memorise by heart the verses
of the Dhammapada from the beginning to the end if not at least a few chapters
before they can receive their higher ordination or upasampada.
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