Zen in Ten: "Mind Precedes All Mental States"
An Introduction to the Dhammapada
Hello Spark Zen readers! I hope this mid-week post finds you as relaxed and present as possible as the “holi-daze” descends upon us. For the next few months I will be focusing on The Dhammapada. I confess that I am not that familiar with this treasury of the Buddha’s teachings and thought that we could learn more about it together. Below is some introductory information about this compilation to get us started. Peace + Bows from sunny San Francisco!
“The Dhammapada is only a tiny part of the Buddhist canon of scripture, but it has long been the most popular and most translated in the West. This slim volume of 423 short verses from the Pali Tripitaka is sometimes called the Buddhist Book of Proverbs. It is a treasury of gems that illuminate and inspire.”1
“The Pali word dhamma (in Sanskrit, dharma) in Buddhism has several meanings. It can refer to the cosmic law of cause, effect and rebirth; the doctrines taught by the Buddha; a thought object, phenomenon or manifestation of reality; and more. Pada means ‘foot’ or ‘path.’”2
“The Dhammapada is the best known and most widely esteemed text in the Pali Tipitaka, the sacred scriptures of Theravada Buddhism. The work is included in the Khuddaka Nikaya ("Minor Collection") of the Sutta Pitaka, but its popularity has raised it far above the single niche it occupies in the scriptures to the ranks of a world religious classic. Composed in the ancient Pali language, this slim anthology of verses constitutes a perfect compendium of the Buddha's teaching, comprising between its covers all the essential principles elaborated at length in the forty-odd volumes of the Pali canon.”3
“According to the Theravada Buddhist tradition, each verse in the Dhammapada was originally spoken by the Buddha in response to a particular episode. Accounts of these, along with exegesis of the verses, are preserved in the classic commentary to the work, compiled by the great scholiast Bhadantacariya Buddhaghosa in the fifth century C.E. on the basis or material going back to very ancient times. The contents of the verses, however, transcend the limited and particular circumstances of their origin, reaching out through the ages to various types of people in all the diverse situations of life.”4
“For the simple and unsophisticated the Dhammapada is a sympathetic counselor; for the intellectually overburdened its clear and direct teachings inspire humility and reflection; for the earnest seeker it is a perennial source of inspiration and practical instruction. Insights that flashed into the heart of the Buddha have crystallized into these luminous verses of pure wisdom. As profound expressions of practical spirituality, each verse is a guideline to right living. The Buddha unambiguously pointed out that whoever earnestly practices the teachings found in the Dhammapada will taste the bliss of emancipation.”5
“The title ‘Dhammapada’ which the ancient compilers of the Buddhist scriptures attached to our anthology means portions, aspects, or sections of Dhamma. The work has been given this title because, in its twenty-six chapters, it spans the multiple aspects of the Buddha's teaching, offering a variety of standpoints from which to gain a glimpse into its heart. . . . [This] work is simply a collection of inspirational or pedagogical verses on the fundamentals of the Dhamma, to be used as a basis for personal edification and instruction.”6
“In any given chapter several successive verses may have been spoken by the Buddha on a single occasion, and thus among themselves will exhibit a meaningful development or a set of variations on a theme. But by and large, the logic behind the grouping together of verses into a chapter is merely the concern with a common topic. The twenty-six chapter headings thus function as a kind of rubric for classifying the diverse poetic utterances of the Master, and the reason behind the inclusion of any given verse in a particular chapter is its mention of the subject indicated in the chapter's heading.”7
“The most general counsel the Dhammapada gives is to avoid all evil, to cultivate good and to cleanse one's mind (183). But to dispel any doubts the disciple might entertain as to what he should avoid and what he should cultivate, other verses provide more specific directives. One should avoid irritability in deed, word and thought and exercise self-control (231-234). . . . The disciple should treat all beings with kindness and compassion, live honestly and righteously, control his sensual desires, speak the truth and live a sober upright life, diligently fulfilling his duties, such as service to parents, to his immediate family and to those recluses and brahmans who depend on the laity for their maintenance (332-333).8
“As a great religious classic and the chief spiritual testament of early Buddhism, the Dhammapada cannot be gauged in its true value by a single reading, even if that reading is done carefully and reverentially. It yields its riches only through repeated study, sustained reflection, and most importantly, through the application of its principles to daily life. Thence it might be suggested to the reader in search of spiritual guidance that the Dhammapada be used as a manual for contemplation. After his initial reading, he would do well to read several verses or even a whole chapter every day, slowly and carefully, relishing the words.”9
To learn more, here are a few resources to check out:
The Dhammapada: A New Translation of the Buddhist Classic with Annotations, translated by Gil Fronsdal
A Podcast Series on the Dhammapada by Yuttadhammo Bhikkhu
The Dhammapada podcast
Bhikkhu Bodhi’s excellent introduction to The Dhammapada on Access to Insight.
O'Brien, Barbara. "The Dhammapada." Learn Religions, Aug. 27, 2020, learnreligions.com/the-dhammapada-450127.
Ibid.
Acharya Buddharakkhita. https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/dhp/dhp.intro.budd.html#preface
Ibid.
Ibid.
Bhikkhu Bodhi. Ibid.
Ibid.
Ibid.
Ibid.
I read the Dhammapada a book titled The Wisdom of China and India, when I was 16. Had no knowledge of Buddhism until that night. After I read it, I sat on the roof at 3 a.m. and watch the North Star. It changed me forever. Later I took zazen instructions from Kobun Chino and joined Haiku Zendo in Los Altos (where Suzuki Roshi started a small sitting group). “All that we are is a result of what we have thought.”
Thank you 🙏
Yes, the Dhammapada has long been revered, an indication of the rise of interest in the Dharma. I have a copy of a Dhammapada translated into Yiddish(!) published in 1958 … iconic for us Bujews. :-) I'll send you photos to your FaceBook messenger.