The Dhammapada: A Translation of the Buddhist Classic with Annotations

Almost finished these ancient precepts of tried and true “practices” of wisdom. Simply common sense that if practiced and absorbed can and will relieve much of our blind ignorance that causes us so much suffering. Like the Bible as well as many religions and philosophical readings it contains some form of perception of what happens after death because of our behavior here on earth. But if you’re convinced that death is final, the rest of the reading can be food for a life well/lived and Im convinced that these practices if absorbed and applied will grant an individual deep peace mentally, spiritually, and wholesomely. A BEAUTIFUL READ.

The Dhammapada, which literally means "foot," "tool," "saying," or "path" (Pali: pada) of "experience" (Pali: dhamma), is a small collection of sayings about the Middle Way, the Path of Awakening which leads to Nirvana and which is embodied by the Buddha, and also about its opposite, the path of unskillful living which leads to a hellish life and which is embodied by the devilish figure of Mara. Each of us must choose which of these two paths to follow. We cannot avoid choosing: even if we do not choose, we will become subject to forces outside ourselves (media, advertisement, family, friends, enemies, lovers), and so will have chosen the path of unskillful living by default. Only by consciously choosing the Path of Awakening, and by training our minds so that everything we do is free of unhealthy desire, aversion, and delusion, can we be truly enlightened and happy. The Dhammapada gives voice to the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism: that suffering exists, that there is a cause to suffering, that suffering has an end, and that there is a means to this end, namely the Noble Eightfold Path. But the Dhammapada focuses mostly on the Noble Eightfold Path, and specifically on the choices we face, at many junctures in our lives, between two starkly contrasting possibilities. It is a message of hope that if we choose wisely, and if we choose now rather than later, we shall find relief for both our own suffering and the suffering of others. Thus the Dhammapada is similar to other great works of life philosophy, such as Epictetus' Enchiridion. Both focus on the fact that we must choose between two radically different kinds of lives. Both advocate a life of virtue and spiritual practice in order to make progress in life. Both regard training oneself to be mindfully aware of everything one does, and mindfully present at all times, as means for acquiring and exercising virtue, enlightenment and happiness. Gil Fronsdal, the translator of this perennial classic, holds a PhD in Buddhist Studies from Stanford, where he studied the early Bodhisattva ideal in India as the research topic for his dissertation. He is also an ordained Soto Zen priest. And he is a Vipassana student of Jack Kornfield. He has lived as a monastic in Japan and Southeast Asia. He is the main teacher at the Insight Meditation Center (IMC) in Redwood City, California. The website for IMC has all of Gil's dharma talks, plus those of many guest speakers, as well as some written transcriptions, available for free download at [...]. He is a gifted and compassionate speaker with some serious insight into the psychology of Buddhism. This translation, rendered from the Pali version of the Dhammapada, is quite beautiful, and is excellent for memorizing special verses (e.g. the first line, "All experience is preceded by mind, Led by mind, Made by mind..."). Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in Buddhism, life philosophy, or insight meditation. My only criticism is that perhaps Gil should also have offered his own commentary in addition to the helpful annotations he gives at the end of the book. He is such an insightful speaker on the Dharma that it is a shame to waste any opportunity to have him share his insight with others! I have since learned that Gil has a previous book, The Issue at Hand, in which each chapter begins with a passage from Gil's Dhammapada translation, and which does comprise a commentary of sorts, on select passages. This book is a free download from the [...].

One measure of how good a translation is whether it can be read and understood without the footnotes. Disregarding the scholarly introduction at the front and the listing of annotations at the back, I dived right into the meat of the poetry and was immediately entranced. This translation is crisp and clear and there is a feeling for the rhythm and flow of language that must capture some of the beauty of the original. Once I had a feeling for the work, I turned with real interest to the author's introductions to read his reasons and reservations about his word choices. The information in the Afterword and Notes is fascinating but I keep returning to the text itself. One can read this simply for the poetry and also as a set of proverbs that express the thoughts and culture of the Buddha's time, if not the Buddha himself. I found myself comparing it to the Biblical book of Proverbs or to The Song of Solomon. Wisdom pithily expressed and contained in short phrases, easy to carry around with one all day. One can also read this as an inspiration for daily meditation, both to put one in the proper frame and to provide a focus.

Very good. I do have two complaints, though. 1. This is originally a Pali text. He didn't translate some of the key words into English, but instead of leaving them untranslated, he substituted their Sanskrit equivalents. Nibbana became nirvana, kamma became karma, etc. I know more people are familiar with Sanskrit, but it still seems a little absurd. 2. In the Pali, all the pronouns were male and this apparently upset his inner feminist. But instead of leaving it be or substituting in some gender-neutral ones, he made some of them male and some female at random, which was kind of annoying because he would switch them around sometimes in the same verse, which makes no sense. I would have preferred a gender-neutral approach, but that's just me. Overall, four stars because despite those two complaints, it's a really good and poetic translation.

The first two pages of the preface to Gil Fronsdal's translation say it all: Fronsdal lays out the challenges a translator of an ancient text faces. He talks about the Dhammapada's history in English, about how "a translation mirrors the viewpoint of the translator" (pp. xi-xii)-something Easwaran never did. Most pointedly, he notes that "Hindu concepts appear in English translations done in India" (p. xii)-or by a Hindu, I might add. (Hint: think Easwaran.) He goes on to say (p. xii) "In this translation, I have tried to put aside my own interpretations and preferences, insofar as possible, in favor of accuracy." I believe he has done exactly this. Fronsdal's introduction (the preface discusses the translation issues) is not so far ranging as Easwaran's, and certainly not as lengthy, but I found it more insightful and refreshingly accurate. (Readers of my May 15, 2011 review of Easwaran's Dhammapada will understand my relief.) For example, I thought he hit the nail on the head with this pointed remark (p. xx): "The Dhammapada originated in a time, culture, and spiritual tradition very different from what is familiar to most Western readers today. We might be alerted to this difference if we compare the beginning of the Dhammapada with the opening lines of the Bible, which emphasize God's role as Creator and, by extension, our reliance on God's power. In contrast, the first two verses of the Dhammapada emphasize the power of the human mind in shaping our lives, and the importance and effectiveness of a person's own actions and choices... Ethical and mental purity [he goes on to say]...cannot be achieved through the intervention of others: `By oneself alone is one purified' (verse 165)." How different this is from Easwaran's constant-and fatuous-comparisons to Jesus and, even, Albert Einstein. The remainder of Fronsdal's introduction looks at its contrasting emotional moods-"energy and peace"-its themes, and the effects reading it have had on him. Fronsdal again demonstrates his penetration of basic Buddhist teachings when he writes on page xxix "[I]t is not the world that is negated in the Dhammapada, but rather attachment to the world (as in verse 171)." In the margin of my copy I scribbled YES! In other words, Fronsdal gets it-which is not so surprising when you consider the man has trained in both the Soto Zen and Theravadan traditions, has a Ph.D. in Buddhist Studies from Stanford, and is a teacher at Spirit Rock Meditation Center. In other words, he has every qualification needed to interpret the Buddha's teaching, qualifications Easwaran seemed to have but in fact was sorely lacking. Anyway, on to the text proper. Despite my above praise, Fronsdal does make some interpretations I thought odd, though this is not to say I didn't understand his reasoning. For example, the title of the Dhammapada's first chapter, usually rendered as "Twin Verses" or "Paired Verses," Fronsdal names "Dichotomies." Fortunately, he explains this and other such choices-which he (much to his credit) acknowledges as controversial-in detailed endnotes signified by asterisks. (This was another problem I had with Easwaran's text-I could not tell which verses his endnotes pertained to unless I went to the back of the book.) This is much appreciated; one important characteristic of any good translator is candor and clarity as to what sort of interpretive choices s/he makes and why. Fronsdal maintains high standards in this regard; he explains his choices in detail in the endnotes, and having done so the reader can then appreciate that while some of his word choices are unorthodox, they are not without merit or insight. I realize not every reader will be interested in such linguistic and terminological details, but they need to be discussed somewhere if the translator is to maintain legitimacy. As for the reading experience of Fronsdal's Dhammapada: it has the spare, poetic feel I am familiar with from other translations of Pali Buddhist texts. Also, as previously noted, he does seem to fulfill the aspiration he stated in the preface-that of producing a relatively literal translation, one reflecting its original time and place as opposed to the layers of (mis)interpretation later commentators and cultures have often imposed on the text. As a result, Fronsdal's translation feels definitively like a Buddhist text, one that should be instructive to any newcomers to the Buddha's Dhamma. I hope they will leave it wanting more.

giving this book 5 stars is easy. are there really that many great books around? my rating is for this whole book, translation and all. other folks who've read different versions, are rating the translation itself (it appears). i've never read another translation, but reading it, it makes sense, and it's very clear as and wisdom comes through. much like the tao te ching by lau tzu, this is a book that has been oft translated. it's disappointing to read a version you've come to terms with, and have been able to resonate with, only to find another version where the meaning is possibly very different, and then to find that many others feel that this new version is much more accurate.. according to the this authors credentials, as well as the other reviews, this translation is to be trusted, which should give you peace of mind that you can settle in and enjoy the words without worrying that you are getting questionable meaning. I bought three copies. two for friends and one for myself, and everyone is quite pleased.

I give this translation VERY high marks. Very well researched and written. Brings the depth of the original Pali, yet in a format that is easily readable in English, as well as styled for individual verse recitation or memorization. I'm a big Dhammapada fan, and have over 20 English translations. For a long time, my "go to" translation was by the Ven. Ananda Maitreya, but Gil Fronsdal's translation has unseated it for my daily use. I will address one criticism I've seen, that I believe is unfounded, and that is that it is a "politically correct" translation. This is based on Fronsdal's use of "herself" in a few verses instead of "himself", to be more inclusive. The Buddha's teachings have ALWAYS been inclusive for both men and women, so it does nothing to change the meaning to substitute "herself" in a few places, in fact, I would have liked it if Fronsdal had replaced "himself" with "themselves" throughout.

This work will probably be appreciated more by those who are fairly familiar with Buddhism and clear about its value in their lives. It is basic scripture and it contains most of the essential theoretical points of the tradition and employs its common terminology and stylistic elements. For the more interested scholar, there are references, commentaries and connections to related sources. It is not an explanation of Buddhism or of its relevance to contemporary life. With that understanding, I have found it to be a wonderful aid to my spiritual life. The translation is very amenable to use by native English speakers while effectively conveying the essence of Buddhist teaching. An excellent addition to the library of any of us with more than a passing interest in the subject, whether that interest is merely academic or intensely personal. While I am in no position to critique Fronsdal's skill as a scholar or as a translator, I am sufficiently familiar with the broad topic of Buddhism in the West to recommend this work without hesitation. Blessings to you in your pursuit of this topic.

The translation is beautiful despite the decay due to the complexity of Pali

How can I not be satisfied? I know what's in book.

I am new to Buddhism and I found this to be very easy to read and I enjoyed the messages presented in it. I think if you are starting to take your practice seriously, this is an excellent book to have in your library. I know I will reference it as I learn more and more about the practice.

The Dhammapada is one of the most widely read Buddhist texts in the West and is probably one of the most frequently translated. It is often considered, along with works like the Baghavad Gita and the Tao Te Ching to be a classic of world religious literature and as such, of interest to many who would not consider themselves Buddhist. This version, by Gil Fronsdal, who has trained within both the Soto Zen and the insight meditation tradition of Theravada Buddhism for many years and has a Ph.D. in Buddhist studies from Stanford, is my translation of choice. The highly respected translator of Buddhist texts Carl Bielefeldt, of Stanford University, (who is thus qualified to comment on the quality of this translation) has said "A fine new translation of an ancient classic. Fronsdal's balance of fidelity to the text and sensitivity to its spirit is perfect. A book to be treasured." and Bhante Gunaratana, of the Bhavana Society has said "I have read many Dhammapada translations in several languages, but never have I come across such a crisp, precise, and lucid translation as this." This particular translation is also available in audio book form, which is most welcome The Dhammapada: Teachings of the Buddha - Book and Audio-CD Set and as a Kindle edition The Dhammapada: A New Translation of the Buddhist Classic with Annotations which for some reason, at the time of writing, is not available in the formats box above. It also won't come up if you search under 'Gil Fronsdal' in the Kindle Store. Highly recommended both for those interested in Buddhism and those interested in world religious literature. For those who are interested, I also recommend another fine version translated by Eknath Easwaran The Dhammapada (Classics of Indian Spirituality) .

Excellent condition.