Dhammapada (Easwaran Translation)

''The Dhammapada / Introduced & Translated by Eknath Easwaran'' is an English-language book originally published in 1986. It contains Easwaran's translation of the ''Dhammapada'', a Buddhist scripture traditionally ascribed to the Buddha himself. The book also contains a substantial overall introduction of about 70 pages, together with introductory notes to each of the ''Dhammapada'' 26 chapters. English-language editions have also been published in the UK and India, and a re-translation of the full book has been published in German.
and Korean.Non-US Editions of Nilgiri Press Books
, accessed 24 April 2011.

Topics covered

Both US editions of ''The Dhammapada'' contain Easwaran's general introduction, followed by his translations from the original Pali of the Dhammapada's 26 chapters. Selections from Easwaran's chapter titles, which in some cases differ from other translations, are shown in the table at below left.

The 2007 edition contains a foreword in which Easwaran states that he translated the ''Dhammapada'' for "kindred spirits:" "men and women in every age and culture" who "thrill" to the ''Dhammapada'' message that "the wider field of consciousness is our native land.... The world of the senses is just a base camp: we are meant to be as much at home in consciousness as in the world of physical reality."

Each US edition's ''Introduction'' opens with a claim, mentioned by several reviewers, about the value of the Dhammapada within the corpus of Buddhist literature:

"If all of the New Testament had been lost, it has been said, and only the Sermon on the Mount had managed to survive these two thousand years of history, we would still have all that is necessary for following the teachings of Jesus the Christ..... Buddhist scripture is much more voluminous than the Bible, but... if everything else were lost, we would need nothing more than the Dhammapada to follow the way of the Buddha."Easwaran (2007)
''The Dhammapada'', 2nd edition.
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The introduction states that the ''Dhammapada'' has "none of the stories, parables, and extended instruction that characterizes the main Buddhist scriptures, the sutras." Rather, the ''Dhammapada'' is

a collection of vivid, practical verses, gathered probably from direct disciples who wanted to preserve what they had heard from the Buddha himself..... the equivalent of a handbook: a ready reference of the Buddha's teachings, condensed in haunting poetry and arranged by theme – anger, greed, fear, happiness, thought.

Each US edition's introduction has the same four major sections:

In each edition, short sections by Stephen Ruppenthal introduce individual chapters by providing background and clarifying Indian philosophical concepts. Many Buddhist philosophical terms are rendered in Sanskrit, and about 30 such terms are defined in a glossary."The Dhammapada is best known in its Pali form, and that is the version translated here. Buddhist terms, however, appear here in Sanskrit, because it is in Sanskrit rather than Pali – ''nirvana'' rather than ''nibana'', ''dharma'' rather than ''dhamma'', ''karma'' rather than ''kamma'', and so on – that these words have become familiar in the West" (p. 100, 2007 edition) Endnotes provide more detailed clarification of particular verses, and the second edition contains a 5-page index.

Reception

Reviews have appeared in Smith and Novak's ''Buddhism: A Concise Introduction'' (2003), , as well as in the
''Mountain Path'', ''East West'', ''Life Positive'' (India), the ''American Theosophist'', ''Parabola'', (NB: Retrieved from Factiva) ''Voice of Youth Advocates'',; Part of their larger review (pp. 14-19) entitled "Buddhism: A World Religions Resource List for Teens." and websites.Brian Bruya (Accessed 7 May 2011)
Divine books [including review of the Bhagavad Gita, the Dhammapada, and the Upanishads, by Eknath Easwaran
/nowiki>] Telugu Website (http://www.teluguwebsite.com), accessed 7 May 2011.

In ''Buddhism: A Concise Introduction'', influential scholar of religion Huston Smith and his coauthor Philip Novak wrote that "Our favorite translation is Eknath Easwaran's ''The Dhammapada''. His Indian heritage, literary gifts, and spiritual sensibilities... here produce a sublime rendering of the words of the Buddha. Verse after verse shimmers with quiet, confident authority;" the introduction is described as "sparkling." Elsewhere, the publishers quote Smith as stating that no one else in "modern times" is as qualified as Easwaran to translate the ''Dhammapada'' and other Indian spiritual classics.Huston Smith is quoted o
page 277
as stating that "No one in modern times is more qualified – no, make that 'as qualified' – to translate the epochal Classics of Indian Spirituality than Eknath Easwaran. And the reason is clear. It is impossible to go to the heart of those Classics unless you live them, and he did live them. My admiration of the man and his works is boundless." (''The Dhammapada'', Easwaran, 2007, p. 277; the "Classics of Indian Spirituality" is a set of 3 translations that includes this ''Dhammapada'').

In the ''Mountain Path'', P. S. Sundaram wrote that Easwaran

writes of mysticism not from the outside but as one who seems himself to have undergone the experience through profound... meditation. In his introduction he is less a guide post than a guide offering himself as a companion to the reader, and inviting him to take the plunge into the depths of being.

Sundaram also stated that in comparison to the Radhakrishnan translation of the ''Dhammapada'', "The present one... by Mr. Easwaran is superior to it in every way, introduction, translation and get-up, except only that it does not have the original aliverses.... we may set Radhakrishnan's ranslationof the very first verseSundaram (p. 195) quotes Radhakrishnan's opening verse as "(The mental) natures are the result of what we have thought, are chieftained by our thoughts, are made up of our thoughts. If a man speaks or acts with an evil thought, sorrow follows him (as a consequence) even as the wheel follows the foot of the drawer (i.e., the ox which draws the cart). Easwaran's opening verse is quoted (p. 195) as "Our life is shaped by our mind; we become what we think. Suffering follows an evil thought as the wheels of a cart follow the oxen that draw it."... beside Easwaran's.... The difference is the difference between a crib and a piece of literature, which is not the less faithful to the original for being a piece of literature."

In ''Life Positive'', Suma Varughese wrote that

Easwaran's ''Dhammapada'' has a tone which is easy and contemporary. It is at once energetic and clear as well as mellifluous.... ndhas a limpid clarity that homes right in. As a vehicle of Buddhist thought, the ''Dhammapada's'' haunting poetry adds beauty and emotion to what can often seem a rigorously intellectual discipline.

In ''Voice of Youth Advocates'', Rakow and Capehart wrote that "The Buddha's direct teachings are poetic and arranged by theme... Introductory explanations to each verse will help young adult readers understand the text."

In other reviews, the translation was described as "exceptionally readable" (''American Theosophist''), or the introduction was described as "clear and lively" (''Parabola''), or as "inspiring and comprehensive""Easwaran here offers a new translation from the Pali together with an inspiring and comprehensive introduction" (''East West'', p. 76) (''East West'').
The review in ''East West'' also quoted the introduction's claim that

he ''Dhammapadasverses can be read and appreciated simply as wise philosophy; as such, they are part of the great literature of the world. But for those who would follow it to the end, the Dhammapada is a sure guide to nothing less than the highest goal life can offer: self-realization.

In 1989, ''The Guardian'' listed the book among the top 5 best-sellers on Buddhism. Article states its statistics are based on information supplied by Neal Street East (accessed via Lexis Nexis Academic, 24 April 2011) In 2009, the ''Journal of Religious History'' noted that among ''Dhammapada'' translations, Easwaran's had been "very popular." It also stated that because Easwaran situated the ''Dhammapada'' against the background of the Upanishads, his translation should be seen in the context of Hindu readings.

Editions

The book has been published in English, German, and Korean. English-language editions have been published in the US, the UK, and India. In the US, the book has also been issued by its original publisher as part of a series entitled ''Classics of Indian Spirituality''.Eknath Easwaran (1989). ''Classics of Indian Spirituality Series: The Bhagavad Gita, The Dhammapada, & The Upanishads''. Tomales, CA: Nilgiri Press. , , . The stand-alone US editions are:
:*; (275 pages)
:*; ; ; (208 pages)

UK edition:
:*; (208 pages)

Indian editions:
:*; (280 pages); Reprinted in 2010: , (275 pages).

:*; (208 pages)

German edition:
:*; (284 pages)

Korean edition:
:
(online)
(267 pages)

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Dhammapada
1986 books
2007 non-fiction books
Philosophy books
Books about spirituality
Buddhism studies books
Indian non-fiction books
Works by Eknath Easwaran
21st-century Indian books
20th-century Indian books