The Dhammapada has long been cherished by Buddhists of all traditions for its vibrant and eloquent expression of basic Buddhist precepts. As a work of inspiration, it has universal appeal-its themes remain fresh and glowing, as relevant today as twenty-five hundred years ago when the Buddha first expressed them. While the Dhammapada is a collection of teachings given by the Buddha at many different times and places, the effect is of a unified work. Over four hundred verses are gathered under the parasol of twenty-six different themes-forming a rich pattern which interweaves variations on many of the Buddha's most effective and moving teachings.
The Dhammapada was one of the first Buddhist texts translated into English, with excerpts published in journals as early as 1830. In 1870 there appeared a complete translation by Professor Max Muller, a work that continues to be emulated. Reflecting its popularity, translations of the Dhammapada have appeared in nearly thirty different languages and in more than a hundred different versions. Tibetan and English text.


Dhammapada, Translated into Tibetan from the Pali by dGe-'dun Chos 'phal, Translated into English from the Tibetan by Dharma Publishing Staff, Dharma Publishing, 383 pages, $20.95

Gendun Chopel . Dge 'dun chos 'phel) (1903-1951) was one of the most original thinkers in Tibetan history. He was a philosopher, historian, artist, translator, traveller and a campaigner for the modernisation of Tibet. He translated the Dhammapada from Pali into Tibetan. His life is documented in the film Angry Monk: Reflections on Tibet (2005)