The Dhammapada
ON THE TRACES OF THE BUDDHA
Share on:
Share on:
Hard is the life of mortals.
Rare is the hearing of the true teaching.
Rare is the birth of the Awakened Ones.
Abstain from all that is harmful,
obtain that which is wholesome,
purify one’s mind:
this is the teaching of the Awaked Ones.
Hard is the life of mortals.
Rare is the hearing of the true teaching.
Rare is the birth of the Awakened Ones.
Abstain from all that is harmful,
obtain that which is wholesome,
purify one’s mind:
this is the teaching of the Awaked Ones.
The book
The Dhammapada is an ancient, but extremely modern, poem that fascinates both readers who have no knowledge of Buddhism and the most experienced meditators who have always recognized its invaluable depth and breath as guidance. The core of the work is the teaching of ethics by extolling virtue and abandoning unhealthy behaviors. The verses are deep and poetic, capable of guiding the reader, with the typical Buddhist kindness and lack of dogmatism, towards a higher moral sensitivity and spiritual serenity. In addition to a new Italian version edited by Professor Francesco Sferra, this edition features an English translation and, as a tribute to the more than century-long journey that this poem has made in our culture, the Latin version made in the 1900’s by the Danish scholar Viggo Fausbøll, which marked the first appearance of the Dhammapada in a Western language. Finally, the transliteration of the Pali language is a further instrument for savoring the origin of this must-read concentrated blend of wisdom.