DHAMMAPADA                                              DHAMMAP1.TXT
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       The Dhammapada is one of the most popular parts of the Theravada
       Buddhist Pali Canon of Scriptures, comprising part of that section of
       the Scriptures known as the Khuddaka Nikaya - ie. Collection of Shorter
       works.

       It is an anthology, not a Sutra, for a Sutra is always in the form of a
       Discourse of the Buddha. Approximately one third of the verses in the
       Dhammapada are found elsewhere in the Pali Scriptures. The name itself
       is a pun on the idea of "The Path of the Dhamma (Teaching)" and "Dhamma
       Stanzas".

       There are several Sanskrit works related, distantly, to the Dhammapada,
       notably the Udana Varga, but these seem to be anthologies in their own
       right, and quite independent. Similarly the Gandhari Dhammapada,
       although it shares quite a number of the verses (often with radical
       variations), does not follow the same order, and again seems to be an
       independent anthology.

       There are said to be three Chinese versions of the Dhammapada. One of
       these has been translated by S. Beal, and in this case there seems no
       doubt that the basis of the work is a translation of the Pali - with
       some extra verses tagged onto the end, as is often done with
       anthologies. One detail which makes it almost certain that the
       translation is made from the Pali is a curious mistranslation of the
       verse equivalent to 146 in the Pali. The Chinese reads "remembering the
       everlasting burnings", having mistaken the "sati" of "niccam pajjalite
       sati" for the noun "sati", ie. memory, whereas it is in fact the
       shortened form of the present participle of the verb "to be". This
       ambiguity could only occur in Pali.

       The translation here is by John Richards, and presented with affection
       to the public domain.

       This work holds a particular place in my affections! As a Buddhist monk
       in Burma I learned the whole text off by heart in Pali, and used to
       recite a chapter each day to myself while out on the alms round!

       May all beings be happy! ** jhr@elidor.demon.co.uk