(Theosophical University Press)
I can imagine no scholar in this country or elsewhere, who could produce a better rendition of the Dhammapada than Dr. Harischandra Kaviratna. Early in life he acquired a knowledge of Sanskrit, Prakrit, Magadhi, Hindi, English, German, Latin, and other languages and arts. Dr. Kaviratna has contributed immensely to our Sinhalese [Sri Lankan] literature on a multiplicity of subjects such as yoga, Indian philosophy, Mahayana, Theravada, Zen, Tantrikism, Peruvian and Mayan cultures, pre-Christian European cultures, and Egyptology.
The present version of the Dhammapada is a verbatim translation, which has carefully preserved the true spirit of Buddha's very word. This anthology may be regarded as a Buddhist encyclopedia in miniature.
-- Rt. Ven. G. Punnasara Maha Thero
(spiritual instructor, Government Central College, Madamba, Sri Lanka)
(Illustration of palm leaf manuscript)CONTENTS
Foreword
Introduction
Acknowledgments
CANTOS
I. The Twin Verses
II. On Vigilance
III. The Mind
IV. The Flowers
V. The Fool
VI. The Wise
VII. The Holy One
VIII. The Thousands
IX. Evil
X. The Rod of Punishment
XI. Old Age
XII. The Self
XIII. The World
XIV. The Enlightened One
XV. Happiness
XVI. Affection
XVII. Anger
XVIII. Impurity
XIX. The Righteous
XX. The Path
XXI. Miscellaneous Verses
XXII. The Woeful State
XXIII. The Elephant
XXIV. Thirst or Craving
XXV. The Mendicant
XXVI. Who is a Brahman?
