Dhammapada - an introduction

Dhammapada (Pali) or Dharmapada (Sanskrit) is the most well known collection of the sayings of Gautama Buddha in the form of suttas or verses. This collection is often regarded as being more popularly known than even the entire Tipitaka of the Master. It is said that each sutta was spoken of by the Most Englightened One in reference to a particular parable and teaching, sometimes in response to a question by a disciple or a lay person.

It is ascribed that shortly after the parinibbana of the great Master, his disciples and the senior arahats met at Rajagriha to understand the loss and to ensure that there would be no attempt by anyone to corrupt the Teachings. By way of repeated recitation, the different groups of arahats were able to recollect the exact words of the Master and the related parables. These were brought together in clusters of discourses for recitation, and assembled especially as the suttas of short verses – the Dhammapada.

The most ancient compilation is the Dhammapada Atthakatha, with commentary by the great scholar, Buddhaghosa. Comprising terms referring to dhamma and being numbered, pada, the verses explain the ‘eternal truth’ through their root.

The unique value of the verses of the Dhammapada is in its very construction and delivery. Complex concepts and hypotheses are presented in very precise verses. The numbers of suttas is very impressive and yet awe-inspiring in their clarity. It must have been very difficult to pick up on the Master’s Teachings to his bhikkhus and bhikkunis by lay persons. The need to link an appropriate story to the verses must have been recognized and appreciated by everyone. Some of these verses also occur in other parts of the Tipitaka but the stories are only to be found in the Dhammapada of the Khuddaka Nikaya within the Sutta Pitaka.

There are several versions of the Dhammapada, other than the Pali canon. These include the – (a) Gãndhãri Dhammapada – in Gãndhãri written in the Kharosthi script, (b) Patna Dharmapada – in a variant Sanskrit script, (c) Udãnavarga – in 3 different Sanskrit versions and a Tibetan translation, (d) Mahãvastu – text in Lokottaravada, similar to the Pali Sahassa Vagga and Bhikkhu Vagga, and (e) Fajiy jing – being four Chinese texts, one of them a translation of the Pali canon.

We will follow the Pali Dhammapada for our purposes of being introduced to this great text. 423 verses of the Dhammapada are placed in 26 chapters. These include the – (1) Yammakavagga or Yammaka vaggo – ‘The twin-verses’, (2) Apamãdavagga – ‘On earnestness’, (3) Cittavagga – ‘Thought’, (4) Pupphavagga – ‘Flowers’, (5) Balavagga – ‘The fool’, (6) Paṇditavagga – ‘The wise man’, (7) Arahantavagga  - ‘The venerable’, (8) Sahassavagga – ‘The thousands’, (9) Pãpavagga – ‘The evil’, (10) Daṇḍavagga – ‘Punishment’, (11) Jarãvagga – ‘Old Age’, (12) Attavagga – ‘Self’, (13) Lokavagga – ‘The World’, (14) Buddhavagga – ‘The Buddha – The Awakened’, (15) Sukhavagga – ‘Happiness’, (16) Piyavagga – ‘Pleasure’, (17) Kodhavagga – ‘Anger’, (18) Malavagga – ‘Impurity’, (19) Dhammaṭṭavagga – ‘The Just’, (20) Maggavagga – ‘The Way’, (21) Pakiṇṇakavagga – Miscellaneous, (22) Nirayavagga – ‘The Downward Course’, (23) Nãgavagga – ‘The Elephant’, (24) Taṇhãvagga – ‘Thirst’, (25) Bhikkhu Vagga – ‘The Mendicant’, (26) Brãhmaṇavagga – The Brãhmana.

The unique style of the Dhammapada is the coupling of the verses with stories and parables. The verses are very difficult to understand in the first or second or third readings. The stories or parables help the seeker understand the essence of each verse. Some stories are presented with 2-3 verses. Most are supported by one single verse. Thus, the 423 verse are presented by 305 stories. Some of these stories have recounting of the past experiences of the Master, while most are about incidents that are supposed to have taken place during His lifetimes.

Essentially, the Dhammapada is meant to be a guide to the lay person, and instill values of dhamma. One cannot perhaps understand the context of the stories of those times, but one should certainly have faith in the intent and the purpose of the parable. Some of the examples may not seem to be immediately relevant, but then, as a student, one has to be humble.

The clear, precise and philosophical verses were presented in the Master’s Teachings during the 45 years of His travels in the valleys below the Himalayas and along the Ganges. Most examples are in relation to the people and communities of those times and in those places. The Most Enlightened One repeatedly emphasises that one must achieve one’s own internal conquests, in defeating the evils of hatred, ignorance and passion. He teaches that is very hard to attain freedom from craving and presents an absolute truth (dhamma) along with advice in each parable coupled with a verse.

It is in the 21^st verse, Appamado amatapadam, meaning – ‘Mindfulness is the way to Nibbana, the Deathless’ – that provides a valuable insight into achieving tranquility. Possibly the last Teaching of the Master before his parinibbana, He taught that one should be mindful and always endeavour diligently.