The DhammapadaThere are a number of English translations of The Dhammapada, but this version by Irving Babbitt, for many years professor at Harvard and founder, with Paul Elmer More, of the movement known as "New Humanism," concentrates on the profound poetic quality of the verses and conveys, perhaps more than any other, much of the vitality of the original Pali text. Babbitt devoted many years to this translation--it was a labor of love. Together with his essay on "Buddha and the Occident," which is also included in this edition, The Dhammapada was one of the basic components of his view of world history, a view which has influenced leaders of thought as diverse as Newton Arvin, Walter Lippmann, David Riesman and T. S. Eliot. Eliot, indeed, once wrote that "to have been a student of Babbitt's is to remain always in that position." |
Contents
I | iii |
II | vi |
III | viii |
IV | x |
V | 4 |
VI | 6 |
VII | 8 |
VIII | 10 |
XIX | 24 |
XX | 26 |
XXI | 28 |
XXIII | 30 |
XXV | 33 |
XXVII | 35 |
XXVIII | 37 |
XXIX | 39 |
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Common terms and phrases
affirm Arhats Asoka attained Awakened Babbitt body Brahman Buddha Buddhist casuistry Christ craving day is better death delight desires Dhammapada disciples of Gotama doctrine earnestness East elephant evil deed example fool four noble truths genuine gods grasp happiness hatred Hinayana human nature humility impurities intellect Irving Babbitt Karma knowledge look Mahāyāna Māra Māra the tempter Max Müller meditation merely mind monk mystical naturalistic neo-Platonic ness never Nirvana Occident Occidental one's Oriental Pali Pāli Canon path peace personality philosophers pleasant pleasure Plotinus point of view positive and critical primitivist principle of control proclaim psychological quiet refuge regarding religion religious sage saint Sanskrit says seems sense sloth sorrows nor fears spiritual Stoic suffering Sylvain Lévi T. S. Eliot taint Tathāgata teacher teaching of Buddha temper thirst thou thought thyself Ti-pitaka tion true blessedness utilitarian verses virtue West whoso lives wisdom wise word