Skip to main content
PBS logo
 
 

Book Review of Wisdom of the Buddha : The Unabridged Dhammapada (Dover Thrift Editions)

Wisdom of the Buddha : The Unabridged Dhammapada (Dover Thrift Editions)
chrisnsally avatar reviewed on + 113 more book reviews


The Dhammapada is fairly familiar philosophical territory with allusions to punishment for sins and rewards for righteousness. I can't avoid a comparison to the New Testament and especially the Beatitudes. For example; "If a man commits evil let him not repeat it again and again; let him not delight in it, for the accumulation of sin brings suffering. If a man commits a meritorious deed, let him perform it again and again; let him develop a longing for doing good; happiness is the outcome of the accumulation of merit. Even the wrongdoer finds some happiness so long as (the fruit of) his misdeed does not mature; but when it does mature, then he sees its evil results." (Canto 9, verses 117 - 119)

I certainly enjoy the Dhammapada and recommend it if you are interested in personal and/or spiritual philosophy.