--- product_id: 1562932 title: "The Dhammapada: A New Translation of the Buddhist Classic with Annotations" price: "€ 49.26" currency: EUR in_stock: true reviews_count: 13 url: https://www.desertcart.pt/products/1562932-the-dhammapada-a-new-translation-of-the-buddhist-classic-annotations store_origin: PT region: Portugal --- # Insightful annotations included Classic Buddhist scripture Fresh, scholarly translation The Dhammapada: A New Translation of the Buddhist Classic with Annotations **Price:** € 49.26 **Availability:** ✅ In Stock ## Summary > 📖 Unlock ancient peace with a modern voice ## Quick Answers - **What is this?** The Dhammapada: A New Translation of the Buddhist Classic with Annotations - **How much does it cost?** € 49.26 with free shipping - **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship - **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.pt](https://www.desertcart.pt/products/1562932-the-dhammapada-a-new-translation-of-the-buddhist-classic-annotations) ## Best For - Customers looking for quality international products ## Why This Product - Free international shipping included - Worldwide delivery with tracking - 15-day hassle-free returns ## Key Features - • **Universal Appeal:** Beloved by Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike for practical life guidance - • **Dual Path to Peace:** Explores happiness in life and ultimate spiritual liberation - • **Trusted Bestseller:** Top-ranked with 4.7-star rating from nearly 800 readers - • **Scholarly Yet Accessible:** Combines rigorous Pali accuracy with engaging commentary - • **Timeless Wisdom, Modern Clarity:** A fresh, highly readable translation by a renowned Buddhist scholar ## Overview The Dhammapada: A New Translation offers the most accurate and accessible English version of this foundational Buddhist text, enriched with expert annotations by Insight Meditation teacher Gil Fronsdal. This edition bridges ancient wisdom and contemporary understanding, making it essential for anyone seeking practical spiritual guidance or a deeper grasp of Buddhist philosophy. ## Description A Buddhist scholar and Insight Meditation teacher presents the most universally beloved scriptures of Buddhism in this “clear, concise, and inspiring” translation that “brings these timeless passages of the Buddha right into our hearts” (Joseph Goldstein) The Dhammapada is the most widely read Buddhist scripture in existence, enjoyed by both Buddhists and non-Buddhists. This classic text of teaching verses from the earliest period of Buddhism in India conveys the philosophical and practical foundations of the Buddhist tradition. The text presents two distinct goals for leading a spiritual life: the first is attaining happiness in this life (or in future lives); the second goal is the achievement of spiritual liberation, freedom, absolute peace. Many of the key themes of the verses are presented in dichotomies or pairs, for example, grief and suffering versus joy; developing the mind instead of being negligent about one's mental attitude and conduct; virtuous action versus misconduct; and being truthful versus being deceitful. The purpose of these contrasts is, very simply, to describe the difference between what leads to desirable outcomes and what does not. For centuries, this text has been studied in its original Pali, the canonical language of Buddhism in Southeast Asia. This fresh new translation from Insight Mediation teacher and Pail translator Gil Fronsdal is both highly readable and scholarly authoritative. With extensive explanatory notes, this edition combines a rigorous attention to detail in bringing forth the original text with the translator's personal knowledge of the Buddhist path. It is the first truly accurate and highly readable translation of this text to be published in English. Review: A classic of world religion and philosophy translated by an expert with a gift for language. - The Dhammapada, which literally means "foot," "tool," "saying," or "path" (Pali: pada) of "experience" (Pali: dhamma), is a small collection of sayings about the Middle Way, the Path of Awakening which leads to Nirvana and which is embodied by the Buddha, and also about its opposite, the path of unskillful living which leads to a hellish life and which is embodied by the devilish figure of Mara. Each of us must choose which of these two paths to follow. We cannot avoid choosing: even if we do not choose, we will become subject to forces outside ourselves (media, advertisement, family, friends, enemies, lovers), and so will have chosen the path of unskillful living by default. Only by consciously choosing the Path of Awakening, and by training our minds so that everything we do is free of unhealthy desire, aversion, and delusion, can we be truly enlightened and happy. The Dhammapada gives voice to the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism: that suffering exists, that there is a cause to suffering, that suffering has an end, and that there is a means to this end, namely the Noble Eightfold Path. But the Dhammapada focuses mostly on the Noble Eightfold Path, and specifically on the choices we face, at many junctures in our lives, between two starkly contrasting possibilities. It is a message of hope that if we choose wisely, and if we choose now rather than later, we shall find relief for both our own suffering and the suffering of others. Thus the Dhammapada is similar to other great works of life philosophy, such as Epictetus' Enchiridion. Both focus on the fact that we must choose between two radically different kinds of lives. Both advocate a life of virtue and spiritual practice in order to make progress in life. Both regard training oneself to be mindfully aware of everything one does, and mindfully present at all times, as means for acquiring and exercising virtue, enlightenment and happiness. Gil Fronsdal, the translator of this perennial classic, holds a PhD in Buddhist Studies from Stanford, where he studied the early Bodhisattva ideal in India as the research topic for his dissertation. He is also an ordained Soto Zen priest. And he is a Vipassana student of Jack Kornfield. He has lived as a monastic in Japan and Southeast Asia. He is the main teacher at the Insight Meditation Center (IMC) in Redwood City, California. The website for IMC has all of Gil's dharma talks, plus those of many guest speakers, as well as some written transcriptions, available for free download at [...]. He is a gifted and compassionate speaker with some serious insight into the psychology of Buddhism. This translation, rendered from the Pali version of the Dhammapada, is quite beautiful, and is excellent for memorizing special verses (e.g. the first line, "All experience is preceded by mind, Led by mind, Made by mind..."). Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in Buddhism, life philosophy, or insight meditation. My only criticism is that perhaps Gil should also have offered his own commentary in addition to the helpful annotations he gives at the end of the book. He is such an insightful speaker on the Dharma that it is a shame to waste any opportunity to have him share his insight with others! I have since learned that Gil has a previous book, The Issue at Hand, in which each chapter begins with a passage from Gil's Dhammapada translation, and which does comprise a commentary of sorts, on select passages. This book is a free download from the [...]. Review: Beautiful, accurate and insightful rendering of a Buddhist classic - The first two pages of the preface to Gil Fronsdal's translation say it all: Fronsdal lays out the challenges a translator of an ancient text faces. He talks about the Dhammapada's history in English, about how "a translation mirrors the viewpoint of the translator" (pp. xi-xii)-something Easwaran never did. Most pointedly, he notes that "Hindu concepts appear in English translations done in India" (p. xii)-or by a Hindu, I might add. (Hint: think Easwaran.) He goes on to say (p. xii) "In this translation, I have tried to put aside my own interpretations and preferences, insofar as possible, in favor of accuracy." I believe he has done exactly this. Fronsdal's introduction (the preface discusses the translation issues) is not so far ranging as Easwaran's, and certainly not as lengthy, but I found it more insightful and refreshingly accurate. (Readers of my May 15, 2011 review of Easwaran's Dhammapada will understand my relief.) For example, I thought he hit the nail on the head with this pointed remark (p. xx): "The Dhammapada originated in a time, culture, and spiritual tradition very different from what is familiar to most Western readers today. We might be alerted to this difference if we compare the beginning of the Dhammapada with the opening lines of the Bible, which emphasize God's role as Creator and, by extension, our reliance on God's power. In contrast, the first two verses of the Dhammapada emphasize the power of the human mind in shaping our lives, and the importance and effectiveness of a person's own actions and choices... Ethical and mental purity [he goes on to say]...cannot be achieved through the intervention of others: `By oneself alone is one purified' (verse 165)." How different this is from Easwaran's constant-and fatuous-comparisons to Jesus and, even, Albert Einstein. The remainder of Fronsdal's introduction looks at its contrasting emotional moods-"energy and peace"-its themes, and the effects reading it have had on him. Fronsdal again demonstrates his penetration of basic Buddhist teachings when he writes on page xxix "[I]t is not the world that is negated in the Dhammapada, but rather attachment to the world (as in verse 171)." In the margin of my copy I scribbled YES! In other words, Fronsdal gets it-which is not so surprising when you consider the man has trained in both the Soto Zen and Theravadan traditions, has a Ph.D. in Buddhist Studies from Stanford, and is a teacher at Spirit Rock Meditation Center. In other words, he has every qualification needed to interpret the Buddha's teaching, qualifications Easwaran seemed to have but in fact was sorely lacking. Anyway, on to the text proper. Despite my above praise, Fronsdal does make some interpretations I thought odd, though this is not to say I didn't understand his reasoning. For example, the title of the Dhammapada's first chapter, usually rendered as "Twin Verses" or "Paired Verses," Fronsdal names "Dichotomies." Fortunately, he explains this and other such choices-which he (much to his credit) acknowledges as controversial-in detailed endnotes signified by asterisks. (This was another problem I had with Easwaran's text-I could not tell which verses his endnotes pertained to unless I went to the back of the book.) This is much appreciated; one important characteristic of any good translator is candor and clarity as to what sort of interpretive choices s/he makes and why. Fronsdal maintains high standards in this regard; he explains his choices in detail in the endnotes, and having done so the reader can then appreciate that while some of his word choices are unorthodox, they are not without merit or insight. I realize not every reader will be interested in such linguistic and terminological details, but they need to be discussed somewhere if the translator is to maintain legitimacy. As for the reading experience of Fronsdal's Dhammapada: it has the spare, poetic feel I am familiar with from other translations of Pali Buddhist texts. Also, as previously noted, he does seem to fulfill the aspiration he stated in the preface-that of producing a relatively literal translation, one reflecting its original time and place as opposed to the layers of (mis)interpretation later commentators and cultures have often imposed on the text. As a result, Fronsdal's translation feels definitively like a Buddhist text, one that should be instructive to any newcomers to the Buddha's Dhamma. I hope they will leave it wanting more. ## Features - Used Book in Good Condition ## Technical Specifications | Specification | Value | |---------------|-------| | Best Sellers Rank | #1,248,193 in Books ( See Top 100 in Books ) #40 in Buddhist Sacred Writings (Books) | | Customer Reviews | 4.7 out of 5 stars 799 Reviews | ## Images ![The Dhammapada: A New Translation of the Buddhist Classic with Annotations - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/717roRIDtUL.jpg) ## Available Options This product comes in different **Media Format** options. ## Customer Reviews ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ A classic of world religion and philosophy translated by an expert with a gift for language. *by T***S on December 6, 2005* The Dhammapada, which literally means "foot," "tool," "saying," or "path" (Pali: pada) of "experience" (Pali: dhamma), is a small collection of sayings about the Middle Way, the Path of Awakening which leads to Nirvana and which is embodied by the Buddha, and also about its opposite, the path of unskillful living which leads to a hellish life and which is embodied by the devilish figure of Mara. Each of us must choose which of these two paths to follow. We cannot avoid choosing: even if we do not choose, we will become subject to forces outside ourselves (media, advertisement, family, friends, enemies, lovers), and so will have chosen the path of unskillful living by default. Only by consciously choosing the Path of Awakening, and by training our minds so that everything we do is free of unhealthy desire, aversion, and delusion, can we be truly enlightened and happy. The Dhammapada gives voice to the Four Noble Truths of Buddhism: that suffering exists, that there is a cause to suffering, that suffering has an end, and that there is a means to this end, namely the Noble Eightfold Path. But the Dhammapada focuses mostly on the Noble Eightfold Path, and specifically on the choices we face, at many junctures in our lives, between two starkly contrasting possibilities. It is a message of hope that if we choose wisely, and if we choose now rather than later, we shall find relief for both our own suffering and the suffering of others. Thus the Dhammapada is similar to other great works of life philosophy, such as Epictetus' Enchiridion. Both focus on the fact that we must choose between two radically different kinds of lives. Both advocate a life of virtue and spiritual practice in order to make progress in life. Both regard training oneself to be mindfully aware of everything one does, and mindfully present at all times, as means for acquiring and exercising virtue, enlightenment and happiness. Gil Fronsdal, the translator of this perennial classic, holds a PhD in Buddhist Studies from Stanford, where he studied the early Bodhisattva ideal in India as the research topic for his dissertation. He is also an ordained Soto Zen priest. And he is a Vipassana student of Jack Kornfield. He has lived as a monastic in Japan and Southeast Asia. He is the main teacher at the Insight Meditation Center (IMC) in Redwood City, California. The website for IMC has all of Gil's dharma talks, plus those of many guest speakers, as well as some written transcriptions, available for free download at [...]. He is a gifted and compassionate speaker with some serious insight into the psychology of Buddhism. This translation, rendered from the Pali version of the Dhammapada, is quite beautiful, and is excellent for memorizing special verses (e.g. the first line, "All experience is preceded by mind, Led by mind, Made by mind..."). Highly recommended for anyone with an interest in Buddhism, life philosophy, or insight meditation. My only criticism is that perhaps Gil should also have offered his own commentary in addition to the helpful annotations he gives at the end of the book. He is such an insightful speaker on the Dharma that it is a shame to waste any opportunity to have him share his insight with others! I have since learned that Gil has a previous book, The Issue at Hand, in which each chapter begins with a passage from Gil's Dhammapada translation, and which does comprise a commentary of sorts, on select passages. This book is a free download from the [...]. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Beautiful, accurate and insightful rendering of a Buddhist classic *by C***E on May 21, 2011* The first two pages of the preface to Gil Fronsdal's translation say it all: Fronsdal lays out the challenges a translator of an ancient text faces. He talks about the Dhammapada's history in English, about how "a translation mirrors the viewpoint of the translator" (pp. xi-xii)-something Easwaran never did. Most pointedly, he notes that "Hindu concepts appear in English translations done in India" (p. xii)-or by a Hindu, I might add. (Hint: think Easwaran.) He goes on to say (p. xii) "In this translation, I have tried to put aside my own interpretations and preferences, insofar as possible, in favor of accuracy." I believe he has done exactly this. Fronsdal's introduction (the preface discusses the translation issues) is not so far ranging as Easwaran's, and certainly not as lengthy, but I found it more insightful and refreshingly accurate. (Readers of my May 15, 2011 review of Easwaran's Dhammapada will understand my relief.) For example, I thought he hit the nail on the head with this pointed remark (p. xx): "The Dhammapada originated in a time, culture, and spiritual tradition very different from what is familiar to most Western readers today. We might be alerted to this difference if we compare the beginning of the Dhammapada with the opening lines of the Bible, which emphasize God's role as Creator and, by extension, our reliance on God's power. In contrast, the first two verses of the Dhammapada emphasize the power of the human mind in shaping our lives, and the importance and effectiveness of a person's own actions and choices... Ethical and mental purity [he goes on to say]...cannot be achieved through the intervention of others: `By oneself alone is one purified' (verse 165)." How different this is from Easwaran's constant-and fatuous-comparisons to Jesus and, even, Albert Einstein. The remainder of Fronsdal's introduction looks at its contrasting emotional moods-"energy and peace"-its themes, and the effects reading it have had on him. Fronsdal again demonstrates his penetration of basic Buddhist teachings when he writes on page xxix "[I]t is not the world that is negated in the Dhammapada, but rather attachment to the world (as in verse 171)." In the margin of my copy I scribbled YES! In other words, Fronsdal gets it-which is not so surprising when you consider the man has trained in both the Soto Zen and Theravadan traditions, has a Ph.D. in Buddhist Studies from Stanford, and is a teacher at Spirit Rock Meditation Center. In other words, he has every qualification needed to interpret the Buddha's teaching, qualifications Easwaran seemed to have but in fact was sorely lacking. Anyway, on to the text proper. Despite my above praise, Fronsdal does make some interpretations I thought odd, though this is not to say I didn't understand his reasoning. For example, the title of the Dhammapada's first chapter, usually rendered as "Twin Verses" or "Paired Verses," Fronsdal names "Dichotomies." Fortunately, he explains this and other such choices-which he (much to his credit) acknowledges as controversial-in detailed endnotes signified by asterisks. (This was another problem I had with Easwaran's text-I could not tell which verses his endnotes pertained to unless I went to the back of the book.) This is much appreciated; one important characteristic of any good translator is candor and clarity as to what sort of interpretive choices s/he makes and why. Fronsdal maintains high standards in this regard; he explains his choices in detail in the endnotes, and having done so the reader can then appreciate that while some of his word choices are unorthodox, they are not without merit or insight. I realize not every reader will be interested in such linguistic and terminological details, but they need to be discussed somewhere if the translator is to maintain legitimacy. As for the reading experience of Fronsdal's Dhammapada: it has the spare, poetic feel I am familiar with from other translations of Pali Buddhist texts. Also, as previously noted, he does seem to fulfill the aspiration he stated in the preface-that of producing a relatively literal translation, one reflecting its original time and place as opposed to the layers of (mis)interpretation later commentators and cultures have often imposed on the text. As a result, Fronsdal's translation feels definitively like a Buddhist text, one that should be instructive to any newcomers to the Buddha's Dhamma. I hope they will leave it wanting more. ### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Clean and Crisp *by M***N on January 30, 2011* One measure of how good a translation is whether it can be read and understood without the footnotes. Disregarding the scholarly introduction at the front and the listing of annotations at the back, I dived right into the meat of the poetry and was immediately entranced. This translation is crisp and clear and there is a feeling for the rhythm and flow of language that must capture some of the beauty of the original. Once I had a feeling for the work, I turned with real interest to the author's introductions to read his reasons and reservations about his word choices. The information in the Afterword and Notes is fascinating but I keep returning to the text itself. One can read this simply for the poetry and also as a set of proverbs that express the thoughts and culture of the Buddha's time, if not the Buddha himself. I found myself comparing it to the Biblical book of Proverbs or to The Song of Solomon. Wisdom pithily expressed and contained in short phrases, easy to carry around with one all day. One can also read this as an inspiration for daily meditation, both to put one in the proper frame and to provide a focus. ## Frequently Bought Together - The Dhammapada: A New Translation of the Buddhist Classic with Annotations - Shahnameh: The Persian Book of Kings (Penguin Classics) - Life of the Buddha (Clay Sanskrit Library, 10) --- ## Why Shop on Desertcart? - 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016 - 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories - 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price - 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members) - 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection - ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews **Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.pt/products/1562932-the-dhammapada-a-new-translation-of-the-buddhist-classic-annotations](https://www.desertcart.pt/products/1562932-the-dhammapada-a-new-translation-of-the-buddhist-classic-annotations) --- *Product available on Desertcart Portugal* *Store origin: PT* *Last updated: 2026-10-15*