best/favourite translation of dhammapada

A forum for beginners and members of other Buddhist traditions to ask questions about Theravāda (The Way of the Elders). Responses require moderator approval before they are visible in order to double-check alignment to Theravāda orthodoxy.
delora
Posts: 22
Joined: Sun Sep 19, 2010 9:08 am

best/favourite translation of dhammapada

Post by delora »

Hi,

I was wondering if anyone had suggestions for a translation of the Dhammapada?

I currently have Ajahn Munindo's translation. I find it okay, but it's a bit too proscriptive/moralistic/british(!) in tone for me. anyone have any other suggestions?
User avatar
retrofuturist
Posts: 27839
Joined: Tue Dec 30, 2008 9:52 pm
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Contact:

Re: best/favourite translation of dhammapada

Post by retrofuturist »

Greetings Delora,

Welcome to Dhamma Wheel.

Buddharakkhita's translation is good, and online for free at Access To Insight.

The Dhammapada: The Buddha's Path of Wisdom translated from the Pali by Acharya Buddharakkhita
http://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka ... .budd.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Metta,
Retro. :)
"Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things."
User avatar
Sekha
Posts: 789
Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2010 12:32 am
Location: Earth
Contact:

Re: best/favourite translation of dhammapada

Post by Sekha »

This one is nice: http://www.tipitaka.net/tipitaka/dhp/index.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; Thorough work. You will find there also the pali text + a summary of the related story from Buddhagosa.

it is sometimes overinterpretated as it sticks very much to the remarks of the commetary, but most of the time, it is the most accurate translation I have found:
We have tried to make the translation as close to the text as possible, but sometimes it is very difficult, if not impossible, to find an English word that would exactly correspond to a Pali word (...)

When there is any doubt in the interpretation of the dhamma concept of the verses or when the literal meaning is vague or unintelligible, we have referred to the Commentary (in Pali) and the Burmese translation of the Commentary by the Nyaunglebin Sayadaw, a very learned thera. On many occasions we have also consulted the teachers of the Dhamma (Dhammacariyas) for elucidation of perplexing words and sentences.

In addition we have also consulted Burmese translations of the Dhammapada, especially the translation by the Union Buddha Sasana Council, the translation by the Sangaja Sayadaw (1805-1876), a leading Maha thera in the time of King Mindon and King Thibaw, and also the translation by Sayadaw U Thittila, an Ovadacariya Maha thera of the Burma Pitaka Association. The book by the Sangaja Sayadaw also includes paraphrases and abridgements of the Dhammapada stories.
Otherwise, this ressource is also very helpful to understand more deeply the meaning of the pali text:

http://buddhism.lib.ntu.edu.tw/BDLM/en/ ... _pali3.htm" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
:anjali:
Last edited by Sekha on Sun Sep 19, 2010 9:46 am, edited 1 time in total.
Where knowledge ends, religion begins. - B. Disraeli

http://www.buddha-vacana.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
User avatar
mikenz66
Posts: 19932
Joined: Sat Jan 10, 2009 7:37 am
Location: Aotearoa, New Zealand

Re: best/favourite translation of dhammapada

Post by mikenz66 »

See also this thread:
http://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?f=19&t=1025" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Mike
User avatar
texastheravadin
Posts: 46
Joined: Tue Sep 07, 2010 12:37 am
Location: Houston, TX
Contact:

Re: best/favourite translation of dhammapada

Post by texastheravadin »

I've read Buddharakkhita's translation and liked it a lot. I tried to read Thanissaro Bhikku's version, also available on Access to Insight, but I did not enjoy it as much.

I recently found a copy of Gil Fronsdal's translation (with audio CD's, read by Jack Kornfield) at my local used book store for like $10, so I'm gonna dive into that one today.

:anjali:

Josh
"Indeed, the Blessed One is worthy and rightly self-awakened, consummate in knowledge & conduct, well-gone, an expert with regard to the world, unexcelled as a trainer for those people fit to be tamed, the Teacher of divine & human beings, awakened, blessed." — AN 11.12
User avatar
Refugee
Posts: 50
Joined: Wed Apr 07, 2010 9:43 pm

Re: best/favourite translation of dhammapada

Post by Refugee »

texastheravadin wrote:............I recently found a copy of Gil Fronsdal's translation (with audio CD's, read by Jack Kornfield) at my local used book store for like $10, so I'm gonna dive into that one today......
That's the one I read almost daily. I keep the CD's in my car, listen to it whilst waiting to pick up family members. I found it to be one of the better translations so far. :anjali:
My practice is simply this: Avoid evil, do good, and purify the mind.
jackson
Posts: 245
Joined: Sun Nov 22, 2009 4:40 am

Re: best/favourite translation of dhammapada

Post by jackson »

Where did you find Ajahn Munindo's version? Does it include his reflections? As for me, I've been working my way through the Dhammapada translated by John Ross Carter and Mahinda Palihawadana, which contains the Pali Commentary. It's not the most poetic version I've read, but I've found it to be very much worth it for the commentary, although with the verses it seems they favored accuracy of translation and somewhat sacrificed the flow of the lines, which is not a bad thing at all in my opinion but may not be what you're looking for. Anyway, best of luck!
With Metta, :smile:
Jackson
"The heart of the path is quite easy. There’s no need to explain anything at length. Let go of love and hate and let things be. That’s all that I do in my own practice." - Ajahn Chah
User avatar
mikenz66
Posts: 19932
Joined: Sat Jan 10, 2009 7:37 am
Location: Aotearoa, New Zealand

Re: best/favourite translation of dhammapada

Post by mikenz66 »

http://aruno.org//index.php?option=com_ ... &Itemid=49" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Mike
delora
Posts: 22
Joined: Sun Sep 19, 2010 9:08 am

Re: best/favourite translation of dhammapada

Post by delora »

thanks for the replies..

jackson: the uk monasteries in the ajahn sumedho 'lineage' usually have a lot of his books for free distribution
User avatar
Dhammakid
Posts: 375
Joined: Fri Jan 02, 2009 7:09 am
Location: Santa Fe, NM USA
Contact:

Re: best/favourite translation of dhammapada

Post by Dhammakid »

Hello all,
The version I read I purchased at my college campus some years ago - Venerable Balangoda Ananda Maitreya's pocket translation (1995, Parallax Press; originally published by Lotsawa Publications, 1988). It was revised by a Rose Kramer and the forward was written by Thich Nhat Hahn. It contains some very helpul footnotes.

I didn't (and still don't) know anything about the quality of different translations of text. I bought it because I wanted a hard copy to carry everyday with me and it was the only copy being sold at the campus bookstore.

I've also made my way through the A2I version. They both have been very helpful for me.

Here's a link to the free online text from Google Books - http://books.google.com/books?id=7fvGjm ... &q&f=false" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

:anjali:
Dhammakid
User avatar
texastheravadin
Posts: 46
Joined: Tue Sep 07, 2010 12:37 am
Location: Houston, TX
Contact:

Re: best/favourite translation of dhammapada

Post by texastheravadin »

That's the one I read almost daily. I keep the CD's in my car, listen to it whilst waiting to pick up family members. I found it to be one of the better translations so far. :anjali:
That's a great idea! I'll have to steal it! :spy:

:anjali:

Josh
"Indeed, the Blessed One is worthy and rightly self-awakened, consummate in knowledge & conduct, well-gone, an expert with regard to the world, unexcelled as a trainer for those people fit to be tamed, the Teacher of divine & human beings, awakened, blessed." — AN 11.12
MJS
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Aug 26, 2010 2:30 am

Re: best/favourite translation of dhammapada

Post by MJS »

I have a paperback of the Glenn Wallis translation/commentary, Not sure if it's the best but i like it
User avatar
Ytrog
Posts: 702
Joined: Thu Sep 16, 2010 4:50 pm
Location: The Netherlands, near Deventer

Re: best/favourite translation of dhammapada

Post by Ytrog »

If have this book: https://www.milinda-uitgevers.nl/asoka/ ... -teksten-1" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It's a translation to Dutch of both the Sutta Nipata and the Dhammapada.
Suffering is asking from life what it can never give you.
mindfulness, bliss and beyond (page 8) wrote:Do not linger on the past. Do not keep carrying around coffins full of dead moments
If you see any unskillful speech (or other action) from me let me know, so I can learn from it.
User avatar
Su Dongpo
Posts: 25
Joined: Wed Nov 04, 2009 4:29 am

Re: best/favourite translation of dhammapada

Post by Su Dongpo »

Hello.

I have been reading and comparing translations as well (sorry, only English). Here's a thread I started at FS:

http://www.freesangha.com/forums/index. ... 1#msg31141" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

and another we have going at Buddha Forum:

http://buddhaforum.org/viewtopic.php?f=77&t=1198" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I think several translation appeal to me for various reasons (I don't read Pali so I am only judging them on their own merits), but I also find, somewhat to my surprise, that I prefer the first major English translation, by a German scholar, F. Max Muller, in 1881. It is available at many sites online and has never gone out of print.

Here's one example:
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Dhammapada_(Muller" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;)
User avatar
Viscid
Posts: 931
Joined: Fri Jul 09, 2010 8:55 pm
Location: Toronto, Canada
Contact:

Re: best/favourite translation of dhammapada

Post by Viscid »

MJS wrote:I have a paperback of the Glenn Wallis translation/commentary, Not sure if it's the best but i like it
I highly recommend this. I was quite blown away by it.
"What holds attention determines action." - William James
Post Reply