Wisdom of the Buddha: The Unabridged Dhammapada

I’ve collected some favorite quotes from the book Wisdom of the Buddha: The Unabridged Dhammapada as opposed to a full blown review.

The Four Noble Truths

1. The Truth of Dukkha (suffering) is that all conditional phenomena and experiences are not ultimately satisfying;
2. The Truth of the Origin of Dukkha is that craving for and clinging to what is pleasurable and aversion to what is not pleasurable result in becoming, rebirth, dissatisfaction, and redeath;
3. The Truth of the Cessation of Dukkha is that putting an end to this craving and clinging also means that rebirth, dissatisfaction, and redeath can no longer arise;
4. The Truth of the Path Of Liberation from Dukkha is that by following the Noble Eightfold Path—namely, behaving decently, cultivating discipline, and practicing mindfulness and meditation—an end can be put to craving, to clinging, to becoming, to rebirth, to dissatisfaction, and to redeath.

The Noble Eightfold Path

1. Wisdom
   1. Right View
   2. Right Intention
2. Ethical Conduct
   1. Right Speech
   2. Right action
   3. Right Livelihood
3. Concentration
   1. Right Effort
   2. Right Mindfulness
   3. Right Concentration

The Five Troubles of the Mind

1. Passion
2. Anger
3. Ignorance
4. Arrogance
5. Pride

• thoughtful contemplation marks the beginning of the individual’s journey to immortality (Nirvana)
• Hatred does not cease by hatred at any time: hatred ceases by love, this is an old rule
• He who wishes to put on the yellow dress without having cleansed himself from sin, who disregards temperance and truth, is unworthy of the yellow dress.
• People praise earnestness (serious in intention); thoughtlessness is always blamed.
• Whatever a hater may do to a hater, or an enemy to an enemy, a wrongly-directed mind will do him greater mischief
• “Not about the perversities of others, not about their sins of commission or omission, but about his own misdeeds and negligences alone should a sage be worried.”
• A good man pervades every place.
• If a traveler does not meet with one who is his better, or his equal, let him firmly keep to his solitary journey; there is no companionship with fools.
• Do not have evil-doers for friends, do not have low people for friends: have virtuous people for friends, have for friends the best of men
• As a solid rock is not shaken by the wind, so wise men falter not amidst blame or praise.
• He who always greets and constantly reveres the aged, four things will increase to
• him, viz. life, beauty, happiness, power
• One may conquer a thousand men in a thousand battles. But the person who conquers just one person, which is one’s own self, is the greatest conqueror.
• The accumulation of good is delightful.
• From pleasure comes grief, from pleasure comes fear; he who is free from pleasure knows neither grief nor fear.
• From affection comes grief, from affection comes fear; he who is free from affection knows neither grief nor fear.
• From lust comes grief, from lust comes fear; he who is free from lust knows neither grief nor fear.
• From love comes grief, from love comes fear; he who is free from love knows neither grief nor fear.
• From greed comes grief, from greed comes fear; he who is free from greed knows neither grief nor fear.
• The fault of others is easily perceived, but that of one’s self is difficult to perceive.
• He who, by causing pain to others, wishes to obtain pleasure for himself, he, entangled in the bonds of hatred, will never be free from hatred.