BOOK REVIEW

Everyday dharma

A new translation of Lord Buddha's teachings and a book of reflections on everyday living offer fresh insights on Buddhist practice

NICK WILGUS

A new translation of Lord Buddha's book of teachings, the Dhammapada, has recently been published, as has a new work by Vietnamese monk Thich Nhat Hahn.

Through verse, the Dhammapada lays out the basic Buddhist teachings. Originally composed by Lord Buddha some 2,500 years ago, the Dhammapada has undergone many translations into many different languages. This English translation was done by Glenn Wallis, who has a PhD in Sanskrit and Indian studies from Harvard University. Wallis, an associate professor of religion at the University of Georgia, has done a wonderful job here - the translations are easily understandable and the points are well made.

My favourite verse from the Dhammapada says that "hatred does not cease by hatred, but by love alone". Wallis translates this a little differently, saying: "In this world hostilities are never appeased by hostility. But by the absence of hostility are they appeased. This is an interminable truth."

For Buddhism students, Wallis includes with his translation a "Guide to Reading the Text", which is made up of about 100 pages of insights - technical or otherwise - into each of the Dhammapada's 26 chapters. This is a rich resource that would be well worth reading in itself. It explains many difficult terms such as "mind", "heart" and "self" that may baffle beginners. For example, on "mind", Wallis writes: "The word translated as 'mind' in this chapter [Chapter Three] is citta, the sense of personal identity and the 'centre' of lived experience." He goes on to say that, "Citta is the human capacity to attend to things, to think, plan, scheme, be anxious, ponder and long. This is a range of function that includes cognitive and affective, as well as reflective, qualities. For this reason, citta is often translated as 'heart', or even 'heart-mind'."

The Buddha meant very precise things when he gave his dharma; each term has to be understood correctly so that the dharma itself may be understood correctly. In that respect, the author's "Guide to Reading the Text" is invaluable. Highly recommended.

Nhat Hahn needs little introduction: A Vietnamese monk now based in France, he is the founder of Plum Village Buddhist community, the author of numerous books and a well known speaker. Inspired by his efforts to promote peace, Dr Martin Luther King Jr nominated Nhat Hahn for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1967.

His most recent work, Present Moment Wonderful Moment: Mindfulness Verses for Daily Living is designed to bring dharma into one's everyday life. The book takes the form of verses, or gathas, about very ordinary aspects of normal life: Waking up, brushing one's teeth, beginning to eat. Each gatha is accompanied by a short explanatory note.

Here's the gatha for "Turning on the Water":

"Water flows from high mountain sources

Water runs deep in the Earth.

Miraculously, water comes to us

and sustains all life."

The commentary makes note of how we often take water for granted even though it is the source of all life. "Water is a good friend, a bodhisattva, that nourishes the many thousands of species on Earth." The monks says that, "To celebrate the gift of water is to cultivate awareness and help sustain our life and the lives of others."

There are 53 of these gathas altogether, written in Nhat Hahn's typical, down-to-earth style.

Both these books are available at Asia Books; to shop online, visit http://www.asiabooks.com/.

Nick Wilgus is the author of the murder mysteries 'Mindfulness and Murder' and 'Garden of Hell', which feature Thai Buddhist monk Father Ananda and his novice sidekick, Jak.

Bangkok Post

Last Updated : Saturday April 21, 2007