Dhammapada

The Dhammapada (Pāli; Prakrit: Dhamapada;^[1] Sanskrit Dharmapada) is a versified Buddhist scripture traditionally ascribed to the Buddha himself. It is one of the best-known texts from the Theravada canon.^[2]

The title, Dhammapada, is a compound term composed of dhamma and pada, each word having a number of denotations and connotations. Generally, dhamma can refer to the Buddha's "doctrine" or an "eternal truth" or "righteousness" or all "phenomena";^[3] and, at its root, pada means "foot" and thus by extension, especially in this context, means either "path" or "verse" (cf. "foot (prosody)") or both.^[4] English translations of this text's title have used various combinations of these and related words.^[5][6]

History

According to tradition, the Dhammapada's verses were spoken by the Buddha on various occasions.^[7] Most verses deal with ethics.^[8] The text is part of the Khuddaka Nikaya of the Sutta Pitaka, although over half of the verses exist in other parts of the Pali Canon.^[9] A 4th or 5th century CE commentary attributed to Buddhaghosa includes 305 stories which give context to the verses.

Although the Pāli edition is the best-known, a number of other versions are known:^[10]

• "Gāndhārī Dharmapada" – a version possibly of Dharmaguptaka or Kāśyapīya origin^[11] in Gāndhārī written in Kharosthi script^[12]
• "Patna Dharmapada" – a version in Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit,^[13] most likely Sammatiya^[14]
• "Udānavarga" – a seemingly related Mula-Sarvastivada or Sarvastivada text^[15][16] in
  • 3 Sanskrit versions
  • a Tibetan translation, which is popular in traditional Tibetan Buddhism
• "Mahāvastu" – a Lokottaravada text with parallels to verses in the Pāli Dhammapada's Sahassa Vagga and Bhikkhu Vagga.^[17]
• "Fajiu jing" – 4 Chinese works; one of these appears to be an expanded translation of the Pali version; this has not traditionally been very popular.

Comparing the Pali Dhammapada, the Gandhari Dharmapada and the Udanavarga, Brough (2001) identifies that the texts have in common 330 to 340 verses, 16 chapter headings and an underlying structure. He suggests that the three texts have a "common ancestor" but underlines that there is no evidence that any one of these three texts might have been the "primitive Dharmapada" from which the other two evolved.^[18]

The Dhammapada is considered one of the most popular pieces of Theravada literature.^[2] A critical edition of the Dhammapada was produced by Danish scholar Viggo Fausbøll in 1855, becoming the first Pali text to receive this kind of examination by the European academic community.^[19]

Organization

The Pali Dhammapada contains 423 verses in 26 chapters (listed below in English and, in parentheses, Pali).^[20][21][22]

Excerpts

The following English translations are from Müller (1881). The Pali text is from the Sri Lanka Tripitaka Project (SLTP) edition.^[21]

Chapter XII: Self

157 If you hold yourself dear guard yourself diligently. Keep vigil during one of the three watches of the night.

158 Learn what is right; then teach others as the wise do.

159 Before trying to guide others, be your own guide first. It is hard to learn to guide oneself.

160 Your own self is your master; who else could be? With your own self controlled, your gain a master very hard to find.

161 The evil done by the selfish crushes them as a 162 diamond breaks a hard gem. As a vine over- powers a tree, evil over-powers the evil doer, trapping him in a situation only his enemies 163 would wish him to be in. Evil deeds, which harm oneself, are easy to do; good deeds are not so easy.

164 Foolish people who scoff at teachings of the wise, the noble, and the good, following false doctrines bring about their own down- fall like the khattaka tree, which dies after bearing fruit.

165 By oneself is evil done; by oneself one is in- jured. Do not do evil, and suffering will not come. Everyone has the choice to be pure or impure. No one can purify another.

166 Don’t neglect you own duty for another, however great. Know your own duty and perform it.

Translated by Eknath Easwaran

Literary Merits

The literary merits of the Dhammapada are a matter of disagreement.^[10] Pali scholar K.R. Norman notes that some readers have claimed that the Dhammapada is a "masterpiece of Indian literature", but that this assessment is not universally shared.^[10] John Brough, who wrote extensively on the subject of the related Gāndhārī Dharmapada, believed that the text had largely been composed from a patchwork of cliches, and that while it contained a few novel and well-constructed verses, suffered from an "accumulation of insipid mediocrity."^[23] While he believed that the Dhammapada did not warrant the high praised sometimes lavished upon it, Brough did note that it contained "small fragments of excellent poetry", and that the Dhammapada fared well when considered alongside other, similarly composite works.^[23] Several scholars have noted that much of the Dhammapada consists of vague moral aphorisms, many of them not clearly specific to Buddhism at all.^[19]

English translations

• Tr F. Max Müller, in Buddhist Parables, by E. W. Burlinghame, 1869; reprinted in Sacred Books of the East, volume X, Clarendon/Oxford, 1881; reprinted in Buddhism, by Clarence Hamilton; reprinted separately by Watkins, 2006; reprinted 2008 by Red and Black Publishers, St Petersburg, Florida, ISBN 978-1-934941-03-4; the first English translation (a Latin translation by V. Fausböll had appeared in 1855)
• Tr J. Gray, American Mission Press, Rangoon, 1881
• Tr J. P. Cooke & O. G. Pettis, Boston (Massachusetts?), 1898
• Hymns of Faith, tr Albert J. Edmunds, Open Court, Chicago, & Kegan Paul, Trench, Trübner & Co., London, 1902
• Tr Norton T. W. Hazeldine, Denver, Colorado, 1902
• The Buddha's Way of Virtue, tr W. D. C. Wagiswara & K. J. Saunders, John Murray, London, 1912
• Tr Silacara, Buddhist Society, London, 1915
• Tr Suriyagoda Sumangala, in Ceylon Antiquary, 1915
• Tr A. P. Buddhadatta, Colombo Apothecaries, 1920?
• The Buddha's Path of Virtue, tr F. L. Woodward, Theosophical Publishing House, London & Madras, 1921
• In Buddhist Legends, tr E. W. Burlinghame, Harvard Oriental Series, 1921, 3 volumes; reprinted by Pali Text Society[1], Bristol; translation of the stories from the commentary, with the Dhammapada verses embedded
• Tr R. D. Shrikhande and/or P. L. Vaidya (according to different bibliographies; or did one publisher issue two translations in the same year?), Oriental Book Agency, Poona, 1923; includes Pali text
• "Verses on Dhamma", in Minor Anthologies of the Pali Canon, volume I, tr C. A. F. Rhys Davids, 1931, Pali Text Society, Bristol; verse translation; includes Pali text
• Tr N. K. Bhag(w?)at, Buddha Society, Bombay, 1931/5; includes Pali text
• The Way of Truth, tr S. W. Wijayatilake, Madras, 1934
• Tr Irving Babbitt, Oxford University Press, New York & London, 1936; revision of Max Müller
• Tr K. Gunaratana, Penang, Malaya, 1937
• The Path of the Eternal Law, tr Swami Premananda, Self-Realization Fellowship, Washington DC, 1942
• Tr Dhammajoti, Maha Bodhi Society, Benares, 1944
• Tr Jack Austin, Buddhist Society, London, 1945
• Stories of Buddhist India, tr Piyadassi, 2 volumes, Moratuwa, Ceylon, 1949 & 1953; includes stories from the commentary
• Tr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, Oxford University Press, London, 1950; includes Pali text
• Collection of Verses on the Doctrine of the Buddha, comp Bhadragaka, Bangkok, 1952
• Tr T. Latter, Moulmein, Burma, 1950?
• Tr W. Somalokatissa, Colombo, 1953
• Tr Narada, John Murray, London, 1954
• Tr E. W. Adikaram, Colombo, 1954
• Tr A. P. Buddhadatta, Colombo, 1954; includes Pali text
• Tr Siri Sivali, Colombo, 1954
• Tr ?, Cunningham Press, Alhambra, California, 1955
• Tr C. Kunhan Raja, Theosophical Publishing House, Adyar/Madras, 1956; includes Pali text
• Free rendering and interpretation by Wesley La Violette, Los Angeles, 1956
• Tr Buddharakkhita, Maha Bodhi Society, Bangalore, 1959; 4th edn, Buddhist Publication Society, Kandy, Sri Lanka, 1996; includes Pali text
• Tr Suzanne Karpelès?, serialized in Advent (Pondicherry, India), 1960-65; reprinted in Questions and Answers, Collected Works of the Mother, 3, Pondicherry, 1977
• Growing the Bodhi Tree in the Garden of the Heart, tr Khantipalo, Buddhist Association of Thailand, Bangkok, 1966; reprinted as The Path of Truth, Bangkok, 1977
• Tr P. Lal, New York, 1967/70
• Tr Juan Mascaró, Penguin Classics, 1973
• Tr Thomas Byrom, Shambhala, Boston, Massachusetts, & Wildwood House, London, 1976 (ISBN 0-87773-966-8)
• Tr Ananda Maitreya, serialized in Pali Buddhist Review, 1 & 2, 1976/7; offprinted under the title Law Verses, Colombo, 1978; revised by Rose Kramer (under the Pali title), originally published by Lotsawa Publications in 1988, reprinted by Parallax Press in 1995
• The Buddha's Words, tr Sathienpong Wannapok, Bangkok, 1979
• Wisdom of the Buddha, tr Harischandra Kaviratna, Pasadena, 1980; includes Pali text
• The Eternal Message of Lord Buddha, tr Silananda, Calcutta, 1982; includes Pali text
• Tr Chhi Med Rig Dzin Lama, Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, Sarnath, India, 1982; tr from the modern Tibetan translation by dGe-'dun Chos-'phel; includes Pali & Tibetan texts
• Tr & pub Dharma Publishing, Berkeley, California, 1985; tr from the modern Tibetan translation by dGe-'dun Chos-'phel
• Commentary, with text embedded, tr Department of Pali, University of Rangoon, published by Union Buddha Sasana Council, Rangoon (date uncertain; 1980s)
• Tr Daw Mya Tin, Burma Pitaka Association, Rangoon, 1986; probably currently published by the Department for the Promotion and Propagation of the Sasana, Rangoon, and/or Sri Satguru, Delhi
• Path of Righteousness, tr David J. Kalupahana, Universities Press of America, Lanham, Maryland, c. 1986
• Tr Raghavan Iyer, Santa Barbara, 1986; includes Pali text
• Tr Eknath Easwaran, Arkana, London, 1986/7(ISBN 978-1-58638-019-9); reissued with new material Nilgiri Press 2007, Tomales, CA (ISBN 9781586380205)
• Tr John Ross Carter & Mahinda Palihawadana, Oxford University Press, New York, 1987; the original hardback edition also includes the Pali text and the commentary's explanations of the verses; the paperback reprint in the World's Classics Series omits these
• Tr U. D. Jayasekera, Colombo, 1992
• Treasury of Truth, tr Weragoda Sarada, Taipei, 1993
• Tr Thomas Cleary, Thorsons, London, 1995
• The Word of the Doctrine, tr K. R. Norman, 1997, Pali Text Society, Bristol; the PTS's preferred translation
• Tr Anne Bancroft?, Element Books, Shaftesbury, Dorset, & Richport, Massachusetts, 1997
• Tr F. Max Müller (see above), revised Jack Maguire, SkyLight Pubns, Woodstock, Vermont, 2002
• Tr Glenn Wallis, Modern Library, New York, 2004 (ISBN 0-679-64397-9)
• Tr Gil Fronsdal, Shambhala, Boston, Massachusetts, 2005 (ISBN 1-59030-380-6)
• Tr Bhikkhu Varado, Inward Path, Malaysia, 2007; Dhammapada in English Verse

See also online translations listed below.

Notes

1. ^ See, e.g., the Gāndhārī Dharmapada (GDhp), verses 301, 302, in: Brough (1962/2001), p. 166; and, Ānandajoti (2007), ch. 4, "Pupphavagga" (retrieved 25 November 2008 from "Ancient Buddhist Texts" at http://www.ancient-buddhist-texts.net/Buddhist-Texts/C3-Comparative-Dhammapada/CD-04-Puppha.htm).
2. ^ ^{a b} See, for instance, Buswell (2003): "rank[s] among the best known Buddhist texts" (p. 11); and, "one of the most popular texts with Buddhist monks and laypersons" (p. 627). Harvey (2007), p. 322, writes: "Its popularity is reflected in the many times it has been translated into Western languages"; Brough (2001), p. xvii, writes: "The collection of Pali ethical verses entitled Dhammapada is one of the most widely known of early Buddhist texts."
3. ^ See, e.g., Rhys Davids & Stede (1921-25), pp. 335-39, entry "Dhamma," retrieved 25 November 2008 from "U. Chicago" at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/getobject.pl?c.1:1:2654.pali.
4. ^ See, e.g., Rhys Davids & Stede (1921-25), p. 408, entry "Pada," retrieved 25 November 2008 from "U. Chicago" at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/cgi-bin/philologic/getobject.pl?c.2:1:1516.pali.
5. ^ See, for instance, C.A.F Rhys David's "Verses on Dhamma," Kalupahana's "The Path of Righteousness," Norman's "The Word of the Doctrine," Woodward's "The Buddha's Path of Virtue," and other titles identified below at "English translations".
6. ^ See also Fronsdal (2005), pp. xiii-xiv. Fronsdal, p. xiv, further comments:

   ... If we translate the title based on how the term dhammapada is used in the verses [see Dhp verses 44, 45, 102], it should probably be translated 'Sayings of the Dharma,' 'Verses of the Dharma,' or 'Teachings of the Dharma.' However, if we construe pada as 'path,' as in verse 21 ..., the title could be 'The Path of the Dharma.' Ultimately, as many translators clearly concur, it may be best not to translate the title at all.

7. ^ Pertinent episodes allegedly involving the historic Buddha are found in the commentary (Buddharakkhita & Bodhi, 1985, p. 4). In addition, a number of the Dhammapada's verses are identical with text from other parts of the Pali tipitaka that are directly attributed to the Buddha in the latter texts. For instance, Dhammapada verses 3, 5, 6, 328-330 can also be found in MN 128 (Ñāṇamoli & Bodhi, 2001, pp. 1009-1010, 1339 n. 1187).
8. ^ Harvey (2007), p. 322, line v.b., refers to the Dhammapada as "a popular collection of 423 pithy verses of a largely ethical nature." Similarly, Brough (2001)'s preface (p. xvii) starts: "The collection of Pali ethical verses entitled Dhammapada is one of the most widely known of early Buddhist texts."
9. ^ Geiger (2004), p. 19, para. 11.2 writes:

   More than half the verses may be found also in other canonical texts. The compiler of the [Dhammapada] however certainly did not depend solely on these canonical texts but also made use of the great mass of pithy sayings which formed a vast floating literature in India.

   In a similar vein, Hinüber (2000), p. 45, para. 90 remarks: "The contents of the [Dhammapada] are mainly gnomic verses, many of which have hardly any relation to Buddhism."
10. ^ ^{a b c} Buddhist Studies Review, 6, 2, 1989, page 153, reprinted in Norman, Collected Papers, volume VI, 1996, Pali Text Society, Bristol, page 156
11. ^ Brough (2001), pp. 44-45, summarizes his findings and inferences as:

    "... We can with reasonable confidence say that the Gāndhārī text did not belong to the schools responsible for the Pali Dhammapada, the Udānavarga, and the Mahāvastu; and unless we are prepared to dispute the attribution of any of these, this excludes the Sarvāstivādins and the Lokottaravāda-Mahāsānghikas, as well as the Theravādins (and probably, in company with the last, the Mahīśāsakas). Among possible claimants, the Dharmaguptakas and Kāśyapīyas must be considered as eligible, but still other possibilities cannot be ruled out."

12. ^ Brough (2001). The original manuscript is believed to have been written in the first or second century CE.
13. ^ See, e.g., Cone (1989).
14. ^ Journal of the Pali Text Society, volume XXIII, pages 113f
15. ^ Brough (2001), pp. 38-41, indicates that the Udanavarga is of Sarvastivadin origin.
16. ^ Hinüber (2000), p. 45, para. 89, notes:

    More than half of [the Dhammapada verses] have parallels in corresponding collections in other Buddhist schools, frequently also in non-Buddhist texts. The interrelation of these different versions has been obscured by constant contamination in the course of the text transmission. This is particularly true in case of one of the Buddhist Sanskrit parallels. The Udānavarga originally was a text corres[p]onding to the Pāli Udāna.... By adding verses from the Dhp [Dhammapada] it was transformed into a Dhp parallel in course of time, which is a rare event in the evolution of Buddhist literature.

17. ^ Law (1930), p. iv; and, Ānandajoti (2007), "Introduction," "Sahassavagga" and "Bhikkhuvagga."
18. ^ Brough (2001), pp. 23-30. After considering the hypothesis that these texts might lack a "common ancestor," Brough (2001), p. 27, conjectures:

    On the evidence of the texts themselves it is much more likely that the schools, in some manner or other, had inherited from the period before the schisms which separated them, a definite tradition of a Dharmapada-text which ought to be included in the canon, however fluctuating the contents of this text might have been, and however imprecise the concept even of a 'canon' at such an early period. The differing developments and rearrangements of the inherited material would have proceeded along similar lines to those which, in the Brahmanical schools, produced divergent but related collections of texts in the different Yajur-veda traditions.

    He then continues:

    ... [When] only the common material [is] considered, a comparison of the Pali Dhammapada, the Gandhari text, and the Udanavarga, has produced no evidence whatsoever that any one of these has any superior claim to represent a 'primitive Dharmapada' more faithfully than the others. Since the contrary appears to have been assumed from time to time, it is desirable to say with emphasis that the Pali text is not the primitive Dharmapada. The assumption that it was would make its relationship to the other texts altogether incomprehensible.

19. ^ ^{a b} v. Hinüber, Oskar (2004), "Dhammapada", in Buswell, Jr., Robert E., Macmillan Encyclopedia of Buddhism, USA: Macmillan Reference USA, pp. 216-17, ISBN 0028659104 
20. ^ English chapter titles based on Müller (1881).
21. ^ ^{a b} Pali retrieved 2008-03-28 from "Bodhgaya News" (formerly, La Trobe U.) starting at http://www.bodhgayanews.net/tipitaka.php?title=&record=7150, and from "MettaNet - Lanka" at http://www.mettanet.org/tipitaka/2Sutta-Pitaka/5Khuddaka-Nikaya/02Dhammapada/index.html.
22. ^ Brough (2001) orders the chapters of the Gandhari Dharmapada as follows: I. Brāhmaṇa; II. Bhikṣu; III. Tṛṣṇā; IV. Pāpa; V. Arhant; VI. Mārga; VII. Apramāda; VIII. Citta; IX. Bāla; X. Jarā; XI. Sukha; XII. Sthavira; XIII. Yamaka; XIV. Paṇḍita; XV. Bahuśruta; XVI. Prakīrṇaka (?); XVII. Krodha; XVIII. Pruṣpa; XIX. Sahasra; XX. Śīla (?); XXI. Kṛtya (?); XXII. Nāga, or Aśva (?); XXIII. - XVI. [Lost]. [Parenthesized question marks are part of Brough's titles.] Cone (1989) orders the chapters of the Patna Dharmapada as follows: 1. Jama; 2. Apramāda; 3. Brāhmaṇa; 4. Bhikṣu; 5. Attha; 6. Śoka; 7. Kalyāṇī; 8. Puṣpa; 9. Tahna; 10. Mala; 11. Bāla; 12. Daṇḍa; 13. Śaraṇa; 14. Khānti; 15. Āsava; 16. Vācā; 17. Ātta; 18. Dadantī; 19. Citta; 20. Māgga; 21. Sahasra; [22. Uraga].
23. ^ ^{a b} Brough, John (2001). Gandhari Dharmapada (Buddhist Tradition) (v. 43). Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass. pp. xxi-xxii. ISBN 81-208-1740-0. http://books.google.com/books?hl=en&id=aytJ5w074RYC&dq=Gandhari+Dharmapada&printsec=frontcover&source=web&ots=yh3YA_-_rG&sig=wgQn_rMwSYzqQInStPJEHzl_OKY&ei=Vk2GSdSZJ5mQsQOc15l4&sa=X&oi=book_result&resnum=3&ct=result#PPP1,M1. Retrieved 2009-02-01. 

Sources

• Ānandajoti Bhikkhu (2007). A Comparative Edition of the Dhammapada. U. of Peradeniya. Retrieved 25 Nov 2008 from "Ancient Buddhist Texts" at http://www.ancient-buddhist-texts.net/Buddhist-Texts/C3-Comparative-Dhammapada/index.htm.
• Brough, John (2001). The Gāndhārī Dharmapada. Delhi: Motilal Banarsidass Publishers Private Limited.
• Buswell, Robert E. (ed.) (2003). Encyclopedia of Buddhism. MacMillan Reference Books. ISBN 978-0028657189.
• Cone, Margaret (transcriber) (1989). "Patna Dharmapada" in the Journal of the Pali Text Society (Vol. XIII), pp. 101–217. Oxford: PTS. Retrieved 06-15-2008 from "Ancient Buddhist Texts" at http://www.ancient-buddhist-texts.net/Buddhist-Texts/C5-Patna/index.htm. [On-line text interspersed with Pali parallels compiled by Ānandajoti Bhikkhu (2007).]
• Fronsdal, Gil (2005). The Dhammapada. Boston: Shambhala. ISBN 1-59030-380-6.
• Geiger, Wilhelm (trans. by Batakrishna Ghosh) (1943, 2004). Pāli Literature and Language. New Delhi: Munshiram Manoharlal Publishers. ISBN 81-215-0716-2.
• Harvey, Peter (1990, 2007). An Introduction to Buddhism: Teachings, History and Practices. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. ISBN 0-521-31333-3.
• Hinüber, Oskar von (2000). A Handbook of Pāli Literature. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter. ISBN 3-11-016738-7.
• Law, Bimala Churn (1930). A Study of the Mahāvastu. Calcutta: Thacker, Spink & Co. Retrieved 26 Nov 2008 from "Archive.org" at http://ia331310.us.archive.org/flipbook/flipbook.php?identifier=studyofthemahava031355mbp&datapath=/3/items/studyofthemahava031355mbp&dataserver=ia331310.us.archive.org.
• Müller, F. Max (1881). The Dhammapada (Sacred Books Of The East, Vol. X). Oxford University Press. Retrieved 2008-04-02 from "WikiSource" at http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Dhammapada_(Muller).
• Ñāṇamoli, Bhikkhu (trans.) & Bhikkhu Bodhi (ed.) (2001). The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Majjhima Nikāya. Boston: Wisdom Publications. ISBN 0-86171-072-X.
• Rhys Davids, T.W. & William Stede (eds.) (1921-5). The Pali Text Society’s Pali–English Dictionary. Chipstead: Pali Text Society. A general on-line search engine for the PED is available from "U. Chicago" at http://dsal.uchicago.edu/dictionaries/pali/.

External links

Wikisource has original text related to this article: Dhammapada

Translations:

• Dhammapada at HolyeBooks.org
• by Bhikkhu Varado and Samanera Bodhesako (2008)
• by John Richards (1993)
• by Thomas Byrom (1993)
• by Buddharakkhita (1985) (pdf has intro by Bhikkhu Bodhi)
• by Thanissaro (1997)
• Detailed word-by-word translation of the Dhammapada, including explanation of grammar

MP3:

• Readings (mp3) from the Dhammapada by Gil Fronsdal

v • d • e Buddhism topics Foundations Three Jewels (Buddha · Dharma · Sangha) · Four Noble Truths · Noble Eightfold Path · Nirvana · Middle Way The Buddha Tathāgata · Birthday · Four sights · Physical characteristics · Footprint · Iconography · Films · Miracles · Family: (Suddhodana (father) · Maya (mother) · Yasodhara (wife) · Rahula (son)) · Places where the Buddha stayed · Buddha in world religions Key Concepts Three Marks of Existence: (Impermanence · Suffering · Not-self) · Dependent Origination · Five Aggregates · Karma · Rebirth · Saṃsāra · Saṅkhāra · Defilements · Ignorance · Craving · Five Hindrances · Ten Fetters · Faculties · Enlightenment (Awakening) · Parinirvana · Thusness · Two truths doctrine · Emptiness · Bodhicitta · Bodhisattva · Buddha-nature · Mindstream · Dzogchen Cosmology Ten spiritual realms · Six Realms (Hell · Animal realm · Hungry Ghost realm · Asura realm · Human realm · Heaven) · Three planes of existence Practices Refuge · Buddhist devotion · Puja: (Offerings · Prostration · Chanting) · Merit · Paritta · Generosity · Renunciation · Morality: (Precepts · Bodhisattva vows · Patimokkha) · Threefold Training: (Morality · Concentration · Wisdom) · Four Divine Abidings: (Loving-kindness · Compassion · Sympathetic joy · Equanimity) · Perfections · Enlightenment Qualities · Seven Factors of Enlightenment · Bases of Power · Five Strengths · Faith · Effort (Four Right Exertions) · Mindfulness (Satipatthana) · Jhāna (Dhyāna) · Bhavana · Meditation: (Kammaṭṭhāna · Recollection · Smaran · Mindfulness of Breathing · Serenity meditation · Insight meditation · Shikantaza · Zazen · Kōan · Mandala · Tonglen · Tantra) Attainment Types of Buddha · Private Buddha · Bodhisattva · Four stages of enlightenment: (Stream-enterer · Once-returner · Non-returner · Arahant) Monasticism Monk · Nun · Novice monk · Novice nun · Anagarika · Ajahn · Sayadaw · Zen master · Roshi · Lama · Rinpoche · Geshe · Tulku · Householder · Lay follower · Disciple Major Figures Gautama Buddha · Sāriputta · Mahamoggallāna · Ananda · Maha Kassapa · Anuruddha · Mahakaccana · Nanda · Subhuti · Punna · Upali · Mahapajapati Gotami · Khema · Uppalavanna · Buddhaghosa · Nagasena · Bodhidharma · Nagarjuna · Asanga · Vasubandhu · Atisha · Padmasambhava · Dalai Lama Texts Tipitaka: (Vinaya Pitaka · Sutta Pitaka · Abhidhamma Pitaka) · Commentaries: (Visuddhimagga) · Mahayana sutras · Chinese Buddhist canon (Tripitaka Koreana) · Tibetan Buddhist canon Branches Theravada · Mahayana: (Zen · Pure Land · Tendai · Nichiren · Madhyamaka · Yogacara) · Vajrayana: (Tibetan Buddhism · Shingon) · Early Buddhist schools · Pre-sectarian Buddhism · Basic points unifying Theravada and Mahayana Countries Bangladesh · Bhutan · Burma · Cambodia · China · India · Indonesia · Japan · Korea · Laos · Malaysia · Mongolia · Nepal · Pakistan · Russia · Singapore · Sri Lanka · Taiwan · Thailand · Tibet · Vietnam · Western countries: (Australia · United Kingdom · United States) History Timeline · Buddhist councils · History of Buddhism in India · Decline of Buddhism in India · Ashoka the Great · Greco-Buddhism · Buddhism and the Roman world · Silk Road transmission of Buddhism Philosophy Abhidharma · Logic · Buddhology · Eschatology · Reality · God · Humanism · Engaged Buddhism · Socialism · Anarchism · Economics · Atomism · Evolution · Sexuality · Homosexuality · Ethics · Fourteen unanswerable questions Culture Art · Greco-Buddhist art · Poetry · Buddha statue · Budai · Symbolism: (Dharmacakra · Flag · Bhavacakra · Thangka) · Prayer wheel · Mala · Mudra · Mantra (Om mani padme hum) · Music · Holidays: (Vesak · Magha Puja · Uposatha) · Rains retreat · Monastic robe · Architecture: (Vihara · Wat · Stupa · Pagoda) · Pilgrimage: (Lumbini · Bodh Gaya · Sarnath · Kushinagar) · Bodhi Tree · Mahabodhi Temple · Calendar · Cuisine · Vegetarianism Miscellaneous Lineage · Maitreya · Avalokiteśvara (Guan Yin) · Amitābha · Brahmā · Māra · Dhammapada · Vinaya · Sutra · Hinayana · Liturgical languages: (Pali · Sanskrit) · Dharma talk · Kalpa · Higher Knowledge · Supernormal Powers Buddhism and: Science · Psychology · Hinduism · Jainism · East Asian religions · Christianity · Theosophy · Gnosticism Lists Buddhas · Twenty-eight Buddhas · Bodhisattvas · Buddhists · Suttas · Books · Temples Portal · Category · Glossary · Outline · Index