The Dhammapada is a collection of sayings from the Buddha, that inspire humility and reflection. Its a source of inspiration and instruction and is a reference of wisdom. In The Dhammapada, it convinces its readers to seek spiritual liberation by using metaphors, comparisons and similes to encourage readers to choose the “wise” path. It gives examples of reasons why one should seek achievement. It also addresses people at different levels of spiritual development, and because of the this, the Dhammapada teaches liberation in different ways in order to reach each stage of freeing.
Firstly, Buddhism has a guideline for the “correct” way of living and is the path to awakening. This is even more exaggerated in The Dhammapada and it emphasizes and gives of examples of the pathway to enlightenment. The 8 fold path is the way leading to the cessation of suffering. It includes 8 clues on how people following Buddhism should live. Initially, the first step of the 8 fold path is Right Understanding this is important to avoid suffering. Right understanding includes the way we see the world and how we see everything in it as it is. Understanding this, means that you have a clear understanding of the impermanent process of life, and that the bad and unsatisfactory conditions are only temporarily in your current life. The next step is right intent, this emphasizes pure thoughts. According to this step, one’s mind should be clear of negative thoughts like harm, greed, violence and should instead be focused on compassion and sympathy. The third step is Right speech, this accentuates the idea that with the right intention and attitude, someone’s speech can benefit everyone. And this step guides people to stay away from lying, swearing and gossiping. Next is Right Action, this explains what people should not do under any circumstances. It is listed that one should not kill, steal, commit sexual misconduct, lie or become involved with intoxicants. The fifth step is Right livelihood, the meaning behind this is for the designated person to live a life that is beneficial and does not cause injustice or harm towards anyone. The sixth step is Right effort, this builds a moral foundation for a good life and promotes a better spiritual life. Next is Right Mindfulness, this describes being aware with your body, actions, feelings and sensations. Finally, the eighth step to seeking liberation and to avoid suffering is Right Concentration. Right concentration means having a concentrated mind on full realization of spiritual awakening. Having a focused mind on reaching enlightenment is crucial in the eighth step.
Having these 8 steps creates a base for Buddhists to follow to ensure a life without suffering. The Dhammapada i ncludes several teachings and scriptures involving the eightfold path. By including metaphors in the Dhammapada, it encourages one to seek liberation and to avoid worldly pleasures. For example, in verse 236 of The Dhammapada, it states, 1“Make an island for yourself! Strive hard and become wise! Rid of impurities and cleansed of stain, you shall enter the celestial abode of the Noble Ones.” This metaphor is encouraging the reader to look inward and examine oneself in order to reach the ‘celestial abode’. The Dhammapada is suggesting that if you concentrate on your mind and self instead of materialistic/external things you will reach liberation and be in the same realm as the noble ones. Additionally, The Dhammapada states that one should reject physical pleasure that could distract from attaining true enlightenment. In verse 91 of The Dhammapada, it says “2The mindful strive diligently; they take no delight in the home; like swans that forsake the muddy pool, they abandon all home life”, in this ‘home life’ is equivalent to their cravings. Its emphasizing how the Buddhists who are wise and following the scriptures do not indulge themselves in home sensual pleasures and cravings and instead they are avoiding suffering that could be a consequence of indulging. Using metaphors similar to these, The Dhammapada urges people to ignore the complacense of home life that could dull the focus on a higher level of enlightenment, as if physical comforts reduces capacity for actualization. Not unlike the “pleasures of the flesh” from The Bible, the theme that the fleeting moments of ecstasy detracts from an enduring peace and wisdom.
Additionally, The Dhammapada includes several types of similes to help explain its stories. One of the stories in the book, “The Story of the Bhikkhu who Contemplates the Body as a Mirage”, the meaning behind it is to show the impermanence in life. It states “3One who knows that this body is impermanent like froth, and comprehends that it is insubstantial as a mirage, will cut the flowers of Mara.”Its comparing one’s body to being temporary similar to a bubble of froth over water that can dissipate in a flash–a transient part of being. It is the mind and soul that endures, and therefore, the work has to be applied to creating a better person from within. When an enlightened person “cuts the flowers of Mara” he or she is breaking the connection to immoral or corrupt behavior. Also, the Dhammapada guides us to not refrain from evil, explaining “4a little will not affect me,” because “the fool is, indeed, filled up with evil by accumulating it little by little just as a water-far is filled up by falling drops of rain.” This suggests that a person would be foolish to think that performing little acts of digression will not grow into a larger evil. That each act creates a weakened, poorly-guided soul that builds into evil, one drop at a time. The Dhammapada i s a complex tome that requires an open heart and mind to understand. There is an overarching theme of denying indulgence in any form–the body, food and drink, any comfort–truly what many feel is a path to happiness, and explains how that indulgence is empty, short-lived and attains not depth of understanding. It states, “5Fore-run by mind are mental states, rules by mind, made of mind. If you speak or act with clear mind, happiness follows you, like a shadow that does not depart.” This quote is like a foreshadow to the entire text–that the “clear mind” described later is the only way to reach happiness. That pleasures of the flesh, distractions from the material world, will sully the experience of attaining true happiness and clarity of mind.
The Dhammapada c onvinces people to seek liberation by using metaphors, similes and warnings. Doing this allows the readers to visualize ways to obtain achievement. It explains the dos/donts of how to avoid suffering in Buddhism and how to finally reach the point of ‘freeing.’
1 Valerie J. Roebuck, T he Dhammapada, Penguin classics 2010, verse 236
2 Valerie J. Roebuck, T he Dhammapada, Penguin classics 2010, verse 91 3 Valerie J. Roebuck, T he Dhammapada, Penguin classics 2010, verse 46 4 Valerie J. Roebuck, T he Dhammapada, Penguin classics 2010, verse 121
5Valerie J. Roebuck, The Dhammapada, Penguin classics 2010, verse 2
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