The Dhammapada

The Dhammapada is a Buddhist text that is believed to record the actual words of the founder of Buddhism, Siddhartha Gautama. Gautama, better known as the Buddha, lived between 563 and 483 bce. His words were passed along orally until they were written down in about the first century bce. The word dhamma means "the teachings of Buddhism." The title of the Dhammapada is often translated as "Words of the Doctrine." It consists of 423 aphorisms. These are short statements that contain a truth, principle, or sentiment, usually in memorable language. The verses are numbered sequentially and are divided into twenty-six vaggas, or sections, with such titles as "On Vigilance," "The Mind," "The Fool," and "The Wise." For more than two thousand years, Buddhists have used the Dhammapada and other sacred Buddhist texts as a reference to provide guidance in their lives.