The Dhammapada (PDF) is a collection of teachings that capture the essence of the Buddha and what he came here to share. Over the course of twenty six chapters this compendium offers the reader practices that, when applied properly, lead to freedom and joy.
Much has been written on the history of The Dhammapada and most scholars agree that the students of the Buddha came together to create it in order to preserve their teacher's most essential teachings. Subjects covered in The Dhammapada include self-mastery, wakefulness, mindfulness, cleanliness, conquering desire, anger, greed, and pride, freedom from suffering and much more.
The Dhammapada was introduced to The Golden Drum community by Maestro Manuel Rufino as an essential text for study and practice. Maestro Manuel shares that the Buddha's teachings all lead to one core teaching: detachment. Wherever there is attachment, there is suffering. Wherever there is detachment, there is joy. The suffering we experience as fear, shame, struggle, discomfort, anger, etc., arises as a result of our attachment to things. This is what keeps us here and does not let us ascend to a higher spiritual level. When we are able to detach from whatever it is that is at the root of our suffering, positive energy comes in and we experience joy and happiness. To discover our attachments and consciously detach from them is the essence of the Buddha's teaching and the primary recommended practice.
The following quotation, from The Dhammapada Chapter 7, "The Master," exemplifies the Buddha's teaching of detachment:
At the end of the way
The master finds freedom
From desire and sorrow -
Freedom without bounds...
Those who awaken
Never rest in one place.
Who can follow them?
Only the master,
Such is his purity...
He wishes for nothing.
His food is knowledge.
He lives upon emptiness.
He has broken free...
The master surrenders his beliefs.
He sees beyond the end and the beginning.
He cuts all ties.
He gives up all desires.
He resists all temptations.
And he rises...
He finds joy
Because he wants nothing.
The members of the Golden Drum community regularly gather as a group to listen to The Dhammapada audio book (as translated by Thomas Byrom and read by Joseph Needleman), available for free via YouTube. While it only takes 90 minutes to listen through, embracing the teachings in The Dhammapada takes a committed course of study and practice.
On behalf of the sacred traditions, we invite you to study The Dhammapada with us as we work towards an awakened humanity. By applying this wisdom to our everyday lives, we initate ourselves into the path of virtue, freedom and illumination.
Author Bio
AJ Block is the director of Didge Project and a founding member of Sacred Arts Research Foundation. Noted as a didgeridoo player and teacher, AJ is a student of spiritual guide Maestro Manuel Rufino and a member of the Golden Drum community. For more of AJ's articles, music tutorials and sound recordings visit www.didgeproject.com.