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It is an impressive volume in Tibetan and English. It is by far the most interesting translation of Dhammapada I had seen. According to statistics published by UNESCO, Dhammapada is out-ranked only by the Bible as the most widely translated book in any language. In English alone, hundreds have been recorded since 1830s when it was first translated partially and later translated fully by Max Muller in 1870. Viggo Fausboll of Denmark translated it in
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1858 into Latin so as to be accessible to the intelligentsia of Europe.
"The Dhammapada has long been cherished by Buddhists of all traditions for its vibrant and eloquent expression of basic Buddhist precepts," says the publisher. An attempt is made to explain why this text does not appear under the name of Dhammapada in the Tibetan scriptures. The reason may be common to all Mahayana scriptures. Dhammapada and Udaana, which are two texts of the Khuddaka Nikaaya in Pali had been merged as Udaanavarga in Chinese and Tibetan scriptures. Over the last two decades Ven. Dr. Thich Huyen-vi has published his translation of Udaanavarga into French in "The Buddhist Studies Review" edited by Russell Webb. The comparison of the texts has been significantly illuminating.
dGe-'dun Chos-'phel had access to a version of Dhammapada in Prakrit found in Tibet.
Instead he chose to translate the Pali version. He had the guidance of an eminent Pali scholar of Sri Lanka: Reverend Dharmananda of the monastery at dPal Ralgri'I ribo (?) as recorded in Tibetan in the colophon. I have not been able to identify it. The publisher says, "The collaboration was truly successful, for not only is his translation faithful to the Pali, but as with all great translations, it has the flavor of the original - elegant and lyrical, yet truly accessible."
The value of the book is further enhanced by a 173-page supplement on Buddhist Terms. From "Two Accumulations" to "Fifty-one Mental Events" as many as one hundred and twenty-five groups of Buddhist Terms are listed in Sanskrit, Tibetan and English. Nowhere else have I seen such a list with components of each group so clearly presented. It consists of all head-words under which one could gain access to the basic doctrines of Buddhism in all divergent traditions. For this alone, it is a very useful book.