Following the Way of the Buddha

Eknath Easwaran selects key verses from his acclaimed translation of the Buddha's Dhammapada, and explains in these informal talks to his close students how the Buddha's timeless words can guide us in our lives today.

Dhammapada means the path of truth, harmony, and righteousness. Easwaran's practical commentary makes this much-loved wisdom text accessible and inspiring for Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike.

Easwaran believed that we need nothing more than the Dhammapada to follow the way of the Buddha, to find the end of suffering and discover lasting joy. The Buddha, one of the world's most appealing spiritual teachers, spells out our choices with a frankness and realism that speaks to many thoughtful people today. Follow selfish desires, for instance, and you'll never be happy; learn to work for others, and happiness will seek you out. Fret over praise and blame, and you'll never be secure; practice meditation, and you'll find the source of security within yourself. These are simple choices, but not easy ones, so Easwaran illustrates them with everyday anecdotes, analogies, and flashes of wry humor. He also gives clear explanations of key spiritual disciplines such as meditation and the repetition of the mantram (or mantra).

In the Buddha's words: "As an irrigator guides water to a field, as an archer aims an arrow, as a carpenter shapes wood, the wise shape their lives."

Eknath Easwaran (1910-1999) is respected around the world as the originator of passage meditation and as an authentic guide to universal wisdom. More than 1.4 million copies of Easwaran's books are in print around the world, including his best-selling translations of the Dhammapada, Bhagavad Gita, and the Upanishads. Easwaran lived what he taught, giving him enduring appeal as an author and teacher of deep insight and warmth.