The Dhammapada by Eknath Easwaran

Eknath Easwaran presents the good nectar of the 𝕥𝕖𝕒𝕔𝕙𝕚𝕟𝕘𝕤 𝕠𝕗 𝔹𝕦𝕕𝕕𝕙𝕒 from 𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘿𝙝𝙖𝙢𝙢𝙖𝙥𝙖𝙙𝙖 (The Way of Dharma). This is a verse-by-verse clarification of the 𝚘𝚛𝚒𝚐𝚒𝚗𝚊𝚕 𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚎𝚜 heard from the Buddha himself. Dhammapad is the 𝚎𝚜𝚜𝚎𝚗𝚌𝚎 of Buddha's teachings, which are collected in the voluminous 𝐒𝐮𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐬.

Dhammapada means "𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚙𝚊𝚝𝚑 𝚘𝚏 𝚍𝚑𝚊𝚛𝚖𝚊", the path of harmony and righteousness that anyone can follow to reach the highest good. This classic Buddhist scripture is a collection of vivid, practical verses gathered from direct disciples who wanted to preserve what they had heard from the Buddha himself.

In the comprehensive introduction, he brings the story of the young Prince Siddhartha and his heroic spiritual quest vividly to life. His overview of the Buddha's teachings is reliable, penetrating, and accessible. The Buddha rejected superstition on the one hand and philosophical speculation on the other. He taught the path to the end of suffering and showed how we can achieve lasting joy. In The Dhammapada he spells out our choices with a refreshing realism and frankness.