The Dhammapada is a collection of scriptures that are used by the Buddhist in their day-to-day life. They are considered to have revelations and requirements, which are vital for perfect living. The Dhammapada is the basis under which the Buddhist religion is found. It is hence necessary for every Buddhist to not only read it but also live according to the teachings. The teachings are based on various states of discovery of oneself, accepting themselves and living a life of contentment as well as improving their own self (Buddharakkhita, 24). They are therefore therapeutic in nature where an individual has to move from one state to another to benefit from. However, going through all the stages does not guarantee a person’s spiritual fulfillment; it is a practice they have to adopt on a daily basis considering the pressures that come with life.
According to the teachings, The Dhammapada recognizes the fact that a person is exposed to both negative and positive situations that are likely to affect their livelihood. It is usually the desire of every person to live a happy and contented life, however, most people never reach this ultimate considering the nature of life and what they are exposed to. Most of the things that cause and bring happiness to people are temporal because of what they are based on. It is for this purpose that the teaching of Dhammapada helps people realize where their source of happiness is by looking at the root causes of their frustrations. The Dhammapada makes people change their attitude and perspective towards life by accepting their current situation as they work towards its improvement.
The emphasis of Dhammapada is on adopting a simple life that is considered less stressful. We realize that in life, what is likely to bring and cause us satisfaction is far away from reach. Humans are created in a way that they may never be satisfied about life. This is because, the more one has, the more they need, as the poor are struggling to get rich to be happy, the rich are struggling to maintain and balance what they have so that they can be happy. The poor people believe that if they had more money, they would have a better life and therefore feeling content and happy. However, the more they get what they desired; they realize the need of having something extra. This cycle goes on until when they are filthy rich yet they cannot obtain satisfaction in life (Easwaran, 75). We also realize that the more wealth a person has, the more the responsibility, this implies that such a person will have less time for himself or even an opportunity t enjoy what they have tirelessly worked for.
This is where The Dhammapada comes in and try to help people understand and appreciate whom they are. They are taught to know that having extra wealth, power or resources will not make one happy. This is because; happiness is not something that is derived from the external environment but the internal being. By this, one needs to love themselves by having that contentment of heart and mind. This implies that a person should not live above their means by borrowing or being involved in acts that promise them more wealth. Once one has examined themselves based on their capabilities and their current economic status, they will be able to adopt a life that is simple and satisfactory (Buddharakkhita, 56). They will not live in debts or having to bother where they will obtain extra resources to facilitate certain projects. This does not however mean that Buddhists should not be ambitious and development conscious, they only need to be content with their current state even as they look forward to a better life.
It is only by being able to live on a particular level that individuals will appreciate the next stage of life. Once they realize the need and joy that comes by living within their means, they will not be overtaken by wealth when it comes. It will ensure that they remain sober and enjoy the good that comes with life. In general, the Buddhist emphasize on optimistic living but at the same time looking at the future in a pessimistic way. This implies that each day has to be enjoyed as if there will be tomorrow (Easwaran, 54). A person should always know that, today is a sure gift they have to enjoy their life. Tomorrow on the other hand may never be there or it may come with more sorrows that may make them sorrowful. The Dhammapada is like a school where Buddhist has to keep attending classes to obtain more knowledge as they rediscover themselves. A philosophical religious practice exposes a person to their nature. It is usually followed by a series of meditations where a person listens to their inner voice to obtain inner strength. The teachings of Dhammapada are considered self-centered in nature because they focus more o the individual person. They are however, a good basis through which the society can learn about contentment and living within their means.
Works cited
Buddharakkhita, Acharya. The Dhammapada: The Buddha's Path of Wisdom. London: Buddhist
Publication Society, 1996.
Easwaran, Eknath. The Dhammapada. New York: Nilgiri Press, 2007.
