Inspired Verse Utterances of Buddha — Topical Compilation
Ched du brjod pa’i tshoms
Kg mdo sde sa, 209a1-253a7
Description: “Tibetan Dharmapada”
Similar to Pali Dhammapada. A Dharmapada is a particular school’s collection of Buddha’s pith inspired verse utterances [udāna]. These are spoken to fully summarize a particular teaching and compiled by various topics. A number of partially complete extant versions have been found. This is the most widely known and complete collection widely known and studied from Tibet.
Dr. Geshe Lozang Jamspal
International Buddhist College
Tibetan Classics Translators Guild of New York
Translated from Tibetan and Sanskrit
Udānavarga © by Lobsang Jamspal (translator) and Norman Guberman (editor) is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International, CC BY-SA 4.0,
TRANSLATOR’S SUMMARY
Udānavarga is divided into 33 chapters. These chapters vary in number from 12 to 94 verses.
First ten chapters
The first chapter is about impermanence as the entrance of Dharma practitioners; the second and third are about eliminating desire and craving; the fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh are respectively about cultivating carefulness, the beloved, morality, and good conduct; the eighth and ninth are about distinguishing bad from good words and karma; and the tenth is about cultivating faith in virtuous ones so that one can achieve virtuous results even up to perfect enlightenment.
Second ten chapters
The eleventh to twentieth chapters deal with good and bad things with examples. The Blessed One gives advice on what to do and not do on such topics as the ascetic, the path, honors, enmity, recollection, miscellaneous, water, flowers, horses, and anger. Buddha gives teachings to eliminate bad action and cultivate virtuous actions.
Final thirteen chapters
In the final section, there are thirteen chapters. In these chapters Buddha gives superb advice and teachings dealing with: Tathāgata, studies, self, comparisons, friendship, nirvāṇa, seeing, nonvirtue, verse pairs, happiness, mind, the monk, and the Brahmin. In this final Udāna chapter, it is shown how only a Buddha has the characteristics of a person who can be a Brahmin.
TRANSLATOR’S ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I would like to express my appreciation and thanks to Dzongsar Jamyang Khyentse Rinpoche and supporters of “84000 Buddha Word” for giving me this opportunity to translate into English from Tibetan Kangyur this Udānavarga. The English draft translation has been assiduously edited by Norman Guberman, although he knows some Tibetan. He has a good knowledge of Buddhism and is a devotedly trustful and jovial person. I am very thankful to him as well his wife Sa’tsho ma, Sharon.
CONTENTS
The Translation <part header>
Chapter 1
Impermanence <chapter header>
Chapter 2
Desire <chapter header>
Chapter 3
Craving <chapter header>
Chapter 4
Carefulness <chapter header>
Chapter 5
The Beloved <chapter header>
Chapter 6
Morality <chapter header>
Chapter 7
Good Conduct <chapter header>
Chapter 8
Words <chapter header>
Chapter 9
Karma <chapter header>
Chapter 10
Faith <chapter header>
Chapter 11
The Ascetic <chapter header>
Chapter 12
The Path <chapter header>
Chapter 13
Honors <chapter header>
Chapter 14
Enmity <chapter header>
Chapter 15
Recollection <chapter header>
Chapter 16
Miscellaneous <chapter header>
Chapter 17
Water <chapter header>
Chapter 18
Flowers <chapter header>
Chapter 19
Horses <chapter header>
Chapter 20
Anger <chapter header>
Chapter 21
Tathāgata <chapter header>
Chapter 22
Studies <chapter header>
Chapter 23
Self <chapter header>
Chapter 24
Comparisons <chapter header>
Chapter 25
Friendship <chapter header>
Chapter 26
Nirvāna <chapter header>
Chapter 27
Seeing <chapter header>
Chapter 28
Nonvirtue <chapter header>
Chapter 29
Verse Pairs <chapter header>
Chapter 30
Happiness <chapter header>
Chapter 31
Mind <chapter header>
Chapter 32
The Monk <chapter header>
Chapter 33
The Brahmin <chapter header>
Notes <part header>
Bibliography <part header>
Appendix <part header>
Sanskrit-Tibetan Text <part header>
THE TRANSLATION
Inspired Verse Utterances of the Buddha — A Topical Compilation
[F209.a] Udānavarga
Inspired Verse Utterances of the Buddha — Topical Compilation
<chapter header> Udānavarga 1
<chapter header> Impermanence
I bow down to the Omniscient One.1
1.
The Victorious One spoke these verses
That I2 shall now well transmit;
1 Salutation indicative of a vinaya text.
2 Refers to Dharmatrāta, who is the compiler of the Udānavarga.
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