S E R I E S

    Verses of the Dhammapada

    Photo by Jan Kopřiva on Unsplash

    The Dhammapada (“The Path of the Dharma”) is a collection of sayings by the Buddha in verse form. They were recorded on different occasions by his disciples and later turned into a single collection of 423 verses arranged in 26 chapters. The verses are ordered by themes such as Joy, Anger, Self, the World, the Awakened One. It is one of the most popular scriptures in Buddhism and is said to be all one needs to follow the path of the Buddha.  Jenny Hall decided to write a commentary on many of the verses that moved her as part of her own spiritual practice. To date she has written over 8o articles, all of which you will find below. In the best tradition of Zen, they are both personal and deeply insightful as well as touching on almost all the themes in the Dhammapada.                                      

    E P I S O D E S

    Verse 102

    "Better than a thousand useless verses is one word of the Law which brings the hearer peace." - Jenny Hall investigates.

    Verse 54

    When consciousness is freed from the illusion of self it produces a different experience of life, one in which goodwill, wisdom, and compassion can flourish...

    Verse 99

    There is a natural rhythm that connects our inner world to the outer world we experience. Jenny Hall looks at how to let go and slip into this natural rhythm.

    Verse 205

    The Buddha spoke about the benefits of isolation for spiritual development, however the kind of isolation many are experiencing today has quite a different...

    Verses 146

    Buddhist practice teaches us how to transform pain and suffering into joy and life.

    Verse 373

    Rather than trying to create a joyful heart, Buddhist practice uncovers a natural joyfulness that is ever present.

    Advancing

    If we can remain open to all situations, no matter how humdrum they may seem, the magic of the Buddha's insight can begin to pervade all of our activities.

    Verse 335

    If desire and craving are so are so fundamental to our existence, how can we begin to detach ourselves from them without loosing joy for life?

    Verse 6

    Zen training offers the opportunity to become familiar with death from moment to moment, eventually bringing peace to the mind.

    Patience

    Patience means throwing out all expectations, whether positive or negative. When we wholeheartedly give ourselves away, the boundless energy of choiceless...

    Verse 96

    The Search for Peace
    In freeing the lion from its thorn, Androcles frees himself—fear becomes friendship.

    The Master

    The Buddha taught that the 'self' is a delusion. Who then is the Master of Self?

    Generosity

    In order for intuition to function freely in all situations we must be prepared to give away something very precious to us.

    The Deathless State

    Why are we so easily carried away by the tides of the heart-mind and what awaits us on the other side?

    How to be Happy

    As ‘I’ am gradually emptied out, the beauty of the world begins to fill the heart.

    House Builder

    Having become enlightened the Buddha said, “Now I have found you O Builder and never again shall you build this house. Your rafters are broken and the ridge...

    Sloth & Lust

    It's not surprising that many abandon meditation. It's not a means to achieving our desires or goals. Meditation is only truly discovered when ‘I’...

    Greatest Treasure

    Jenny Hall takes a look at Right Mindfulness in our day to day life, the key to Buddhist practice.

    Highest Joy

    Having to do work that we don’t like can leave us feeling drained and fatigued. Zen training teaches us how to reclaim that energy.

    Good Deed

    Pursuing goals at all costs can often leave a trail of destruction and suffering.

    Quiet Speech

    While it may feel like anger works in the short term, when left unchecked it can quickly lead to a race towards the bottom.

    Wake Up

    The Buddha once said, “Let a man rouse himself and follow the path of righteousness”. Without discipline and effort, the practice will never fully develop...

    Gift of the Law

    The Buddha once said, ‘The gift of the Law is greater than all other gifts’.

    Rejoice in Wisdom

    The Buddha once said ‘Meditating earnestly, the wise realise Nirvana, the highest happiness.’   

    Ever Kind

    The Buddha once said “He is a Brahmin whose speech is kindly and truthful.”

    The Thoughtful

    The Buddha once said “He presses on with his thoughts controlled never looking back to his home, like a swan who has left its pool.” Jenny Hall investigates.

    Purification

    Verse: “This is the Noble Path, which leads to freedom from delusion”

    Verse 142

    Verses from the Dhammapada
    “Even though richly clothed he who is calm and controlled who lives a good life and does no harm to others is a Brahmin or Bhikkhu.”

    Negative Thoughts

    Jenny Hall investigates what it meant when the Buddha said ‘"Be watchful and guard your thoughts"

    Verse 225

    Verses from the Dhammapada
    How is aversion just another type of clinging?

    Verse 215

    Verses of the Dhammapada 
    Why do we fear change so much? Jenny Hall looks at what happens when we face that fear.

    True Follower of the Way

    The pitch black of the darkness holds many secrets, some terrifying but others sublime. Jenny Hall explores what it really means to bring light to this...

    This Body

    The Buddha said, ‘Look at the body, sickly racked with pain, which does not endure.’ Jenny Hall investigates... 

    Character

    Jenny Hall examines the passing away of Queen Elizabeth II and her long reign as the Monarch of the United Kingdom.

    Failure to Practice

    How can knowledge become an obstacle to awakening?

    Now is the time

    How does laziness appear in the training and how can we use it as a means for transformation?

    Fancies

    While doubt is seen as one of five hindrances to meditation, ‘the great ball of doubt’ is one of the three requirements for Zen training. What is this ball...

    Detachment

    While violence seems to be escalating throughout the world, the Buddha’s teachings show us that anger and desire can be transformed into the warmth of the...

    Anger

    Compassion arises from recognizing the insecurity and fear within the “self,” which perpetuates violence.

    Sense Training

    Given that ’I’ (the ego) am the one who seeks to assert control over myself and ‘my’ environment, and ‘I’ (the ego) am the one who must be let go of, what...

    Self Will

    When ‘I’ like something ‘I’ chase after it, when I dislike something ‘I’ tend to avoid it. It’s from this starting point that we can learn to let go of our...

    Death

    The Buddha taught that all things are impermanent, therefore if we rely on the people, things and circumstances that surround us, we will inevitably live in...

    Holy Dwellings

    Being in a state of gratitude can be the key to a fulfilling and joyous life. Genuine gratitude however cannot be faked and is something that genuinely...

    Hard to Train

    If we are constantly distracted by past events, or looking for the next thing to satisfy our futures, we can never really savour the present moment in all...

    Keep on Walking

    Within happiness lies the seed of sorrow, pleasure being a fleeting experience. When we open ourselves up to sorrow however, the inherent joy of the heart...

    No More Sorrow

    When pain or suffering arises it is natural to try and avoid it. To find the way out of suffering however the only way is through it.

    A Guide

    Coming face to face with impermanence can leave us with feelings of sadness and dis-ease. If however, we can open ourselves up to these feelings, we give...

    Living in Freedom

    The Buddha taught that the very nature of life involves uncertainty and the suffering that this causes, but also that there is a way out.

    Wisdom

    Jenny Hall explores how 'my' expectations can skew the senses which leads to misunderstanding the nature of a situation.

    True Understanding

    If we wish to flow with the ever changing Dharma (law of Buddhism) we must first become familiar with the delusion of ‘I’.

    Thoughts

    If the space in between thoughts can be opened up to, the transcendental can appear.

    Intoxication

    Although renunciation is an essential element of the Buddhist path, it is not the object of ‘my’ desire that is the problem but ‘my' desire to escape...

    Falsehood

    Motivation for the deception of others may arise as a consequence of an attachment to a self-image. Jenny Hall explores how this attachment can lead to...

    Bringing Joy

    The lotus growing in muddy water and then rising up to bloom in air has become the ideal symbol for rising above the defilements including the delusions of...

    Greater Happiness

    It isn't the objects of our desires that are the problem, it's our relationship to them.

    Trained Mind

    The Buddha's teachings on The Four Noble Truths can help us through any challenging situation.

    Craving

    Craving for a particular future can create anxiety and distress in the present. Jenny Hall explores this connection in the light of the teachings.

    The Fires

    The Buddha taught the delusion of a separate self as the cause of human dissatisfaction. Being a delusion, and thus insubstantial, this lack gives rise to...

    How Not to Be Happy

    'Avoiding killing' is the 1st lay precept, mindfulness helps us in this by not turning a blind eye to ourselves and others. Understanding the life...

    Listening

    The teachings of the Buddha are revealed in everyday phenomena if we are quiet enough and open enough to listen out for them.

    Do No Evil

    By attending to what arises in our own heart; the practitioner cultivates what she will become. Jenny Hall looks at how the past affects the present.

    Freedom

    In a world that is constantly changing, as the Buddha taught, clinging attachment will lead to suffering. In this article Jenny Hall looks at how this...

    Taking Refuge

    Letting-go of cherished things can be fearful for 'I', but taking refuge also means gaining support. In this verse Jenny Hall discusses the...

    Nirvana

    The 12th Link of the Chain of Dependent Origination is 'Death', but there is a death-in-life necessary to experience life more fully. Jenny Hall...

    Attachment

    Birth and re-birth are central features of the Wheel of Life. In this article Jenny Hall looks at this process and its implications for Zen practice.

    Joys of Practice

    A map of the way is a useful guide but should be no substitute for examining the terrain ourselves.

    A Friend

    The 'wise friend' is the subject of this verse which points to the importance played by the 'sangha' or Buddhist community in providing...

    Stillness

    In Buddhism an empty heart is actually a full heart. Jenny Hall explores what emptiness really means and why it can seem to frightening to us.

    Jealousy

    Jenny Hall explains how 'I' use thoughts about past and future to grasp and how this prevents us resting in the 'now'. In this way we...

    Advancing

    The persistence of the natural world is a good example of how awareness and attention are a natural function of the Buddha-Heart.

    Fear

    When we want something to change, we may try to to get rid of, ignore or even destroy obstacles in our way. The Buddha taught however, that this will only...

    Light to the World

    The Great Bodhisattava Vow to help all sentient beings starts with the empty and open heart. Jenny Hall looks at this connection in practice.

    Few Wants

    The simple life may not sound very exciting and 'I' likes stimulation to keep me interested and engaged. However, the attitude we take towards...

    Love vs. Hate

    The terrible acts of Angulimala provide the backdrop for the Buddha's lesson on choosing the path we take in life.

    Fearlessness

    Anger is a defiling passion in Buddhism, how can this energy become an entryway into the spaciousness of the Buddhanature? Jenny Hall discusses this problem...

    Loneliness

    Loneliness is the 21st Century 'malaise' for the first world. Can the Buddha's teachings help us if we are facing this problem?

    Hatred

    Giving is the first of the Six Paramitas, however the motivation behind it is as important as the action. Jenny Hall explores this theme.

    Selfless Service

    A key element of a Zen monk's life is frugality and the avoidance of waste. Jenny Hall looks at the importance of this in a Buddhist practice to...

    Self-Reliance

    Strife brought on by the every-changing nature of the world causes turbulence in our hearts. What did the Buddha teach about attaining equanimity, to...

    Good Deeds

    Despite wanting to be better versions of ourselves we can still act impulsively. The Buddha showed that our future actions are the result of how we cultivate...

    Verses 175

    Space' is a word that describes a physical absence as well as an inward state. Jenny Hall explores the connection between the two to reveal the power in...

    Free from illusion

    Impassioned thinking makes us hasty in our judgements and prone to 'fake news'. Truth appears in the space vacated by delusion, Jenny Hall explores...
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