Buddhist Legends: Translated from the original Pali text of the Dhammapada Commentary (Books 1 to 26), 3 Parts

Dhammapada or way of Righteousness is the name of one of the canonical books of the Buddhist sacred scriptures. It is written in the Pali language. It consists of 423 stanzas. These are reputed to be the very words of Buddha. The Dhammapada commentary (in Pali Dhammapad-Attha-katha) is ascribed to Buddhaghosa, the greatest of all the Buddhist scholastics. This aspiration is without due warrant, as appears from translator's Introduction. The commentary purports to tell us "where, when, why, for what purpose, with reference to what situation, with reference to what person or persons," Buddha uttered each one of these stanzas. In so doing, the author of the commentary narrates 299 legends or stories. These stories are the preponderating element of the commentary, and it are these which are here translated.