Sources & Attribution
Each verse can be read in several English translations. Switch between them using the translation picker in the header. The modern retranslations, ELI5 explanations, and examples were written for this site.
Translations
Buddharakkhita (1985)default
Translator: Acharya Buddharakkhita (1985)
License: © Buddhist Publication Society, for free distribution
Source: https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/dhp/dhp.intro.budd.html
A modern rendering known for clear, accessible prose. Distributed freely by the Buddhist Publication Society for non-commercial use, unaltered.
Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu (1997)
Translator: Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu (1997)
License: CC BY-NC 4.0
Source: https://www.dhammatalks.org/suttas/KN/Dhp/
A contemporary free-verse rendering by an American forest-tradition monk. Offered for free distribution under CC BY-NC 4.0; its short poetic lines are presented here as flowing prose.
Max Müller (1881)
Translator: F. Max Müller (1881)
License: Public Domain
Source: https://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/sbe10/index.htm
The Victorian translation from The Sacred Books of the East, Vol. 10. Included for historical interest; its archaic phrasing and looser accuracy are why the other translations are offered alongside it.
Translation policy
The modern retranslations on this site are paraphrases and interpretations, not literal translations. They aim to convey the main meaning and practical point of each verse in plain, contemporary English.
The ELI5 explanations and examples were written to make the teachings easier to approach. They do not claim scholarly authority.
Disclaimer
This site presents interpretation and paraphrase, not official translation. The content is not intended as medical, legal, or mental health advice.
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