The Dhammapada

The most widely read of all Buddhist texts, the Dhammapada encapsulates the core of Buddhist philosophy. It comprises 423 verses grouped by themes deemed important for the attainment of Nirvana, the most important being self-discipline, particularly of the mind.
The most popular and widely read of all Buddhist texts, the Dhammapada, (Path of the Eternal Truth), is widely regarded as encapsulating the core of Buddhist philosophy.

This classic text was believed by tradition to have been dictated by Sakyamuni himself. It comprises 423 poetically inciteful verses grouped by themes deemed important for the attainment of Nirvana or "highest freedom" - joy, anger, desire and hell, among others. The Buddha's key methodology is control of the mind because only through control of the mind can the follower progress to a point where he can be set free from the cycle of death and re-birth.

The Dhammapada has been published in more languages than any other Buddhist text and for many students of eastern philosophy this translation by Wagiswara and Saunders remains the standard text in English.