THE SUPPORT VERSES

Sanderson presents a creative translation of the Dhammapada.

Rather than offering yet another literal interpretation of the Sanskrit and Pali Dhammapada—possibly the earliest known teachings of Buddhism—this collection offers a version based on the author’s own meditations on the original text. The result is a highly personal volume whose stronger verses evoke the metaphors of the Tao Te Ching, as in “Repetitions”: “Rain floods through cracks in a broken roof; / Emotion floods an undisciplined mind. / Rain rolls off a well-built and maintained roof; / Emotion rolls off a disciplined mind.” Representations of death are steeped in fear and escape, rather than acceptance, in contrast to the original Dhammapada, as in “Thinking”: “The student’s mind, learning meditation / Shivers and twitches like a fish on dry land; / The fibers of our being fear Death’s snares, / Our frightened minds run in all directions.” Some interpretations are expressed though expletives, while others use imagery that isn’t often associated with Buddhism, as in “The Ruins”: “How can we find happiness when we know / Our bones will be tossed out like old pumpkins / After Halloween, buried like compost?” “The Mirror” embraces a present-day zeitgeist: “And people buying and selling fake news / Will choke on their own bullshit in the end.” The section on the Paths—also known as the Eightfold Way in Buddhism, and the Four Noble Truths that form the basis for Buddhist teachings—is perhaps the most instructive part of this experimental translation; it appears in “Stanza Twenty: The Octovia,” in which the author labels in italics parts of the original text (in English), which offers a truly tangible connection to the interpretations that follow: “Right Mindfulness is one of the eight paths. / Getting your head straight is something you do.” Overall, this is a highly interpretative rendering that’s perhaps best suited to students of Buddhism, rather than newcomers to the Dhammapada.

A unique rendering of Buddhist teachings.