"The Dhammapada, the Pali version of one of the most popular texts of the Buddhist canon, ranks among the classics of the world's great religious literature." "Like all religious texts in Pali, the Dhammapada belongs to the Therevada school of the Buddhist tradition, adherents of which are now found primarily in Kampuchea, Laos, Myanmar, Sri Lanka, and Thailand. Dhammapada, or 'sayings of the dhamma', is a collection of verses regarded as the utterances of the Buddha. Taken together, the verses form a key body of teaching within the Buddhist tradition, a guiding voice along the path towards true enlightenment. The appeal of these sayings extends beyond adherents of Buddhism to all those with a sense of religious awareness." "This edition provides an introduction and notes which examine the impact that the text has had within the Buddhist heritage through the centuries."--Jacket.