Product Description

The Dhammapada holds a special place in the hearts of those following the Buddhist path and is read and recited daily in temples and homes across the world. A collection of verses that the Buddha is said to have spoken on more than three hundred occasions, it is believed to be the most representative collection of his teachings.

Over the millennia, the Dhammapada has been translated numerous times, in various languages. But Geri Larkin wanted to find a rendition that rang true to an inner-city sangha. And so, she decided to embark on creating a contemporary rendition to be used at The Still Point Zen Buddhist Temple -- a new temple in the heart of Detroit. Staying true to its purpose, this fresh version of the beloved text points the way to living with both compassion and wisdom, and is the first Dhammapada to use intentionally inclusive language. Rendered simply and beautifully, the Buddha's teachings are complemented with inspiring stories about the surrounding community as well as the challenges of getting a temple and abbey off the ground in such an unlikely setting. The Still Point Dhammapada is a book for anyone -- lifelong practitioners as well as those new to Buddhism -- hungry for a contemporary rendition of the Buddha's teachings.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #358267 in Books
• Published on: 2003-04-01
• Released on: 2003-03-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 224 pages

Review
"Check out Larkin’s Motor City Zen, and behind it all, you’ll see the wisdom of the Buddha." -- Spirituality and Health magazine

"Larkin has most wonderfully added her own insight and deepening experience to a new rendering...of the Dhammapada." -- -Stephen Levine, author of Who Dies? An Investigation of Conscious Living and Conscious Dying

"This rendering ...is clean, contemporary, and, with the addition of her effective teaching stories, as real as it gets." -- Yoga Journal

...a gift that will keep on giving…[I] recommend it as an excellent companion for spiritual study and practice. -- Lama Surya Das, author of Awakening the Buddha Within and Awakening the Buddhist Heart and founder of the Dzogchen Meditation Center

Larkin has most wonderfully added her own insight and deepening experience to a new rendering...of the Dhammapada. -- Stephen Levine, author of Who Dies? An Investigation of Conscious Living and Conscious Dying

Review
"...a gift that will keep on giving.[I] recommend it as an excellent companion for spiritual study and practice." (-Lama Surya Das, author of Awakening the Buddha Within and Awakening the Buddhist Heart and founder of the Dzogchen Meditation Center )

"Larkin has most wonderfully added her own insight and deepening experience to a new rendering...of the Dhammapada." (-Stephen Levine, author of Who Dies? )

"This rendering ...is clean, contemporary, and, with the addition of her effective teaching stories, as real as it gets." (Yoga Journal )

"Check out Larkin's Motor City Zen, and behind it all, you'll see the wisdom of the Buddha." (Spirituality and Health magazine )

About the Author

Geri Larkin is the author of Stumbling Toward Enlightenment, Building a Business the Buddhist Way, Tap Dancing in Zen, and First You Shave Your Head. She is the Still Point Zen Buddhist Temple's Guiding Teacher.

Customer Reviews

Providing a haven for the world...
P'arang (the Buddhist name of author Geri Larkin) does what very few other writers are able to do these days: Write a compelling, sometimes humorous, always fiercely insightful book that's hard to put down.

In fact, I finished The Still Point Dhammapada: Living the Buddha's Essential Teachings in just two evenings -- and I'm sure I'll refer to it repeatedly in days to come.

The purpose of the book is two-fold: (1) It includes a very smooth-flowing, inclusive-language rendering of the Dhammapada, and (2) Interwoven with the Dhammapada is Ms. Larkin's observations about everything from what it's like to provide a haven for the folks in downtown Detroit, to daily struggles to abide by the Buddha's teachings to meetings with everyday (albeit fascinating) people.

P'arang's tone is always self-effacing, earthy and compassionate. Real. Sincere. She comes across as someone you'd like to chat with over a cup of tea.

For the record, I'm a Christian. Yet, I have recently become fascinated by Zen and have read many books on this ancient worldview. Why? Because I appreciate its philosophy of "mindfulness," which means to be fully awake and aware of life and to relish every minute, every thing, and every person along the way.

Zen is a simple worldview, yet it can be as deep and vast as you'd like it to be.

So it's no wonder I enjoyed Ms. Larkin's book so much. Her writing exemplifies what Zen has to offer.

If you're wondering how Zen Buddhists live their lives, you ought to consider reading The Still Point Dhammapada. It's one of the best books I've read on the subject -- although I don't think Ms. Larkin's goal was to write an apologetic for Buddhism. I think she just wanted to share her observations and comments about life as a Zen Buddhist teacher. Take 'em or leave 'em.

I took 'em. And really enjoyed The Still Point Dhammapada. I found it to be a wonderful peek into the world of Zen Buddhism from someone who knows it well. I highly recommend it -- along with The Still Point Zen Buddhist Temple web site.

Shine One Corner
Buddhists and non-Buddhists alike: read this book!! The Still Point Dhammapada is moving and wise - the translations of the Buddha's words are simple (in the best sense) yet, of course, profound. Equally compelling are the stories from the streets around the Still Point abbey and temple. There are lots of stereotypes about Detroit - and Larkin & co. add voice and vision so that readers can really get a feel for the life of the neighborhood and the practice of "guerilla kindness." But don't mistake this for some pollyanna-ish text; the stories are alternately heartbreaking, funny and gritty. Coupled with the verses from the dhammapada, they teach by showing.
This is a lovely book.

Making "Buddhism" our own
A book like this is a window into a process. This is not an introduction to meditation practice itself (that territory is amply covered elsewhere) but a look at a young community of practitioners findings its way, and the Way, in 21st century Detroit.

This community worked together on an adapted translation of the Dhammapada, a much-beloved collection of sayings of the Buddha which provide day-to-day, moment-by-moment encouragement that it is possible to let go of greed, anger, and delusion, and live a life that lists to deep awareness and compassion like a current that carries an empty boat.

This is not merely a literary project, however. This version of the Dhammapada, which breathes with fresh language and terms easily acceptable to new students in the United States, comes to us through the personal practice of the members of this community, whom we get to know through the short, anecdotal chapters that follow each canto of the text. Ancient wisdom, and the bumpy business of everyday life, interact in something almost approximating parallel text.

So it is a window into a process, a process by which a new Zen community matures, and by which an American Buddhism is slowly taking form. How wonderful to find this tradition finding its roots in our soil.