________________
DHAMMAPADA.
admits twelve books only, and assigns them all to the Abhidhamma, while the Magghimabhânakas admit fifteen books, and assign them to the Sutta-pitaka. The order of the fifteen books is: 1. Gâtaka [10]; 2. Mahâniddesa [11]; 3. Kullaniddesa (11); 4. Patisambhidâmagga (12); 5. Suttanipata [5]; 6. DHAMMAPADA [2]; 7. Udâna [3]; 8. Itivuttaka [4]; 9. Vimânavatthu [6]; 10. Petavatthu [7]; 11. Theragatha [8] ; 12. Therîgâthâ [9]; 13. Kariyâpitaka [15] ; 14. Apadâna [13]; 15. Buddhavamsa [14]
The Khuddaka-pâtha is left out in the second list, and the number is brought to fifteen by dividing Niddesa into Mahâ-niddesa and Kulla-niddesa.
There is a commentary on the Dhammapada in Pâli, and supposed to be written by Buddhaghosa ?, in the first half of the fifth century A.D. In explaining the verses of the Dhammapada, the commentator gives for every or nearly every verse a parable to illustrate its meaning, which is likewise believed to have been uttered by Buddha in his intercourse with his disciples, or in preaching to the multitudes that came to hear him.
DATE OF THE DHAMMAPADA. The only means of fixing the date of the Dhammapada is trying to ascertain the date of the Buddhist canon of which it forms a part, or the date of Buddhaghosa, who wrote a commentary on it. This, however, is by no means easy, and the evidence on which we have to rely is such that we must not be surprised if those who are accustomed to test historical and chronological evidence
! The figures within brackets refer to the other list of books in the Khuddaka-nikâya. See also p. xxviii.
M. Léon Feer in the Journal Asiatique, 1871, p. 266, mentions another commentary of a more philosophical character, equally ascribed to Buddhaghosa, and having the title Vivara Bra Dhammapada, i.e. L'auguste Dhammapada dévoilé. Professor Forchhammer in his List of Manuscripts,' 1879-80, mentions the following works in connection with the Dhammapada: DhammapadaNissayo; Dh. P. Atthakatha by Buddhaghosa ; Dh. P. Atthakatha Nissayo, 3 vols., containing a complete translation of the commentary ; Dh. P. Vatthu. Of printed books he quotes : Kayanupassanakyam, a work based on the Garavaggo, Mandalay, 1876 (390 pages), and Dhammapada-desanakyam, printed in British Burma News.'
Digitized by Google
