Stories from the Dhammapada Commentary

These storybooks illustrate the Dhammapada Commentary, which is a large collection of stories that provide the historical and situational context for each verse in the Dhammapada. Tradition attributes the compilation of the commentary to the 5th-century scholar Buddhaghosa. It explains the specific person, place, and event that prompted the Buddha to speak each verse. It contains over 300 stories detailing the lives, triumphs, and struggles of monks, laypeople, and historical figures during the Buddha’s time. It is a repository of knowledge about the people who were around the Buddha while he was alive; and it also contains a plethora of information about former Buddhas and the previous lives of the Buddha and his disciples.



1. THE CHAPTER ABOUT THE PAIRS (PDF)
1.1 The Story about the Elder Cakkhupāla (vs. 1)
1.2 The Story about Maṭṭhakuṇḍalī (vs. 2)
1.3 The Story about the Elder Thulla Tissa (vs. 3-4)
1.4 The Story about the Yakkhinī Kāḷi (vs. 5)
1.5 The Story about Those from Kosambī (vs. 6)
1.6 The Story about Culla Kāḷa and Mahā Kāḷa (vs. 7-8)
1.7 The Story about Devadatta (vs. 9-10)
1.8 The Story about the Chief Disciples (vs. 11-12)
1.9 The Story about the Elder Nanda (vs. 13-14)
1.10 The Story about the Pig Butcher Cunda (vs. 15)
1.11 The Story about the Lay Disciple Dhammika (vs. 16)
1.12 The Story about Devadatta (vs. 17)
1.13 The Story about Queen Sumanā (vs. 18)
1.14 The Story about Two Monastic Friends (vs. 19-20)
2. THE CHAPTER ABOUT HEEDFULNESS (PDF)
2.1 The Story about Udena (vs. 21-23)
2.2 The Story about Kumbhaghosaka (vs. 24)
2.3 The Story about the Elder Culla Panthaka (vs. 25)
2.4 The Story about the Fool’s Festival (vs. 26-27)
2.5 The Story about the Elder Mahā Kassapa (vs. 28)
2.6 The Story about Two Bhikkhu Friends, One Heedful and One Heedless (vs. 29)
2.7 The Story about Mahāli’s Questions (vs. 30)
2.8 The Story about a Certain Bhikkhu (vs. 31)
2.9 The Story about the Elder Nigamavāsī Tissa (vs. 32)
3. THE CHAPTER ABOUT THE MIND (PDF)
3.1 The Story about Elder Meghiya (vs. 33-34)
3.2 The Story about a Certain Bhikkhu (vs. 35)
3.3 The Story about a Dissatisfied Bhikkhu (vs. 36)
3.4 The Story about Nephew Saṅgharakkhita (vs. 37)
3.5 The Story about the Elder Cittahattha (vs. 38-39)
3.6 The Story about 500 Bhikkhus with Insight (vs. 40)
3.7 The Story about the Elder Pūtigatta Tissa (vs. 41)
3.8 The Story about Nanda the Herdsman (vs. 42)
3.9 The Story about the Elder Soreyya (vs. 43)
4. THE CHAPTER ABOUT FLOWERS (PDF)
4.1 The Story about 500 Bhikkhus Engaged in Talking about the Soil (vs. 44-45)
4.2 The Story about the Elder Who Meditated on a Mirage (vs. 46)
4.3 The Story about Viḍūḍabha (vs. 47)
4.4 The Story about the One Who Honoured Her Husband (vs. 48)
4.5 The Story about the Selfish Kosiya (vs. 49)
4.6 The Story about the Ājīvaka Pāṭhika (vs. 50)
4.7 The Story about the Lay Disciple Chattapāṇi (vs. 51-52)
4.8 The Story about Visākhā (vs. 53)
4.9 The Story about the Elder Ānanda’s Questions (vs. 54-55)
4.10 The Story about Giving Alms to the Elder Mahā Kassapa (vs. 56)
4.11 The Story about the Elder Godhika’s Parinibbāna (vs. 57)
4.12 The Story about Garahadinna (vs. 58-59)
5. THE CHAPTER ABOUT FOOLS (PDF)
5.1 The Story about a Certain Man (vs. 60)
5.2 The Story about the Elder Mahā Kassapa’s Pupil (vs. 61)
5.3 The Story about the Rich Man Ānanda (vs. 62)
5.4 The Story about the Thieves Who Broke Their Bonds (vs. 63)
5.5 The Story about the Elder Udāyī (vs. 64)
5.6 The Story about 30 Bhikkhus from Pāṭheyya (vs. 65)
5.7 The Story about the Leper Suppabuddha (vs. 66)
5.8 The Story about a Farmer (vs. 67)
5.9 The Story about Sumana the Garland-Maker (vs. 68)
5.10 The Story about the Elder Uppalavaṇṇā (vs. 69)
5.11 The Story about the Ājīvaka Jambuka (vs. 70)
5.12 The Story about the Snake Peta (vs. 71)
5.13 The Story about the Peta with Sixty Hammers (vs. 72)
5.14 The Story about the Edler Sudhamma (vs. 73-74)
5.15 The Story about the Elder Vanavāsī Tissa (vs. 75)
6. THE CHAPTER ABOUT THE WISE (PDF)
6.1 The Story about the Elder Rādha (vs. 76)
6.2 The Story about the Followers of Assaji and Punabbasu (vs. 77)
6.3 The Story about the Elder Channa (vs. 78)
6.4 The Story about the Elder Mahā Kappina (vs. 79)
6.5 The Story about the Novice Paṇḍita (vs. 80)
6.6 The Story about the Elder Lakuṇṭaka Bhaddiya (vs. 81)
6.7 The Story about the Mother of Kāṇā (vs. 82)
6.8 The Story about Five Hundred Bhikkhus (vs. 83)
6.9 The Story about the Elder Dhammika (vs. 84)
6.10 The Story about Listening to the Dhamma (vs. 85-86)
6.11 The Story about Five Hundred Visiting Bhikkhus (vs. 87-89)
7. THE CHAPTER ABOUT THE ARAHATS (PDF)
7.1 The Story about Jīvaka’s Question (vs. 90)
7.2 The Story about the Elder Mahā Kassapa (vs. 91)
7.3 The Story about the Elder Belaṭṭhisīsa (vs. 92)
7.4 The Story about the Elder Anuruddha (vs. 93)
7.5 The Story about the Elder Mahā Kaccāyana (vs. 94)
7.6 The Story about the Elder Sāriputta (vs. 95)
7.7 The Story about Kosambivāsī Tissa’s Novice (vs. 96)
7.8 The Story about the Question and Answer to the Elder Sāriputta (vs. 97)
7.9 The Story about the Elder Khadiravaniya Revata (vs. 98)
7.10 The Story about a Certain Woman (vs. 99)
8. THE CHAPTER ABOUT THE THOUSANDS (PDF)
8.1 The Story about the Copper-Toothed Executioner (vs. 100)
8.2 The Story about the Elder Bāhiya Dārucīriya (vs. 101)
8.3 The Story about the Elder Kuṇḍalakesī (vs. 102-103)
8.4 The Story about the Brahmin Who Asked about Loss (vs. 104-105)
8.5 The Story about the Elder Sāriputta’s Brahmin Uncle (vs. 106)
8.6 The Story about the Elder Sāriputta’s Nephew (vs. 107)
8.7 The Story about the Elder Sāriputta’s Brahmin Companion (vs. 108)
8.8 The Story about the Youth Dīghāyu (vs. 109)
8.9 The Story about the Novice Saṅkicca
8.10 The Story about the Elder Khāṇu Koṇḍañña (vs. 111)
8.11 The Story about the Elder Sappadāsa (vs. 112)
8.12 The Story about the Elder Paṭācārā (vs. 113)
8.13 The Story about Kisā Gotamī (vs. 114)
8.14 The Story about the Elder Bahuputtikā
9. THE CHAPTER ABOUT WICKEDNESS (PDF)
9.1 The Story about the Brahmin Culla Ekasāṭaka (vs. 116)
9.2 The Story about the Elder Seyyasaka (vs. 117)
9.3 The Story about the Devadhītā Lāja (vs. 118)
9.4 The Story about the Wealthy Anāthapiṇḍika (vs. 119-120)
9.5 The Story about a Bhikkhu Unrestrained with the Requisites (vs. 121)
9.6 The Story about the Rich Man Biḷālapādaka (vs. 122)
9.7 The Story about the Merchant Mahā Dhana (vs. 123)
9.8 The Story about Kukkuṭamitta (vs. 124)
9.9 The Story about the Hunter Koka’s Dogs (vs. 125)
9.10 The Story about Elder Tissa, Who Frequented a Jeweller (vs. 126)
9.11 The Story about Three Groups (vs. 127)
9.12 The Story about Suppabuddha the Sākiyan (vs. 128)
10. THE CHAPTER ABOUT THE STICK (PDF)
10.1 The Story about the Group of Six (vs. 129)
10.2 The Story about the Group of Six (vs. 130)
10.3 The Story about a Company of Boys (vs. 131-132)
10.4 The Story about the Elder Kuṇḍadhāna (vs. 133-134)
10.5 The Story about Visākhā and Others Observing the Observance Days (vs. 135)
10.6 The Story about the Python Peta (vs. 136)
10.7 The Story about the Elder Mahā Moggallāna (vs. 137-140)
10.8 The Story about the Bhikkhu with Many Possessions (vs. 141)
10.9 The Story about the Minister Santati (vs. 142)
10.10 The Story about the Elder Pilotika (vs. 143-144)
10.11 The Story about the Novice Sukha (vs. 145)
11. THE CHAPTER ABOUT OLD AGE (PDF)
11.1 The Story about Visākhā’s Companions (vs. 146)
11.2 The Story about Sirimā (vs. 147)
11.3 The Story about the Elder Uttarī (vs. 148)
11.4 The Story about Many Vain Bhikkhus (vs. 149)
11.5 The Story about the Elder Janapada Kaḷyāṇī Rūpanandā (vs. 150)
11.6 The Story about Queen Mallikā (vs. 151)
11.7 The Story about the Elder Lāḷudāyi (vs. 152)
11.8 The Story about the Exalted Utterances (Spoken) to Elder Ānanda (vs. 153-154)
11.9 The Story about Mahā Dhana, the Rich Man’s Son (vs. 155-156)
12. THE CHAPTER ABOUT THE SELF (PDF)
12.1 The Story about Prince Bodhi (vs. 157)
12.2 The Story about the Elder Upananda the Sakyan (vs. 158)
12.3 The Story about the Elder Padhānika Tissa (vs. 159)
12.4 The Story about the Elder, the Mother of Kumāra Kassapa (vs. 160)
12.5 The Story about the Lay Disciple Mahā Kāla (vs. 161)
12.6 The Story about Devadatta (vs. 162)
12.7 The Story about Trying for a Schism in the Saṅgha (vs. 163)
12.8 The Story about the Elder Kāla (vs. 164)
12.9 The Story about the Lay Disciple Culla Kāla (vs. 165)
12.10 The Story about the Elder Attadattha (vs. 166)
13. THE CHAPTER ABOUT THE WORLD (PDF)
13.1 The Story about a Certain Young Bhikkhu (vs. 167)
13.2 The Story about Suddhodana (vs. 168-169)
13.3 The Story about 500 Bhikkhus with Insight (vs. 170)
13.4 The Story about Prince Abhaya (vs. 171)
13.5 The Story about the Elder Sammuñjani (vs. 172)
13.6 The Story about the Elder Aṅgulimāla (vs. 173)
13.7 The Story about the Weaver’s Daughter (vs. 174)
13.8 The Story about Thirty Bhikkhus (vs. 175)
13.9 The Story about the Young Brahmin Girl Ciñcā (vs. 176)
13.10 The Story about the Gifts Beyond Compare (vs. 177)
13.11 The Story about Anāthapiṇḍika’s Son Kāla (vs. 178)