Commentaries on the Dhammapada

by The Mother

These commentaries on the classic Buddhist text the Dhammapada were given in 1957-58 during the Mother's classes at the Ashram Playground. The classes consisted of students, teachers and Ashram members.

"After reading a chapter of the text, the Mother spoke about the points which interested her and then asked the class to meditate on them. She did not systematically discuss all the Dhammapada verses, but she did cover most of the central ideas in the text."

When the Mother introduced the subject at the first class, she said "This is to teach you mental control."

About the Author:

Born in Paris in 1878, the Mother studied painting at an art studio and became an accomplished artist. Primarily interested in inner development, she was associated with several groups of spiritual seekers in France.

In 1914 she journeyed to India to meet the Indian mystic Sri Aurobindo in Puducherry and settled there permanently in 1920. For nearly fifty years, she was the head of the Sri Aurobindo Ashram, from its founding in 1926 until her passing in 1973. She also established a school, the Sri Aurobindo International Centre of Education, in 1952, and an international township, Auroville, in 1968.