Analyze the concept of desire in the Dhammapada. How does the scripture explore the different forms of desire in human life? What is the wider significance of desire in Buddhist thought?

All of the verses of the Dhammapada are attributed to the Buddha. Based on your reading of the text, does the Buddha have a distinct, coherent voice? If so, what characterizes his voice? If not, what different voices emerged in the text?

The Dhammapada is one small piece of the Pāli Canon. Read an excerpt from another part of the Canon and compare it with the Dhammapada. What common themes and ideas emerge? In what ways, if any, do the texts differ?

What is the relationship between thought and action, as presented in the Dhammapada? How does this compare to conceptions of thought and action in other religious traditions, such as Hinduism or Christianity?

In her Introduction, Roebuck discusses her desire to avoid translating the text into what some scholars call “Buddhist Hybrid English,” a convoluted translational language designed to obscure the basic meaning of Buddhist texts and which imbues them with a mystical aura. What are some of the ways in which key concepts have been commonly misconstrued and misapplied by Westerners when interpreting Buddhist practices and beliefs?

The Dhammapada utilizes a great deal of imagery and symbolism. Choose a prominent or recurring image in the text and analyze it. How does this image function in the text? What is its wider role and significance?

What, according to the text, characterizes an ideal Buddhist, especially in comparison to an unenlightened person? How might a Buddhist go about determining whether or not they have achieved that ideal?

What supernatural forces are present in the text? How do they serve to illuminate key themes and ideas about the nature of suffering, enlightenment, and/or the universe at large?