On Rerererererereading the Dhammapada

I got a copy of Thanissaro Bikkhu's translation of the Dhammapada in the mail the other day. This translator is a Theravada monk based out of the Metta Forest Monastery in California. Reading and rereading the Dhammapada always impresses on me the importance of practice.

I think that is the thing that attracted me to Buddhism that I didn't see in any religion at the time. It's the practice that matters, and when you practice it will actually do something for you. It is not affirming your belief in dogma or prayer, it's a real thing, even if like in any religion it's not for sure. In Buddhism revelation and mystery isn't something to be handed to you, in fact, it can never be handed to you. You can be told about it, to a certain extent, then you have to get there yourself. The Dhamma is latent in the very nature of existence.