The udanas, literally 'breathing out', are the breath of the Buddha. Like the better-known Dhammapada, these spiritually-inspired Verses of Inspiration are at once uplifting and relevant to our lives. Reading them we sit at the feet of the Buddha.

Here, for the first time, is a presentation of the verses independent of the prose text to which they are normally appended. They are beautifully illustrated with carefully selected photographs paralleling the truth of each. Padmakara's renditions offer an accessible way into a valuable, yet little known, Buddhist resource.

Verses of Inspiration is not just to be read, but is a basis for devotion, reflection, and study for both newcomers and those who are familiar with the Buddha's noble path to Awakening.