Spiritual Texts

I've just started reading the Dhammapada, and it feels like a breath of fresh air. Prior to that I'd been reading B.K.S. Iyengar's translation of the Yoga Sutras (Light on the Yoga Sutras of Patanjali) and had been stumbling and losing concentration. I enjoy learning new Sanskrit words when reading texts, don't get me wrong, but even in Iyengar's introduction, he'd use maybe three in a sentence, and the onus would be on me to look them up in the glossary provided. This makes it ridiculously difficult to concentrate; not only is the context in which the words came completely forgotten once I finally figure out what all of them means, but I'm also spending so much energy just trying to remember them so I don't have to look them up again that I end up absorbing very little of what I'm reading.

Anyhow, the Dhammapada is simple to absorb and exceptionally insightful. It has nothing to prove, I don't feel as if I am running up against an ego, a clear presence on the other side; Iyengar's translation is so thorough, so complete, but I feel as if the time he takes in the beginning to discuss the sutras is only included to show him capable of presenting his translations. With the Dhammapada I don't feel confronted by the text. There're verses I may post here, but not now.

Tomorrow I've got to do the bulk of my errands for Italy, which include going to Long's to pick up small things for the trip, going to Barnes & Noble to get a California picture book for my host family, and going to Ghiradelli in the mall to get some chocolate, also for my host family. If anyone else has got any ideas as to what might be better gift options than these, I'd be happy to hear them.