East-meets-West: How the Dhammapada Influenced the New Thought Movement

ABSTRACT: New Thought teachings are based on a variety of pre-existing traditions as well as on information new to the human consciousness. While the exact source of specific New Thought concepts is unclear, evidence suggests that the movement benefited from eastern religious traditions including Buddhism. New Thought metaphysical principles including the Law of Attraction, the practice of meditation, and the Law of Cause and Effect can be found in the Buddhist text, the Dhammapada. These principles are described in detail throughout the Dhammapada, providing strong evidence that early New Thought thinkers were influenced by the contents of the Dhammapada and Buddhist practices.