The 5 Great Nikāya Collections, in one calm library.
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Five Nikāya collections
Choose a collection to filter the library.
Long Discourses
Dīgha Nikāya
Long-form discourses with broad doctrinal and narrative scope.
Middle Discourses
Majjhima Nikāya
Middle-length teachings ideal for topic-by-topic practice.
Connected Discourses
Saṁyutta Nikāya
Discourses grouped into connected themes, people and practices.
Numbered Discourses
Aṅguttara Nikāya
Teachings organized by numbered sets for quick study.
Minor Collection
Khuddaka Nikāya
A diverse collection including Dhammapada, Sutta Nipāta and Udāna.
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The Divine Net
Brahmajālasutta
While others may praise or criticize the Buddha, they tend to focus on trivial details. The Buddha presents an analysis of 62 kinds of wrong view, seeing through which one becomes detached from meaningless speculations.
The Fruits of the Ascetic Life
Sāmaññaphalasutta
The newly crowned King Ajātasattu is disturbed by the violent means by which he achieved the crown. He visits the Buddha to find peace of mind, and asks him about the benefits of spiritual practice. This is one of the greatest literary and spiritual texts of early Buddhism.
With Ambaṭṭha
Ambaṭṭhasutta
A young brahmin student attacks the Buddha’s family, but is put in his place.
With Soṇadaṇḍa
Soṇadaṇḍasutta
A reputed brahmin visits the Buddha, despite the reservations of other brahmins. They discuss the true meaning of a brahmin, and the Buddha skillfully draws him around to his own point of view.
With Kūṭadanta
Kūṭadantasutta
A brahmin wishes to undertake a great sacrifice, and asks for the Buddha’s advice. The Buddha tells a legend of the past, in which a king is persuaded to give up violent sacrifice, and instead to devote his resources to supporting the needy citizens of his realm. However, even such a beneficial and non-violent sacrifice pales in comparison to the spiritual sacrifice of giving up attachments.
With Mahāli
Mahālisutta
The Buddha explains to a diverse group of lay people how the results of meditation depend on the manner of development.
With Jāliya
Jāliyasutta
This discourse is mostly quoted by the Buddha in the previous.
The Longer Discourse on the Lion’s Roar
Mahāsīhanādasutta
The Buddha is challenged by a naked ascetic on the topic of spiritual austerities. He points out that it is quite possible to perform all kinds of austere practices without having any inner purity of mind.
With Poṭṭhapāda
Poṭṭhapādasutta
The Buddha discusses with a wanderer the nature of perception and how it evolves through deeper states of meditation. None of these, however, should be identified with a self or soul.
With Subha
Subhasutta
Shortly after the Buddha’s death, Venerable Ānanda is invited to explain the core teachings.
With Kevaddha
Kevaṭṭasutta
The Buddha refuses to perform miracles, explaining that this is not the right way to inspire faith. He goes on to tell the story of a monk whose misguided quest for answers led him as far as Brahmā.
With Lohicca
Lohiccasutta
A brahmin has fallen into the idea that there is no point in trying to offer spiritual help to others. The Buddha goes to see him, and persuades him of the genuine benefits of spiritual teaching.
The Three Knowledges
Tevijjasutta
A number of brahmins are discussing the true path to Brahmā. Contesting the claims to authority based on the Vedas, the Buddha insists that only personal experience can lead to the truth.
The Great Discourse on Traces Left Behind
Mahāpadānasutta
The Buddha teaches about the six Buddhas of the past, and tells a lengthy account of one of those, Vipassī.
The Great Discourse on Causation
Mahānidānasutta
Rejecting Venerable Ānanda’s claim to easily understand dependent origination, the Buddha presents a complex and demanding analysis, revealing hidden nuances and implications of this central teaching.
The Great Passing
Mahāparinibbāna Sutta
The Buddha’s final journey, with important guidance on practice, community, and self-reliance.
King Mahāsudassana
Mahāsudassanasutta
An elaborate story of a past life of the Buddha as a legendary king who renounced all to practice meditation.
With Janavasabha
Janavasabhasutta
Beginning with an account of the fates of disciples who had recently passed away, the scene shifts to a discussion of Dhamma held by the gods.
The Great Steward
Mahāgovindasutta
A minor deity informs the Buddha of the conversations and business of the gods.
The Great Congregation
Mahāsamayasutta
When deities from all realms gather in homage to the Buddha, he gives a series of verses describing them. These verses, which are commonly chanted in Theravadin countries, give one of the most detailed descriptions of the deities worshiped at the the time of the Buddha.
Sakka’s Questions
Sakkapañhasutta
After hearing a love song from a god of music, the Buddha engages in a deep discussion with Sakka on the conditioned origin of attachment and suffering.
The Longer Discourse on Mindfulness Meditation
Mahāsatipaṭṭhānasutta
The Buddha details the seventh factor of the noble eightfold path, mindfulness meditation. This discourse is essentially identical to MN 10, with the addition of an extended section on the four noble truths derived from MN 141.
With Pāyāsi
Pāyāsisutta
This is a long and entertaining debate between a monk and a skeptic, who went to elaborate and bizarre lengths to prove that there is no such thing as an afterlife. The discourse contains a colorful series of parables and examples.
About Pāṭikaputta
Pāthikasutta
When Sunakkhatta threatens to disrobe, the Buddha is unimpressed. Rejecting showy displays of asceticism or wondrous powers, he demonstrates his pre-eminence.
The Lion’s Roar at Udumbarikā’s Monastery
Udumbarikasutta
This discourse gives a specially good example of dialog between religions. The Buddha insists that he is not interested to make anyone give up their teacher or practices, but only to help people let go of suffering.
The Wheel-Turning Monarch
Cakkavattisutta
In illustration of his dictum that one should rely on oneself, the Buddha gives a detailed account of the fall of a kingly lineage of the past, and the subsequent degeneration of society. This process, however, is not over, as the Buddha predicts that eventually society will fall into utter chaos. But far in the future, another Buddha, Metteyya, will arise in a time of peace and plenty.
The Origin of the World
Aggaññasutta
In contrast with the brahmin’s self-serving mythologies of the past, the Buddha presents an account of evolution that shows how human choices are an integral part of the ecological balance, and how excessive greed destroys the order of nature.
Inspiring Confidence
Sampasādanīyasutta
Shortly before he passes away, Venerable Sāriputta visits the Buddha and utters a moving homage to his great teacher.
An Impressive Discourse
Pāsādikasutta
Following the death of Nigaṇṭha Nātaputta, the leader of the Jains, the Buddha emphasizes the stability and maturity of his own community. He encourages the community to come together after his death and recite the teachings in harmony.
The Marks of a Great Man
Lakkhaṇasutta
This presents the brahmanical prophecy of the Great Man, and explains the 32 marks in detail. This discourse contains some of the latest and most complex verse forms in the canon.
Advice to Sigālaka
Siṅgāla Sutta
Practical guidance on family, friendship, work, and social responsibilities.
The Āṭānāṭiya Protection
Āṭānāṭiyasutta
Mighty spirits hold a congregation, and warn the Buddha that, since not all spirits are friendly, the mendicants should learn verses of protection.
Reciting in Concert
Saṅgītisutta
The Buddha encourages Venerable Sāriputta to teach the mendicants, and he offers an extended listing of Buddhist doctrines arranged in numerical sequence.
Up to Ten
Dasuttarasutta
This is similar to the previous, but with a different manner of exposition. These two discourses anticipate some of the methods of the Abhidhamma.
The Root of All Things
Mūlapariyāya Sutta
The Buddha examines how the notion of a permanent self emerges from the process of perception. A wide range of phenomena are considered, embracing both naturalistic and cosmological dimensions. An unawakened person interprets experience in terms of a self, while those more advanced have the same experiences without attachment.
All the Defilements
Sabbāsava Sutta
The diverse problems of the spiritual journey demand a diverse range of responses. Rather than applying the same solution to every problem, the Buddha outlines seven methods of dealing with defilements, each of which works in certain cases.
Heirs in the Teaching
Dhammadāyāda Sutta
Some of the Buddha’s students inherit from him only material profits and fame. But his true inheritance is the spiritual path, the way of contentment. Venerable Sāriputta explains how by following the Buddha’s example we can experience the fruits of the path.
Fear and Dread
Bhayabherava Sutta
The Buddha explains the difficulties of living in the wilderness, and how they are overcome by purity of conduct and meditation. He recounts some of the fears and obstacles he faced during his own practice.
Unblemished
Anaṅgaṇa Sutta
The Buddha’s chief disciples, Sāriputta and Moggallāna, use a simile of a tarnished bowl to illustrate the blemishes of the mind and conduct. They emphasize how the crucial thing is not so much whether there are blemishes, but whether we are aware of them.
One Might Wish
Ākaṅkheyya Sutta
According to the Buddha, careful observance of ethical precepts is the foundation of all higher achievements in the spiritual life.
The Simile of the Cloth
Vattha Sutta
The many different kinds of impurities that defile the mind are compared to a dirty cloth. When the mind is clean we find joy, which leads to states of higher consciousness. Finally, the Buddha rejects the Brahmanical notion that purity comes from bathing in sacred rivers.
Self-Effacement
Sallekha Sutta
The Buddha differentiates between peaceful meditation and spiritual practices that encompass the whole of life. He lists forty-four aspects, which he explains as “effacement”, the wearing away of conceit.
Right View
Sammādiṭṭhi Sutta
Venerable Sāriputta gives a detailed explanation of right view, the first factor of the noble eightfold path. At the prompting of the other mendicants, he approaches the topic from a wide range of perspectives.
Mindfulness Meditation
Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta
A foundational discourse on the four establishments of mindfulness: body, feelings, mind, and principles.
The Shorter Discourse on the Lion’s Roar
Cūḷasīhanāda Sutta
The Buddha declares that only those following his path can genuinely experience the four stages of awakening. This is because, while much is shared with other systems, none of them go so far as to fully reject all attachment to the idea of a self.
The Longer Discourse on the Lion’s Roar
Mahāsīhanāda Sutta
A disrobed monk, Sunakkhatta, attacks the Buddha’s teaching because it merely leads to the end of suffering. The Buddha counters that this is, in fact, praise, and goes on to enumerate his many profound and powerful achievements.
The Longer Discourse on the Mass of Suffering
Mahādukkhakkhandha Sutta
Challenged to show the difference between his teaching and that of other ascetics, the Buddha points out that they speak of letting go, but do not really understand why. He then explains in great detail the suffering that arises from attachment to sensual stimulation.
The Shorter Discourse on the Mass of Suffering
Cūḷadukkhakkhandha Sutta
A lay person is puzzled at how, despite their long practice, they still have greedy or hateful thoughts. The Buddha explains the importance of absorption meditation for letting go such attachments. But he also criticizes self-mortification, and recounts a previous dialog with Jain ascetics.
Measuring Up
Anumāna Sutta
Venerable Moggallāna raises the topic of admonishment, without which healthy community is not possible. He lists a number of qualities that will encourage others to think it worthwhile to admonish you in a constructive way.
Emotional Barrenness
Cetokhila Sutta
The Buddha explains various ways one can become emotionally cut off from one’s spiritual community.
Jungle Thickets
Vanapattha Sutta
While living in the wilderness is great, not everyone is ready for it. The Buddha encourages meditators to reflect on whether one’s environment is genuinely supporting their meditation practice, and if not, to leave.
The Honey-Cake
Madhupiṇḍika Sutta
Challenged by a brahmin, the Buddha gives an enigmatic response on how conflict arises due to proliferation based on perceptions. Venerable Kaccāna draws out the detailed implications of this in one of the most insightful passages in the entire canon.
Two Kinds of Thought
Dvedhāvitakka Sutta
Recounting his own experiences in developing meditation, the Buddha explains how to understand harmful and harmless thoughts, and how to go beyond thought altogether.
How to Stop Thinking
Vitakkasaṇṭhāna Sutta
In a practical meditation teaching, the Buddha describes five different approaches to stopping thoughts.
The Simile of the Saw
Kakacūpama Sutta
A foundational discourse on patience, difficult speech, and maintaining a mind free from hate.
The Simile of the Snake
Alagaddūpama Sutta
A discourse warning against grasping the teachings wrongly, including the famous simile of the raft.
The Ant-Hill
Vammika Sutta
In a curious discourse laden with evocative imagery, a deity presents a riddle to a mendicant, who seeks an answer from the Buddha.
Prepared Chariots
Rathavinīta Sutta
Venerable Sāriputta seeks a dialog with an esteemed monk, Venerable Puṇṇa Mantāniputta, and they discuss the stages of purification.
Fodder
Nivāpa Sutta
The Buddha compares getting trapped by Māra with a deer getting caught in a snare, illustrating the ever more complex strategies employed by hunter and hunted.
The Noble Search
Pāsarāsi Sutta
This is one of the most important biographical discourses, telling the Buddha’s experiences from leaving home to realizing awakening. Throughout, he was driven by the imperative to fully escape from rebirth and suffering.
Featured discourses
Important discourses selected as clear starting points for reading and listening.
The Great Passing
Mahāparinibbāna Sutta
Mindfulness Meditation
Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta
The Simile of the Saw
Kakacūpama Sutta
With the Kālāmas of Kesamutta
Kesamutti Sutta
Dhammapada · Pairs
Yamakavagga
Setting the Dhamma Wheel in Motion
Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta