Dīgha Nikāya
Playing Audio: If you have problems with audio playback, you can click on the audio player to download the sound file.
While others may praise or criticize the Tathagata, they tend to focus on trivial details. The Tathagata presents an analysis of 62 kinds of wrong view, seeing through which one becomes detached from meaningless speculations.
The newly crowned King Ajātasattu is disturbed by the violent means by which he achieved the crown. He visits the Tathagata 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.
The Poṭṭhapāda Sutta is a discourse where the Tathagata engages in a deep philosophical discussion about perception, consciousness, and the nature of ultimate reality with the wanderer Poṭṭhapāda and his group. The sutta also includes the gradual path to liberation, emphasizing the development of jhāna, the cessation of perception and feeling, and the attainment of Nibbāna.
Shortly after the Tathagata’s death, Venerable Ānanda explains the core teachings of the gradual path.
The Tathagata refuses to perform miracles, explaining that this is not the right way to inspire faith. He goes on to tell the story of a disciple whose misguided quest for answers led him as far as Brahmā.
Rejecting Venerable Ānanda’s claim to easily understand dependent origination, the Tathagata presents a complex and demanding analysis, revealing hidden nuances and implications of this central teaching.
The longest of all discourses, this extended narrative tells of the events surrounding the Tathagata’s death. Full of vivid and moving details, it is an ideal entry point into knowing the Tathagata as a person, and understanding how the community coped with his passing.
The Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta is one of the most important suttas in the Pāli Canon. It provides a comprehensive guide to mindfulness and insight, leading to liberation from suffering. This sutta is almost identical to MN 10, but with an expanded section on the Four Noble Truths, making it the most detailed canonical instruction on mindfulness practice.
In contrast with the brahmin’s self-serving mythologies of the past, the Tathagata 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.
The Siṅgāla Sutta is one of the most practical teachings of the Tathagata, focusing on lay ethics, social responsibilities, and financial wisdom. It is sometimes called "The Layperson’s Code of Discipline," as it provides guidance on ethical living, relationships, and wealth management for householders. It provides a complete framework for how to live wisely in society. Furthermore, it teaches how to protect wealth, cultivate good friendships, and avoid harmful influences.
The Tathagata encourages Venerable Sāriputta to teach the disciples, and he offers an extended listing of doctrines arranged in numerical sequence.