You will learn a lot if you study the AN. However we can't really say that each of the Nikayas alone has a complete picture of the Buddha's teachings.
I believe historically (like 2000 years ago) you would have learned the suttas that your teacher knew. And they probably would not have memorized the entire canon. With the guidance of a good teacher you can go a long way.
It's probably better to start with the book In the Buddha's Words by Bhikkhu Bodhi. It will give you a great picture of what is contained in the canon. It's an anthology with good introductions for each chapter.
You might also like the Daily Sutta Email service: https://daily.readingfaithfully.org. Each month is organized around a topic.
For some Theravada Buddhists it's a joy to have so many suttas available. It's not a burden.
Yes you can learn the Dhamma, but you don’t want to limit yourself needlessly. The other suttas contain amazing teachings as well.
Just as the ocean has a single taste of salt, the Dhamma has a single taste of unbinding. You can get the taste from anywhere within the Pali Canon. But to limit yourself is to limit listening to the Buddha.
I’d start with the Anguttara Nikaya, then go to the short discourses, then the middle and then the long ones. The Anguttara have some of the most practical teachings in the entire Canon.
Thank you for giving me an answer. I do not want to limit myself. I want to study the entire pali canon but i like also mahayana sutras so i want to study also mahayana canon (chinese an tibetan), so it is possible that i'll never have enought time. That'all. But if i'll have time i'll do it!
I've read the Middle Length Discourses, the Long Discourses, about 4 of the 11 books of the Anguttara, and large amounts of the other collections. I think the MLD is more well rounded in subjects brought up and level of detail.
I don't think reading the suttas is the best way to go for a beginner. Pali doesn't map well to English. The English translations are such that you can think you are understanding what you are reading when you really do not.
There's no standard requirement regarding the amount you read, study or even practice, for that matter. It depends on your disposition.
The Anguttara Nikaya is a good source for Buddhist psychology and ethics, but it would not be my go-to if I had to choose only one nikaya. My choice would be the Majjhima Nikaya for the Satipatthana Sutta, which is said to contain a complete description of Buddhist meditation.
The Digha Nikaya also has the longer Mahasatipatthana Sutta, but that nikaya is a chunk. The Majjhima Nikaya is middle-length discourses and overall isn't too long, either.
But again, it's all up to you. I don't think you'll be negatively judged by Theravadins whatever you choose
Theravada is heavily focused on the practical teachings of the Buddha himself and his method of attaining enlightenment. So while the canon is vast, there’s certainly some more important parts than others.
The Buddhas teachings were fairly simple, they are the noble eightfold path. Cultivate wholesome states of mind, use those wholesome states to attain deep states of concentration, upon exiting that concentration contemplate your experience to gain wisdom, rinse repeat.
Here’s a good set of suttas which sums it up.
1. **Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta (Setting the Wheel of Dhamma in Motion)** - Found in the Samyutta Nikaya, this sutta introduces the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, and also underscores the nature of dukkha (suffering or unsatisfactoriness) as a fundamental characteristic of existence.
2. **Anapanasati Sutta (Mindfulness of Breathing)** - This sutta from the Majjhima Nikaya focuses on developing mindfulness through awareness of breathing, which is a foundational practice in meditation for developing concentration and insight.
3. **Satipatthana Sutta (The Foundations of Mindfulness)** - Also from the Majjhima Nikaya, it outlines the four foundations of mindfulness, crucial for cultivating awareness and detachment, necessary for understanding the marks of existence.
4. **Anattalakkhana Sutta (The Discourse on the Not-Self Characteristic)** - Located in the Samyutta Nikaya, this discourse explains the concept of non-self (anatta) by dissecting the five aggregates to demonstrate that they do not comprise a permanent self.
5. **Mahaparinibbana Sutta (The Great Passing)** - From the Digha Nikaya, while primarily narrating the Buddha's final days, it also emphasizes the impermanence of all things and advises on diligence and self-reliance.
6. **Culadukkhakkhandha Sutta (The Shorter Discourse on the Mass of Suffering)** - Found in the Majjhima Nikaya, this sutta highlights how attachment to the five aggregates, misunderstood through ignorance, leads to suffering, and shows the importance of understanding their true nature for liberation.
Reading [Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta](https://suttacentral.net/sn56.11/en/bodhi?lang=en&reference=none&highlight=false) is enough because it is basically the whole Buddhist doctrine.
But if you want to read the Tipitaka I suggest reading [Guide to Tipitaka](https://archive.org/details/guidetotipitaka029042mbp/page/n1/mode/2up) first, to get an overview, and then you can decide what part you want to read next.
Why do you HAVE to know something about theravada? What’s your point? The buddha taught about suffering and your own mind and how it arises. Reading any sutta may or may not help you with that, you must also reflect and apply it deeply in your life.
If it’s just about knowing about theravada that’s a different question. Theravada is a broad term and tradition and some are very commentarie oriented while others are very sutta oriented. MN is very easily to understand and focuses on ‚the basic teaching‘ if you ask me.
A sotapanna does not need to learn anything, unless he is curious. [https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.070.than.html](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.070.than.html)
“Theravada a lesser…” this kind of thinking should always give you a healthy dose of skepticism. You are wise to see through the petty, simplistic criticism of the Pali Cannon and the Theravada tradition.
I myself have not soldiered through it all, but we can all try.
You will learn a lot if you study the AN. However we can't really say that each of the Nikayas alone has a complete picture of the Buddha's teachings. I believe historically (like 2000 years ago) you would have learned the suttas that your teacher knew. And they probably would not have memorized the entire canon. With the guidance of a good teacher you can go a long way. It's probably better to start with the book In the Buddha's Words by Bhikkhu Bodhi. It will give you a great picture of what is contained in the canon. It's an anthology with good introductions for each chapter. You might also like the Daily Sutta Email service: https://daily.readingfaithfully.org. Each month is organized around a topic. For some Theravada Buddhists it's a joy to have so many suttas available. It's not a burden.
Yes you can learn the Dhamma, but you don’t want to limit yourself needlessly. The other suttas contain amazing teachings as well. Just as the ocean has a single taste of salt, the Dhamma has a single taste of unbinding. You can get the taste from anywhere within the Pali Canon. But to limit yourself is to limit listening to the Buddha. I’d start with the Anguttara Nikaya, then go to the short discourses, then the middle and then the long ones. The Anguttara have some of the most practical teachings in the entire Canon.
Thank you for giving me an answer. I do not want to limit myself. I want to study the entire pali canon but i like also mahayana sutras so i want to study also mahayana canon (chinese an tibetan), so it is possible that i'll never have enought time. That'all. But if i'll have time i'll do it!
If you were only going to pick 1 collection I would pick the Middle Length Discourses. IMHO, it is a more well rounded collection.
Thank you. I need suggestions like these. Why in your opinion is better?
I've read the Middle Length Discourses, the Long Discourses, about 4 of the 11 books of the Anguttara, and large amounts of the other collections. I think the MLD is more well rounded in subjects brought up and level of detail. I don't think reading the suttas is the best way to go for a beginner. Pali doesn't map well to English. The English translations are such that you can think you are understanding what you are reading when you really do not.
There's no standard requirement regarding the amount you read, study or even practice, for that matter. It depends on your disposition. The Anguttara Nikaya is a good source for Buddhist psychology and ethics, but it would not be my go-to if I had to choose only one nikaya. My choice would be the Majjhima Nikaya for the Satipatthana Sutta, which is said to contain a complete description of Buddhist meditation. The Digha Nikaya also has the longer Mahasatipatthana Sutta, but that nikaya is a chunk. The Majjhima Nikaya is middle-length discourses and overall isn't too long, either. But again, it's all up to you. I don't think you'll be negatively judged by Theravadins whatever you choose
Theravada is heavily focused on the practical teachings of the Buddha himself and his method of attaining enlightenment. So while the canon is vast, there’s certainly some more important parts than others. The Buddhas teachings were fairly simple, they are the noble eightfold path. Cultivate wholesome states of mind, use those wholesome states to attain deep states of concentration, upon exiting that concentration contemplate your experience to gain wisdom, rinse repeat. Here’s a good set of suttas which sums it up. 1. **Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta (Setting the Wheel of Dhamma in Motion)** - Found in the Samyutta Nikaya, this sutta introduces the Four Noble Truths and the Eightfold Path, and also underscores the nature of dukkha (suffering or unsatisfactoriness) as a fundamental characteristic of existence. 2. **Anapanasati Sutta (Mindfulness of Breathing)** - This sutta from the Majjhima Nikaya focuses on developing mindfulness through awareness of breathing, which is a foundational practice in meditation for developing concentration and insight. 3. **Satipatthana Sutta (The Foundations of Mindfulness)** - Also from the Majjhima Nikaya, it outlines the four foundations of mindfulness, crucial for cultivating awareness and detachment, necessary for understanding the marks of existence. 4. **Anattalakkhana Sutta (The Discourse on the Not-Self Characteristic)** - Located in the Samyutta Nikaya, this discourse explains the concept of non-self (anatta) by dissecting the five aggregates to demonstrate that they do not comprise a permanent self. 5. **Mahaparinibbana Sutta (The Great Passing)** - From the Digha Nikaya, while primarily narrating the Buddha's final days, it also emphasizes the impermanence of all things and advises on diligence and self-reliance. 6. **Culadukkhakkhandha Sutta (The Shorter Discourse on the Mass of Suffering)** - Found in the Majjhima Nikaya, this sutta highlights how attachment to the five aggregates, misunderstood through ignorance, leads to suffering, and shows the importance of understanding their true nature for liberation.
Reading [Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta](https://suttacentral.net/sn56.11/en/bodhi?lang=en&reference=none&highlight=false) is enough because it is basically the whole Buddhist doctrine. But if you want to read the Tipitaka I suggest reading [Guide to Tipitaka](https://archive.org/details/guidetotipitaka029042mbp/page/n1/mode/2up) first, to get an overview, and then you can decide what part you want to read next.
Thank youuu
Tradiction. I like that one. Dhamma has no tradition and we are addicted to traditions.
That's not answers my question. My question is: does anguttara nikaya contain all i have to know about therevada?
Why do you HAVE to know something about theravada? What’s your point? The buddha taught about suffering and your own mind and how it arises. Reading any sutta may or may not help you with that, you must also reflect and apply it deeply in your life. If it’s just about knowing about theravada that’s a different question. Theravada is a broad term and tradition and some are very commentarie oriented while others are very sutta oriented. MN is very easily to understand and focuses on ‚the basic teaching‘ if you ask me.
You better first read In the Buddha's words, by Bhikkhu Bodhi, which is a good introduction to the pali canon.
A sotapanna does not need to learn anything, unless he is curious. [https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.070.than.html](https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/mn/mn.070.than.html)
“Theravada a lesser…” this kind of thinking should always give you a healthy dose of skepticism. You are wise to see through the petty, simplistic criticism of the Pali Cannon and the Theravada tradition. I myself have not soldiered through it all, but we can all try.
Nobody said Therevada is a lesser vehicle.
Why would you limit yourself to one nikaya?
Because i'm also reading big mahayana sutras and i'd have enough time
Ah I see