When I first started to practice, I was told that the Buddha's discourses were repetitive and boring, and that I should not bother with them. For years I followed that advice, but eventually I got frustrated at being told what the Buddha said. I really didn't want to hear about it second hand. One year I bought a copy of the Majjhima Nikaya. Life has never been the same since. What I found was that a great deal of what I was being told was wrong, and a great deal was being omitted.
The Majjhima Nikaya is my answer to "the book you would want to have if stranded on a desert island". Of all the Nikayas, this is the one to read (although lately I know that many people start with "In the Buddha's Words", which is Bhikkhu Bodhi's version of "The Buddha's Greatest Hits").
I admit that the canonical literature is not exactly a quick read (!). But I strongly suggest to anyone who is seriously interested in the Buddha's teachings that they take the time and effort and read it for themselves. It is the closest thing we have to the true words of the Buddha, and whatever its faults the canon has been quite carefully preserved for over 2400 years. I took a year to read the Majjhima Nikaya. I read a discourse or two a day. I savored it. And it was worth every moment.
There is some basic misunderstanding about the Pali canon. Many consider the Pali canon to be "Theravada Buddhism", as opposed to "Mahayana Buddhism" (like Zen and Tibetan Buddhism). In the first millennium in India, when India was nominally a Buddhist country, all of the schools of Buddhism studied the same texts. Where the schools diverged was not in their basic source material, but in how they interpreted them, and in what aspects of Buddhist practice they chose to emphasize. To be sure, we also have Chinese versions (the Agamas) and two partial Tibetan versions (the Tengyur and the Kangyur), but they all came from essentially the same original Sanskrit texts. So to characterize the Pali canon as Theravadan is not really accurate. Thus I think a reading of at least the Majjhima Nikaya is worthwhile for any Buddhist, if for no other reason than to see how their own tradition has diverged from the original teachings.
(To be sure, Theravadan Buddhism has evolved from the original teachings almost as much. And that is not in any way to disparage such developments. It is only, I think, useful to know what is original and what came later.)
Bhikkhu Bodhi (who is an American) humbly credits Bhikkhu Nanamoli as a co-author. Bhikkhu Nanamoli was Bhikkhu Bodhi's teacher in Sri Lanka. But I think at this point the work is largely that of Bhikkhu Bodhi's, and a remarkable work it is. He is, I think, clearly the master Pali to English translator of all time. He not only has a masterful grasp of both languages, he is also a master of the subtleties and nuances of the Buddha's teachings. This is the only way one can truly translate not only the literal meaning of the texts, but the substance as well. You will find his footnotes are required reading as you go through the discourses. It's the only way to really make sense of documents that have been preserved across time and vastly different cultures for so many centuries.
(Also note that Bhikkhu Bodhi has given several years of in-depth talks on the Majjhima Nikaya, all of which are available on the Internet.)
The Pali canon is, I believe, the greatest literary treasure in the world. It has been carefully preserved, century after century, by dedicated monastics. As a result we have access to this astonishing tradition. We are profoundly fortunate to be able, with a click of a mouse, to order such a volume from Amazon. When I am reading works like the Majjhima Nikaya, I am often struck by what a privilege it is to have access to such a great gift, and how many hundreds and thousands of people over the centuries were involved in making it available. It is very humbling.
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From the Publisher
The Suttanipāta: An Ancient Collection of the Buddha’s Discourses Together with Its Commentaries
This milestone volume in our bestselling Teachings of the Buddha series translates the Suttanipāta, or “Group of Discourses,” a collection of discourses ascribed to the Buddha that includes some of the most popular suttas of the Pāli canon, among them the Discourse on Loving-Kindness. The suttas are primarily in verse, though several are in mixed prose and verse, and the commentary, the Paramatthajotikā, relates the background story to each sutta and explains each verse in detail.
Translator Bhikkhu Bodhi provides an insightful, in-depth introduction, a guide to the individual suttas, extensive notes, a list of parallels to the discourses of the Suttanipāta, and a list of the numerical sets mentioned in the commentaries.
Discover the Bestselling series The Teachings of the Buddha
The Definitive Translation of the Pāli Canon
To ensure that the Buddha’s legacy would survive the ravages of time, his direct disciples compiled records of his teachings soon after his passing. In the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, which prevails in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, these records are regarded as the definitive “word of the Buddha.” Preserved in Pāli, an ancient Indian language closely related to the language that the Buddha spoke, this full compilation of texts is known as the Pāli Canon.
At the heart of the Buddha’s teaching were the suttas (Sanskrit sūtras), his discourses and dialogues. The suttas were compiled into collections called “Nikāyas,” of which there are four, each organized according to a different principle. The Dīgha Nikāya consists of longer discourses; the Majjhima Nikāya of middle-length discourses; the Saṃyutta Nikāya of thematically connected discourses; and the Aṅguttara Nikāya of numerically patterned discourses.
Bhikkhu Bodhi’s newest anthology
The renowned translator Bhikkhu Bodhi has crafted this anthology of suttas from the Samyutta Nikaya to enable students of Early Buddhism to penetrate into the heart of the Buddha’s teachings on the four noble truths and the eightfold path as directly and clearly as possible. The aim is to attain direct insight into foundational Buddhist teachings on liberation.
The Definitive Introduction to the Buddha's Teachings, In His Own Words
The American scholar-monk Bhikkhu Bodhi, whose voluminous translations have won widespread acclaim, here presents selected discourses of the Buddha from the Pali canon, the earliest record of what the Buddha taught. Divided into ten thematic chapters, In the Buddha’s Words reveals the full scope of the Buddha’s discourses, from family life and marriage to renunciation and the path of insight. A concise, informative introduction precedes each chapter, guiding the reader toward a deeper understanding of the texts that follow.
Offers a Complete Translation of the Digha Nikaya, the Long Discourses of the Buddha
This collection—among the oldest records of the historical Buddha’s original teachings, given in India two and a half thousand years ago—consists of thirty-four longer-length suttas, or discourses, distinguished as such from the middle-length and shorter suttas of the other collections.
These suttas reveal the gentleness, compassion, power, and penetrating wisdom of the Buddha. Included are teachings on mindfulness (Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta); on morality, concentration, and wisdom (Subha Sutta); on dependent origination (Mahānidrāna Sutta); on the roots and causes of wrong views (Brahmajāla Sutta); and a long description of the Buddha’s last days and passing away (Mahāparinibbāna Sutta); along with a wealth of practical advice and insight for all those travelling along the spiritual path.
Discover The Original Teachings of the Buddha in this Thorough Translation of Some of the Oldest Buddhist Texts in the World
Like the River Ganges flowing down from the Himalayas, the entire Buddhist tradition flows down to us from the teachings and deeds of the historical Buddha, who lived and taught in India during the fifth century B.C.E. To ensure that his legacy would survive the ravages of time, his direct disciples compiled records of the Buddha’s teachings soon after his passing. In the Theravāda Buddhist tradition, which prevails in Sri Lanka and Southeast Asia, these records are regarded as the definitive “word of the Buddha.” Preserved in Pāli, an ancient Indian language closely related to the language that the Buddha spoke, this full compilation of texts is known as the Pāli Canon.
Beautiful and useful translation of the Buddha’s teachings
This is a book to read and save her slowly, to meditate on, come back to year after year. Anyone who practices Buddhism is encouraged to immerse themselves in the Pali canon. As a Mahayana practitioner, I am struck by the fact that they’re truly is no conflict between the Theravada and Mahayana paths and teaching. And it is wonderful to feel so close to Buddha by reading the teaching he gave during his lifetime. Some reviews of these books have complained that these translations don’t retain All of the constant repetitions in the original text. But the translation makes it clear where those repetitions should be found with ellipses, And the reader is given what they need to fill in the blanks and Make the repetition themselves. This is a wonderful, amazing, holy book.
Top reviews from the United States
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- Reviewed in the United States on April 4, 2019
- Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2023
This is a book to read and save her slowly, to meditate on, come back to year after year. Anyone who practices Buddhism is encouraged to immerse themselves in the Pali canon. As a Mahayana practitioner, I am struck by the fact that they’re truly is no conflict between the Theravada and Mahayana paths and teaching. And it is wonderful to feel so close to Buddha by reading the teaching he gave during his lifetime. Some reviews of these books have complained that these translations don’t retain All of the constant repetitions in the original text. But the translation makes it clear where those repetitions should be found with ellipses, And the reader is given what they need to fill in the blanks and Make the repetition themselves. This is a wonderful, amazing, holy book.
Beautiful and useful translation of the Buddha’s teachings
Reviewed in the United States on June 27, 2023
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- Reviewed in the United States on February 29, 2020
Top reviews from other countries
- Jayant JainReviewed in India on March 26, 2023
One of the most precious sacred texts on planet
- Leonard LimReviewed in Singapore on December 16, 2021
An important publication for knowledge and/or cultivation. Highly Recommended!
My preliminary text in Buddhist studies is "The Buddha and His Teachings" by the late Ven. Narada Maha Thera, which is still my beloved book today. But I had also begun to look into studying the "actual content" of the Sutta Pitaka. There are now many available English translations of the Nikayas from the Sutta Pitaka, including many free sources on the Internet, e.g. Ṭhānissaro Bhikkhu's dhammatalks.org, which I refer to frequently with gratitude.Leonard LimAn important publication for knowledge and/or cultivation. Highly Recommended!
Reviewed in Singapore on December 16, 2021
However, reading a book offline has its advantages. Apart from having some "screen-off" times, which shields me from the computer screen glares and blue light, it gives a different reading experience. Reading a book, especially a text such as a translation of the Nikayas can serve the purpose of quiet contemplation and even meditation. The ability to flip to the footnotes to check out the commentaries on difficult terms after each Sutta's first read also helps me quite a bit.
The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha, with its structured but manageable length of each Sutta, is a near perfect book for daily Sutta reading and practice; for busy people, it can fill the role of "A-Sutta-A-Day" to prevent us from falling into sloth and torpor.
I was initially concerned if Book Depository was able to ship the thick and heavy book to me unscathed as it travels thousands of miles (or km) over oceans and land from the UK to Singapore. But the book reached me within 11 calendar days in 99% perfect condition; some minor dents on the dust cover are non-issue. After all, all conditioned things are impermanent, subject to change and unsatisfactory. Time to do my A-Sutta-A-Day practice!
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