The Sutta Piṭaka contains the Buddha’s discourses (suttas) and some by his leading disciples. It is the part of the canon most people read, and it is arranged in five collections called Nikāyas.
- Dīgha Nikāya — the long discourses (34 suttas).
- Majjhima Nikāya — the middle-length discourses (152 suttas).
- Saṃyutta Nikāya — the connected discourses, grouped by theme.
- Aṅguttara Nikāya — the numerical discourses, grouped from ones to elevens.
- Khuddaka Nikāya — the minor collection, including the Dhammapada, Udāna, Itivuttaka, Sutta Nipāta, Theragāthā, Therīgāthā and the Jātaka stories.
Where to start
Many readers begin with the Dhammapada, a collection of short verses, and with well-known discourses such as the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta (the first sermon), the Mettā Sutta and the Kālāma Sutta. You can find summaries of these in our Sutta section.