Suttapitaka

The Suttapitaka ( Pali Sutta Pitaka ), the Basket of Discourses, a collection of dialogues and lectures teaching of the Buddha. Sometimes seen as the most important part of the "three basket" basket of discourses is taken as representative for the entire Pali Canon.

Sutta ( Pali ) or Sutra ( Sanskrit ) literally means "thread". As part of the oral tradition of the Buddhist tradition, the term refers to an imaginary " red thread ", a specific topic of an educational lecture or dialogue.

In Suttapitaka the dialogues and teaching lectures in five different collections ( Nikāyas ) are grouped, some according to their length, others according to their themes or the number of treated things:

The longer of the collection ( Dīgha Nikāya )

Main article: Digha Nikaya

The longer suttas contain a total of 34 speeches, including for example the Mahasatipatthana Sutta, which forms the basis for meditation Mindfulness and the Mahaparinibbana Sutta, in the last months of the Buddha are described prior to his death and his cremation.

The Middle Collection ( Majjhima Nikāya )

Main article: Majjhima Nikaya

The collection of medium length discourses includes a total of 152 suttas, arranged in 15 parts ( books). Herein are such well-known suttas, such as the Satipatthana Sutta (MN 10: on the foundations of mindfulness ) or the Anapanasati Sutta (MN 118: about mindfulness with breathing )

The Grouped Collection ( Samyutta Nikāya )

Main article: Samyutta Nikaya

This collection contains a total of 2889 suttas grouped into five Vaggas (sections). Each Vagga is divided into Samyuttas (chapters) which contain by Theme parent, mostly shorter suttas.

The appropriateness Filed Collection ( Anguttara Nikāya )

Main article: Anguttara Nikaya

The collection of Affiliations contains several thousand short suttas in eleven Nipata ( books) are summarized.

Each book deals with a corresponding number of topics. The two- book, for example, contains suttas dealing with pairs of subjects, such as two kinds of happiness, or the Sutta about the two people you " reward the good hard " can (its parent ). The Suttas from the three - book deal with "triple - things", such as The Three motives for good, or Three kinds of speech.

The Smaller / Shorter Collection ( Khuddaka Nikāya )

Main article: Khuddaka Nikaya

A collection of 15 short " books " on various topics, presented by the Buddha or his main disciples.