2.5(c). Majjhima Nikāya (The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha)

The Majjhima Nikāya is the second Collection of the Buddha’s discourses found in the Sutta Pitaka of the Pāli Canon. The Majjhima Nikāya consists of one hundred and fifty-two Suttas. These are divided into three parts called paṇṇasa ‘Sets of Fifty’ or ‘Book containing fifty Suttas’, though the last set actually contains fifty-two Suttas. The first book, Mūlapaṇṇāsa, deals with the first fifty Suttas in five Vaggas, the second book, Majjhimapaṇṇāsa, consists of the second fifty Suttas in five vaggas; and the third book, Uparipaṇṇāsa, consists of the last fifty-two Suttas in five vaggas. Within each vagga ‘chapters/divisions’ the Suttas are further grouped into ten Suttas, and the next to the last division containing twelve Suttas. The names assigned to these divisions are often derived solely from the titles of their opening Sutta, and thus are scarcely indicative of the material found within the divisions themselves. A partial exception is the Middle Fifty, where the division titles usually refer to the principal type of interlocutor or key figure in each of the Suttas they contain. Even then the connection between the title and the contents is sometimes tenuous. The entire system of classification appears to have been devised more for the purpose of convenience than because of any essential homogeneity of subject matter in the Suttas comprised under a single division.

The one hundred and fifty-two Suttas of the Majjhima Nikāya are presented orderly in the three paṇṇasas ‘divisions’ with five vaggas containing ten Suttas in each.

1. Mūlapaṇṇāsapāḷi ‘Root Fifty Discourses’

1.1. Mūlapariyāya Vagga ‘The Division of the Discourse on the Root’

1. Mūlapariyāya Sutta -The Root of All Things
2. Sabbāsava Sutta -All the Taints
3. Dhammadāyāda Sutta -Heirs in Dhamma
4. Bhayabherava Sutta -Fear and Dread
5. Anangaṇa Sutta -Without Blemishes
6. Ākankheyya Sutta -If a Bhikkhu Should Wish
7. Vatthūpama Sutta -The Simile of the Cloth
8. Sallekha Sutta -Effacement
9. Sammādiṭṭhi Sutta -Right View
10. Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta -The Foundations of Mindfulness

1.2. Sīhanāda Vagga ‘The Division of the Lion’s Roar’

11. Cūḷasīhanāda Sutta -The Shorter Discourse on the Lion’s Roar
12. Mahāsīhanāda Sutta -The Greater Discourse on the Lion’s Roar
13. Mahādukkhakkhandha Sutta -The Greater Discourse on the Mass of Suffering
14. Cūḷadukkhakkhandha Sutta -The Shorter Discourse on the Mass of Suffering
15. Anumāna Sutta -Inference
16. Cetokhila Sutta -The Wilderness in the Heart
17. Vanapattha Sutta -Jungle Thickets
18. Madhupiṇḍika Sutta -The Honeyball
19. Dvedhāvitakka Sutta -Two Kinds of Thought
20. Vitakkasaṇṭhāna Sutta -The Removal of Distracting Thoughts

1.3. Opamma Vagga ‘The Division of Simile’

21. Kakacūpama Sutta -The Simile of the Saw
22. Alagaddūpama Sutta -The Simile of the Snake
23. Vammika Sutta -The Ant-hill
24. Rathavinīta Sutta -The Relay Chariots
25. Nivāpa Sutta -The Bait
26. Ariyapariyesanā Sutta -The Noble Search
27. Cūḷahatthipadopama Sutta -The Shorter Discourse on the Simile of the Elephant’s Footprint
28. Mahāhatthipadopama Sutta -The Greater Discourse on the Simile of the Elephant’s Footprint
29. Mahāsāropama Sutta -The Greater Discourse on the Simile of the Heartwood
30. Cūḷasāropama Sutta -The Shorter Discourse on the Simile of the Heartwood

1.4. Mahāyamaka Vagga ‘The Great Division of Pairs’

31. Cūḷagosinga Sutta -The Shorter Discourse in Gosinga
32. Mahāgosinga Sutta -The Greater Discourse in Gosinga
33. Mahāgopālaka Sutta -The Greater Discourse on the Cowherd
34. Cūḷagopālaka Sutta -The Shorter Discourse on the Cowherd
35. Cūḷasaccaka Sutta -The Shorter Discourse to Saccaka
36. Mahāsaccaka Sutta -The Greater Discourse to Saccaka
37. Cūḷataṇhāsankhaya Sutta -The Shorter Discourse on the Destruction of Craving
38. Mahātaṇhāsankhaya Sutta -The Greater Discourse on the Destruction of Craving
39. Mahā-Assapura Sutta -The Greater Discourse at Assapura
40. Cūḷa-Assapura Sutta -The Shorter Discourse at Assapura

1.5. Cūḷayamakavagga ‘The Shorter Division of Pairs’

41. Sāleyyaka Sutta -The Brahmins of Sālā
42. Verañjaka Sutta -The Brahmins of Verañja
43. Mahāvedalla Sutta -The Greater Series of Questions and Answers
44. Cūḷavedalla Sutta -The Shorter Series of Questions and Answers
45. Cūḷadhammasamādāna Sutta -The Shorter Discourse on Ways of Undertaking Things
46. Mahādhammasamādāna Sutta -The Greater Discourse on Ways of Undertaking Things
47. Vīmaṃsaka Sutta -The Inquirer
48. Kosambiya Sutta -The Kosambians
49. Brahmanimantanika Sutta -The Invitation of a Brahmā
50. Māratajjanīya Sutta -The Rebuke to Māra

2. Majjhimapaṇṇāsapāḷi ‘The Middle Fifty Discourses’

2.1. Gahapati Vagga ‘The Division on Householders’

51. Kandaraka Sutta -To Kandaraka
52. Aṭṭhakanāgara Sutta -The Man from Aṭṭhakanāgara
53. Sekha Sutta -The Disciple in Higher Training
54. Potaliya Sutta -To Potaliya
55. Jīvaka Sutta -To Jīvaka
56. Upāli Sutta -To Upāli
57. Kukkuravatika Sutta -The Dog-Duty Ascetic
58. Abhayarājakumāra Sutta -To Prince Abhaya
59. Bahuvedanīya Sutta -The Many Kinds of Feeling
60. Apaṇṇaka Sutta -The Incontrovertible Teaching

2.2. Bhikkhus Vagga ‘The Division on Bhikkhus’

61. Ambalaṭṭhikārāhulovāda Sutta -Advice to Rāhula at Ambalaṭṭhikā
62. Mahārāhulovāda Sutta -The Greater Discourse of Advice to Rāhula
63. Cūḷamālunkya Sutta -The Shorter Discourse to Mālunkyāputta
64. Mahāmālunkya Sutta -The Greater Discourse to Mālunkyāputta
65. Bhaddāli Sutta -To Bhaddāli
66. Laṭukikopama Sutta -The Simile of the Quail
67. Cātumā Sutta -At Cātumā
68. Naḷakapāna Sutta -At Naḷakapāna
69. Gulissāni Sutta -Gulissāni
70. Kīṭāgiri Sutta -At Kīṭāgiri

2.3. Paribbājaka Vagga ‘The Division on Wanderers’

71. Tevijjavacchagotta Sutta -To Vacchagotta on the Threefold True Knowledge
72. Aggivacchagotta Sutta -To Vacchagotta on Fire
73. Mahāvacchagotta Sutta -The Greater Discourse to Vacchagotta
74. Dīghanakha Sutta -To Dīghanakha
75. Māgandiya Sutta -To Māgandiya
76. Sandaka Sutta -To Sandaka
77. Mahāsakuludāyi Sutta -The Greater Discourse to Sakuludāyin
78. Samaṇamaṇḍikā Sutta -Samaṇamaṇḍikāputta
79. Cūḷasakuludāyi Sutta -The Shorter Discourse to Sakuludāyin
80. Vekhanassa Sutta -To Vekhanassa

2.4. Rāja Vagga ‘The Division of Kings’

81. Ghaṭīkāra Sutta -Ghaṭīkāra the Potter
82. Raṭṭhapāla Sutta -On Raṭṭhapāla
83. Makhādeva Sutta -King Makhādeva
84. Madhurā Sutta -At Madhurā
85. Bodhirājakumāra Sutta -To Prince Bodhi
86. Angulimāla Sutta -On Angulimāla
87. Piyajātika Sutta -Born from Those Who Are Dear
88. Bāhitika Sutta -The Cloak
89. Dhammacetiya Sutta -Monuments to the Dhamma
90. Kaṇṇakatthala Sutta -At Kaṇṇakatthala

2.5. Brāhmaṇa Vagga ‘The Division on Brahmins’

91. Brahmāyu Sutta -Brahmāyu
92. Sela Sutta -To Sela
93. Assalāyana Sutta -To Assalāyana
94. Ghoṭamukha Sutta -To Ghoṭamukha
95. Cankī Sutta -With Cankī
96. Esukārī Sutta -To Esukārī
97. Dhānañjāni Sutta -To Dhānañjāni
98. Vāseṭṭha Sutta -To Vāseṭṭha
99. Subha Sutta -To Subha
100. Sangārava Sutta -To Sangārava

3. Uparipaṇṇāsapāḷi ‘The Final Fifty Discourses’

3.1. Devadaha Vagga ‘The Division at Devadaha’

101. Devadaha Sutta -At Devadaha
102. Pañcattaya Sutta -The Five and Three
103. Kinti Sutta -What Do You Think About Me?
104. Sāmagāma Sutta -At Sāmagāma
105. Sunakkhatta Sutta -To Sunakkhatta
106. Āneñjasappāya Sutta -The Way to the Imperturbable
107. Gaṇakamoggallāna Sutta -To Gaṇaka Moggallāna
108. Gopakamoggallāna Sutta -With Gopaka Moggallāna
109. Mahāpuṇṇama Sutta -The Greater Discourse on the Full-Moon Night
110. Cūḷapuṇṇama Sutta -The Shorter Discourse on the Full-Moon Night

3.2. Anupada Vagga ‘The Division of One by One’

111. Anupada Sutta -One by One As They Occurred
112. Chabbisodhana Sutta -The Sixfold Purity
113. Sappurisa Sutta -The True Man
114. Sevitabbāsevitabba Sutta -To Be Cultivated and Not to Be Cultivated
115. Bahudhātuka Sutta -The Many Kinds of Elements
116. Isigili Sutta -Isigili: The Gullet of the Seers
117. Mahācattārı̄saka Sutta -The Great Forty
118. Ānāpānasati Sutta -Mindfulness of Breathing
119. Kāyagatāsati Sutta -Mindfulness of the Body
120. Sankhārupapatti Sutta -Reappearance by Aspiration

3.3. Suññata Vagga ‘The Division on Voidness’

121. Cūḷasuññata Sutta -The Shorter Discourse on Voidness
122. Mahāsuññata Sutta -The Greater Discourse on Voidness
123. Acchariya-abbhūta Sutta -Wonderful and Marvellous
124. Bakkula Sutta -Bakkula
125. Dantabhūmi Sutta -The Grade of the Tamed
126. Bhūmija Sutta -Bhūmija
127. Anuruddha Sutta -Anuruddha
128. Upakkilesa Sutta -Imperfections
129. Bālapaṇḍita Sutta -Fools and Wise Men
130. Devadūta Sutta -The Divine Messengers

3.4. Vibhaṅga Vagga ‘The Division of Expositions’

131. Bhaddekaratta Sutta -A Single Excellent Night
132. Ānandabhaddekaratta Sutta -Ānanda and A Single Excellent Night
133. Mahākaccānabhaddekaratta Sutta -Mahā Kaccāna and A Single Excellent Night
134. Lomasakangiyabhaddekaratta Sutta -Lomasakangiya and A Single Excellent Night
135. Cūḷakammavibhanga Sutta -The Shorter Exposition of Action
136. Mahākammavibhanga Sutta -The Greater Exposition of Action
137. Saḷāyatanavibhanga Sutta -The Exposition of the Sixfold Base
138. Uddesavibhanga Sutta -The Exposition of a Summary
139. Araṇavibhanga Sutta -The Exposition of Non-Conflict
140. Dhātuvibhanga Sutta -The Exposition of the Elements
141. Saccavibhanga Sutta -The Exposition of the Truths
142. Dakkhiṇāvibhanga Sutta -The Exposition of Offerings

3.5. Vibhaṅga Vagga ‘The Division of Expositions’

143. Anāthapiṇḍikovāda Sutta -Advice to Anāthapiṇḍika
144. Channovāda Sutta -Advice to Channa
145. Puṇṇovāda Sutta -Advice to Puṇṇa
146. Nandakovāda Sutta -Advice from Nandaka
147. Cūḷarāhulovāda Sutta -The Shorter Discourse of Advice to Rāhula
148. Chachakka Sutta -The Six Sets of Six
149. Mahāsaḷāyatanika Sutta -The Great Sixfold Base
150. Nagaravindeyya Sutta -To the Nagaravindans
151. Piṇḍapātapārisuddhi Sutta -The Purification of Almsfood
152. Indriyabhāvanā Sutta -The Development of the Faculties