Sutta Library

The Discourse on Loving-Kindness (Metta Sutta) is a foundational Buddhist text that teaches the cultivation of unconditional love and compassion toward all beings. This sutta provides practical guidan · Feb 26, 2026

#10snp 1.3KN

The Rhinoceros Horn Sutta (Khaggavisāṇa Sutta)

A collection of verses celebrating the spiritual path of solitude, encouraging practitioners to walk alone like the rhinoceros with its single horn, free from attachments and worldly entanglements. · Feb 22, 2026

#11snp 1.6KN

The Discourse on Downfall (Parābhava Sutta)

An ancient Buddhist text exploring the root causes that lead individuals and societies toward spiritual decay and worldly ruin, offering timeless wisdom on recognizing and avoiding destructive patterns. · Feb 22, 2026

#12snp 1.7KN

The Discourse on Outcasts (Vasala Sutta)

This ancient discourse challenges social hierarchies by exploring how one's actions and character, rather than birth or status, determine who is truly worthy of respect in society. · Feb 22, 2026

#13snp 1.9KN

The Discourse at Hemavata (Hemavata Sutta)

A dialogue between two celestial beings who debate and celebrate the extraordinary qualities and teachings of the Buddha, exploring what truly matters in spiritual practice. · Feb 22, 2026

#14snp 1.10KN

The Discourse to Āḷavaka (Āḷavaka Sutta)

A fierce yaksha spirit confronts the Buddha with challenging questions about life's deepest mysteries, leading to a profound dialogue on wisdom, virtue, and the path to liberation. · Feb 22, 2026

#15snp 2.4KN

The Discourse to Dhammika (Dhammika Sutta)

A foundational Buddhist text outlining ethical guidelines and spiritual practices for householders, showing how lay followers can live virtuously while engaged in worldly responsibilities. · Feb 22, 2026

#16sn 56.11SN

The Setting in Motion of the Wheel of the Dhamma Sutta (Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta)

The Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path—the foundational framework of Buddhist practice. · Feb 15, 2026

Four Noble Truths

#17sn 45.8SN

The Analysis of the Path Sutta (Vibhaṅga Sutta)

The standard canonical definitions of each factor of the Noble Eightfold Path. · Feb 15, 2026

Noble Eightfold Path

#18mn 141MN

The Analysis of the Truths Sutta (Saccavibhaṅga Sutta)

A detailed analysis of each of the Four Noble Truths, especially the truth of suffering. · Feb 15, 2026

Four Noble Truths

#19mn 117MN

The Great Forty Sutta (Mahācattārīsaka Sutta)

The distinction between mundane and noble versions of each path factor. · Feb 15, 2026

Noble Eightfold Path

#20mn 118MN

The Mindfulness of Breathing Sutta (Ānāpānasati Sutta)

The sixteen-step practice of mindfulness of breathing, how these sixteen steps fulfill the four foundations of mindfulness, and how the four foundations of mindfulness fulfill the seven factors of awakening. · Feb 15, 2026

Mindfulness of Breathing

#21sn 12.15SN

The Discourse to Kaccānagotta Sutta (Kaccānagotta Sutta)

The Buddhas teaching on right view and the middle way between the extremes of eternalism (everything exists) and annihilationism (everything does not exist). · Feb 15, 2026

Dependent Arising

#22mn 9MN

Right View Sutta (Sammaditthisutta) (Sammādiṭṭhi Sutta)

The Sammaditthisutta (Right View Sutta) teaches the importance of right view as the foundation of the Noble Eightfold Path. · Feb 19, 2026

#23sn 45.4SN

The Brahmin (Brahmana Sutta)

Sariputta explains the Noble Eightfold Path as the way to Nibbana · Feb 19, 2026

#24sn 45.57SN

Truths (Sacca Sutta)

The Noble Eightfold Path for the direct knowledge of the Four Noble Truths · Feb 19, 2026

#25sn 46.1SN

The Himavanta Sutta (Himavanta Sutta)

Just as the Himalayas support great trees, so virtue supports the development of the seven factors of awakening. · Feb 20, 2026

#26sn 56.1SN

Concentration (Samadhi Sutta)

The Buddha teaches that concentration is essential for truly understanding the Four Noble Truths and achieving liberation. · Feb 26, 2026

#27sn 56.2SN

Seclusion (Patisallana Sutta)

The Buddha explains how understanding the Four Noble Truths leads to seclusion from attachment, hatred, and delusion. · Feb 26, 2026

#28sn 56.20SN

Actual (Tathā Sutta)

You'll discover that the Four Noble Truths aren't philosophical theories or abstract concepts, but actual realities that can be directly experienced and understood. This teaching emphasizes that suffe · Feb 21, 2026

#29an 5.57AN

Subjects for Contemplation (Ṭhāna Sutta)

You'll discover five fundamental truths that the Buddha recommended everyone contemplate regularly: aging, illness, death, separation from loved ones, and personal responsibility for your actions. Thi · Feb 21, 2026

#30an 9.1AN

Self-Awakening (Sambodhi Sutta)

The Buddha describes how a Tathagata awakens to the Four Noble Truths without a teacher, then teaches others the path to enlightenment. · Feb 26, 2026

#31mn 28MN

The Greater Elephant Footprint Simile Sutta (Mahahatthipadopamasuttam) (Mahāhatthipadopama Sutta)

This sutta uses the simile of an elephant's footprint to explain how all wholesome teachings are encompassed within the Four Noble Truths. · Feb 19, 2026

#32mn 30MN

The Shorter Simile of the Heartwood (Cūḷasāropama Sutta)

A teaching story that explores the difference between what appears valuable on the surface and what truly matters at the core, using the metaphor of a tree's heartwood to illuminate life's essential truths. · Feb 22, 2026

#33mn 76MN

The Discourse to Sandaka (Sandaka Sutta)

The Buddha outlines four types of unsatisfactory spiritual teachers and four unsatisfactory ways of life, then presents the noble eightfold path as the supreme spiritual guidance. · Feb 22, 2026

#34dn 8DN

The Great Lion's Roar to Kassapa (Kassapa-Sīhanāda Sutta)

The Buddha explains to the naked ascetic Kassapa that extreme physical austerities do not lead to enlightenment, only the Noble Eightfold Path does. · Feb 26, 2026

#35sn 45.2SN

Half (Upaddha Sutta)

Good friendship is not half but the whole of the spiritual life · Feb 19, 2026

#36dn 31DN

The Advice to Sigālaka Sutta (Sigālovāda Sutta)

The Buddhas comprehensive teaching on lay ethics: the four corrupt deeds to abandon, four biases that lead to harmful action, six ways to deplete wealth, four types of false friends, four types of true friends, how to divide wealth, and the six directions (representing relationships with parents,... · Feb 15, 2026

Lay Life / Householder Practice

#37mn 61MN

Advice to Rahula at Mango Stone Sutta (Ambalatthikarahulovadasuttam) (Ambalaṭṭhikārāhulovāda Sutta)

This sutta teaches the importance of mindfulness in speech, action, and thought. · Feb 19, 2026

#38mn 58MN

To Prince Abhaya (Abhayarajakumarasuttam) (Abhayarājakumāra Sutta)

This sutta teaches the importance of skillful speech and the Buddha's approach to responding to challenging or provocative questions. · Feb 19, 2026

#39sn 1.10SN

The Wilderness (Aranna Sutta)

A deva asks the Buddha about the qualities needed to dwell fearlessly in the wilderness, and he responds with the virtues of a perfected monk. · Feb 26, 2026

#40sn 3.2SN

A Person (Purisa Sutta)

The Buddha explains to King Pasenadi that a person's worth is determined by their conduct and virtue, not by birth or social class. · Feb 26, 2026

#41sn 6.2SN

Reverence (Garava Sutta)

The Buddha explains to Brahma Sahampati why he lives without reverence, as there is no one superior to him in wisdom and virtue. · Feb 26, 2026

#42sn 7.1SN

Dhananjani (Dhananjani Sutta)

A brahmin named Dhananjani questions the Buddha about proper conduct and receives teachings on ethical behavior and spiritual practice. · Feb 26, 2026

#43sn 12.44SN

Householders (Loka Sutta)

The Buddha explains to mendicants how the world arises and ceases through the twelve-fold chain of dependent origination, beginning with sense consciousness and contact leading to suffering. This teac · Feb 26, 2026

#44sn 12.46SN

Householders (Annatara Sutta)

A brahmin questions the Buddha about whether the doer of deeds and the experiencer of results are the same or different persons, and the Buddha explains that both views represent extremes that lead to · Feb 26, 2026

#45sn 22.1SN

Nakula's Father (Nakulapitā Sutta)

This sutta offers the Buddha's compassionate guidance to an elderly householder facing illness and death, teaching how to distinguish between bodily suffering and mental anguish. You'll discover practical wisdom for maintaining inner peace even when the physical body is declining or in pain. · Feb 19, 2026

#46sn 22.22SN

The Burden (Bhāra Sutta)

The Buddha teaches that the five aggregates of clinging (form, sensation, perception, mental formations, consciousness) constitute a burden we carry, while we ourselves are the burden-bearers. This sutta explains how we take up this burden through craving and lay it down by eliminating craving entirely. · Feb 19, 2026

#47sn 22.122SN

A Dhamma speaker (Simsapa Sutta)

In this sutta, Venerable Mahākoṭṭhita asks Venerable Sāriputta what an ethical mendicant should contemplate, receiving instruction on applying mindful attention to the five aggregates and other key Bu · Feb 26, 2026

#48sn 46.3SN

Virtue (Sila Sutta)

Virtue accomplished and hearing the Dhamma lead to the awakening factors · Feb 19, 2026

#49sn 55.1SN

The Cakkavatti Sutta (Cakkavatti Sutta)

The Buddha explains the four factors of stream-entry: confirmed confidence in the Buddha, Dhamma, Sangha, and virtues dear to the noble ones. · Feb 20, 2026

#50sn 55.7SN

The People of Bamboo Gate (Veḷudvāreyya Sutta)

You'll discover how to live ethically as a householder while still enjoying worldly pleasures, using the golden rule as your foundation. The Buddha shows how reflecting on your own desires and aversio · Feb 21, 2026

…