Majjhima Nikāya
The Middle-Length Discourses — the core teachings, in narrative discourses.
The discourses
111 texts
MN 143 · The Exhortation to Anāthapiṇḍika (Anāthapiṇḍikovāda Sutta)
BuddhismSutta PiṭakaTextIndianThe BuddhaṬhānissaro BhikkhuMajjhima NikāyaVersePaliEarly BuddhistLibrary
Sāriputta's deathbed instruction to the dying Anāthapiṇḍika on releasing all clinging to the senses, elements, and aggregates, even to the Dhamma itself.
BuddhismSutta PiṭakaTextIndianThe BuddhaṬhānissaro BhikkhuMajjhima NikāyaVersePaliEarly BuddhistLibrary
MN 146 · Nandaka’s Exhortation (Nandakovāda Sutta)
BuddhismSutta PiṭakaTextIndianThe BuddhaṬhānissaro BhikkhuMajjhima NikāyaDiscoursePaliEarly BuddhistLibrary
Nandaka's teaching to five hundred nuns on the impermanence of the six senses and the seven factors of awakening.
BuddhismSutta PiṭakaTextIndianThe BuddhaṬhānissaro BhikkhuMajjhima NikāyaDiscoursePaliEarly BuddhistLibrary
MN 147 · The Shorter Exhortation to Rāhula (Cūḷa Rāhulovāda Sutta)
BuddhismSutta PiṭakaTextIndianThe BuddhaṬhānissaro BhikkhuMajjhima NikāyaDiscoursePaliEarly BuddhistLibrary
The Buddha's guidance leading Rāhula to full awakening by showing that the aggregates and six sense bases are all impermanent and not-self.
BuddhismSutta PiṭakaTextIndianThe BuddhaṬhānissaro BhikkhuMajjhima NikāyaDiscoursePaliEarly BuddhistLibrary
MN 148 · The Six Sextets (Chachakka Sutta)
BuddhismSutta PiṭakaTextIndianThe BuddhaṬhānissaro BhikkhuMajjhima NikāyaDiscoursePaliEarly BuddhistLibrary
The six sextets—internal and external sense media, the six consciousnesses, contacts, feelings, and cravings—analyzed to uproot the view of self.
BuddhismSutta PiṭakaTextIndianThe BuddhaṬhānissaro BhikkhuMajjhima NikāyaDiscoursePaliEarly BuddhistLibrary
MN 149 · The Great Six Sense-Media Discourse (Mahā Saḷāyatanika Sutta)
BuddhismSutta PiṭakaTextIndianThe BuddhaṬhānissaro BhikkhuMajjhima NikāyaDiscoursePaliEarly BuddhistLibrary
How not knowing the six senses as they truly are breeds clinging and suffering, while knowing them fosters dispassion and release via the eightfold path.
BuddhismSutta PiṭakaTextIndianThe BuddhaṬhānissaro BhikkhuMajjhima NikāyaDiscoursePaliEarly BuddhistLibrary
MN 151 · The Purification of Almsfood (Piṇḍapātapārisuddhi Sutta)
BuddhismSutta PiṭakaTextIndianThe BuddhaṬhānissaro BhikkhuMajjhima NikāyaVersePaliEarly BuddhistLibrary
Sāriputta's method of repeatedly examining one's own mind while eating almsfood, purifying conduct through the framework of the four noble truths.
BuddhismSutta PiṭakaTextIndianThe BuddhaṬhānissaro BhikkhuMajjhima NikāyaVersePaliEarly BuddhistLibrary
MN 152 · The Development of the Faculties (Indriya-bhāvanā Sutta)
BuddhismSutta PiṭakaTextIndianThe BuddhaṬhānissaro BhikkhuMajjhima NikāyaDiscoursePaliEarly BuddhistLibrary
True development of the senses—equanimous awareness amid the pleasant and unpleasant—contrasted with a brahman's teaching of simply not seeing or hearing.
BuddhismSutta PiṭakaTextIndianThe BuddhaṬhānissaro BhikkhuMajjhima NikāyaDiscoursePaliEarly BuddhistLibrary
MN 8 · The Discourse on Effacement (Sallekha Sutta)
BuddhismSutta PiṭakaTextIndianThe BuddhaNyanaponika TheraMajjhima NikāyaDiscourseEnglishEarly BuddhistLibrary
Right view as 'not mine, not I, not my self,' and cultivating wholesome qualities to efface conceit, wrong views, and defilements.
BuddhismSutta PiṭakaTextIndianThe BuddhaNyanaponika TheraMajjhima NikāyaDiscourseEnglishEarly BuddhistLibrary
MN 34 · The Shorter Discourse on the Cowherd (excerpt) (Culagopalika Sutta)
BuddhismSutta PiṭakaTextIndianThe BuddhaAndrew OlendzkiMajjhima NikāyaDiscourseEnglishEarly BuddhistLibrary
A foolish cowherd who drowns his cattle crossing a river, versus a skilled one, symbolizing teachers who safely guide followers to Nibbana.
BuddhismSutta PiṭakaTextIndianThe BuddhaAndrew OlendzkiMajjhima NikāyaDiscourseEnglishEarly BuddhistLibrary
MN 57 · The Dog-duty Ascetic (Kukkuravatika Sutta)
BuddhismSutta PiṭakaTextIndianThe BuddhaÑanamoli TheraMajjhima NikāyaDiscourseEnglishEarly BuddhistLibrary
Ascetics who imitate dogs and cattle seeking liberation, and the Buddha's classification of kamma into dark, bright, and mixed results.
BuddhismSutta PiṭakaTextIndianThe BuddhaÑanamoli TheraMajjhima NikāyaDiscourseEnglishEarly BuddhistLibrary
MN 116 · The Discourse at Isigili (Isigili Sutta)
BuddhismSutta PiṭakaTextIndianThe BuddhaPiyadassi TheraMajjhima NikāyaDiscourseEnglishEarly BuddhistLibrary
The mountain Isigili and the many paccekabuddhas (silent buddhas) who once dwelt there, whom the Buddha names and honors.
BuddhismSutta PiṭakaTextIndianThe BuddhaPiyadassi TheraMajjhima NikāyaDiscourseEnglishEarly BuddhistLibrary