Digha Nikaya
From Buddhist Encyclopedia
Three Jewels
Buddha . Dharma . Sangha
Three Dharma Seals
Anicca . Dukkha . Anatta
Karma . Rebirth
Samsara . Nirvana
Four Noble Truths
Seven Sets
Four Frames of Reference
Four Right Exertions
Four Bases of Power
Five Faculties
Five Strengths
Seven Factors of Awakening
Noble Eightfold Path
Bodhisattva
Four Great Vows
Ten Great Vows
- This article is a general introduction to the Digha Nikaya. Please see List of Digha Nikaya suttas for a lists of suttas in Digha Nikaya.
The Digha Nikaya ("Collection of Long Discourses") is the first of the five nikayas, or collections, in the Sutta Pitaka, which is one of the "three baskets" that compose the Pali Tipitaka. Some of the most commonly referenced suttas from the Digha Nikaya include the Maha-parinibbana Sutta (DN 16), which described the final days and death of the Buddha, the Sigalovada Sutta (DN 31) in which the Buddha discusses ethics and practices for lay followers, and the Samaññaphala (DN 2), Brahmajala Sutta (DN 1) which describes and compares the point-of-view of Buddha and other ascetics in India about the universe and time (past, present, and future); and Potthapada (DN 9) Suttas, which describe the benefits and practice of samatha meditation.
A similar collection, apparently translated from an earlier version in another Indian dialect, appears in the Chinese Buddhist canon. This is known as the Dīrghāgama or Cháng Ahánjīng (長阿含經), names which mean "the long agama".
Divisions
The Digha Nikaya consists of 34 discourses, broken into three groups:
- Silakkhandha Vagga (Section concerning Morality) has 13 suttas.
- Maha Vagga (The Large Section) has 10 suttas.
- Patika Vagga (The Patika Section) has 11 suttas.
External links
- [http://www.metta.lk/tipitaka/2Sutta-Pitaka/1Digha-Nikaya/index.html Digha Nikaya in english at metta.lk
- A Study of the Digha Nikaya of the Suttapitaka
- Digha Nikaya in English at accesstoinsight.org
For a free listing of all the suttas (Alpha by sutta title): *[1]
References
- Walshe, Maurice (trans.), The Long Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Digha Nikaya, Somerville: Wisdom Publications. ISBN 0-86171-103-3.
