Samyutta Nikaya, translated by Bhikkhu Bodhi, Wisdom Publications
With 2889 suttas, the Samyutta Nikaya is a bit daunting, not only to read, but to try to come up with a way to study this wonderful mass of material. The suttas are divided into 56 books, with all the suttas in a book covering the same topic. Some of the topics are much more interesting than others, many contain much repetition. My personal favorite books are 12, 22, 35; reading these in their entirety would certainly make a good starting point.
What follows is a list, with perhaps a single line of notes, for the suttas I found the most interesting and helpful:
1:1 | "When I struggled, I was whirled about. When I stopped, I sank. And so I crossed over the flood without struggling, without stopping." |
1:23&27 | Both describe Nibbana: Where name-and-form cease without remainder (cf DN 11, MN 49 & SN 7:6) |
2:17 | Release from fear |
2:26 | You cannot travel to the end of the world; this fathom long carcass, endowed with perception and mind, is the world |
3:4 | All you own is your karmic resultants: "the merits and evil done, this is what is truly ones own." |
3:8 | "Each person holds oneself most dear." |
3:17 | The importance of diligence |
3:25 | 4 mountains come from the 4 directions crusing all in their paths - i.e. aging and death are coming |
5:1-10 | All the nuns' verses are interesting; includes Kisagotami, Sariputta's 3 sisters, and Vajira's not-self simile of the chariot |
6:1 | Brahma Sahampati requests that the Buddha teach the Dhamma |
7:2 | The Buddha cleverly deals with another's anger |
7:6 | Again describing Nibbana as where name-and-form cease without remainder (cf SN 1:23 & 27 above) |
8.4 | Verses on extinguishing lust |
8.5 | Altho the prose is uninteresting, Ven. Vangisa's 4 verses on Right Speech are quite good |
10:8 | How Anathapindika first met the Buddha |
12:2 | Details of Dependent Origination |
12:10 | Dependent Origination and Enlightenment (12 links) |
12:15 | Dependent Origination is Right View; also this is a very important teaching by the Buddha on Emptiness and the Middle Way. |
12:17 | Kassapa learns that dukkha arises via Dependent Origination |
12:23 | Transcendental Dependent Origination |
12:38-40 | Volition and Dependent Origination |
12:43 | Dukkha and Dependent Origination |
12:46 | Kharma and Dependent Origination |
12:51 | Thorough Investigation |
12:61 | Body as self is easier to overcome than Mind as self; monkey mind simile |
12:64 | At the end is the important simile (the house with no western wall) for consciousness not becoming established when there is no lust for nutriment |
12:65 | The Ancient City - very important (10 links) |
12:66 | Inward Exploration - Contains a simple (early?) formulation of Dependent Origination which is clearer & easier to understand than the 10 or 12 element formulations |
12:67 | The simile of the 2 sheaves leaning against each other as an explaination of how consciousness & mind-and-body are mutually dependent |
12:70 | Dependent Origination and the irrelevance of the magical powers |
15:5,6 | The length of an Eon |
15:7,8 | The number of Eons that have passed |
15:10 | The Heap of Bones |
15:14-19 | All beings have been your mother, father, brother, sister, son, daughter |
16:1-13 | The 13 suttas of the Maha Kassapa samyutta paints a vivid picture of this great disciple of the Buddha |
16:3 | The attitude to have when teaching the Dhamma |
16:11 | Mahakassapa's Enlightenment |
16:13 | Factors that bring about the Decline of the True Damma |
20:2 | Precious Human Birth: "Few are beings reborn among humans. Far more are those reborn elsewhere." |
20:7 | When the True Dhamma is replaced by mere poetry |
21:1 | The 2nd Jhana is Noble Silence since it is without thinking and examining. Makes the commentarial definition of vitakka and vicara as initial and sustained attention rather suspect |
22:1 | |
22:2 | |
22:5 | Aggregates and Dependent Origination |
22:7-8 | Aggregates and Dependent Origination |
22:26 | Enlightenment and the Aggregates |
22:27-29 | more on gratification |
22:37-38 | Aggregates and Arising & Ceasing |
22:43 | How to be an Island |
22:53 | |
22:55 | "It might not be" |
22:56 | |
22:57 | Definition of Aggregates |
22:59 | The 2nd Discourse: Not Self |
22:60 | |
22:79 | Definitions plus Examples |
22:80 | |
22:81 | 37 Factors of Enlightenment plus View of Self |
22:82 | |
22:88 | Insight, rather than Concentration, is what matters |
22:89 | The conceit "I am" lingers for the non-returner like the scent of a flower ligners |
22:90 | About Channa (Prince Siddhartha's charioteer) |
22:94 | See 12:15 |
22:95 | Emptiness - Form is like a glob of foam; feeling, a water bubble; perception, a mirage; mental formations, a banana tree; consciousness, a magic trick |
22:99 | The impermanence of the world; the dog tied to the post, running around and around (the 5 aggregates). See also 22:100 |
22:101 | Practice! 37 Factors of Enlightenment; similes of The Hen, The Adze Handle, The Ship's Rigging |
22:102 | Arising & Ceasing and How it Works |
35:28 | The 3rd Discourse: The Fire Sermon |
35:93 | "The Dyad" 6+5 |
35:95 | Guarding the Senses Explained |
35:96 | Decline |
35:97 | Guarding the Senses [35:98 = 35:96+35:07] |
35:127 | The Morality Aspects of Training |
35:134 | Guarding the Senses and its Effects |
35:160 | Concentration |
35:229 | The Ocean |
35:230 | Mara's Bait (Fisherman) |
35:231 | Milktree Sap |
35:232 | The Eye is not a Fetter; A Form is not a Fetter |
35:234 | Consciousness is Not Self |
35:243 | |
35:244 | |
35:245 | Different Ways of Practice |
35:247 | The Simile of the 6 Animals |
36:3 | Definition of Vedana |
36:6 | The 2 Arrows |
36:15 | Vedana Details |
36:16-18 | About Vedana |
36:19 | Jhanas and more sublime feelings |
36:21 | Kharma and present circumstances cause current Vedana |
36:23-26 | About Vedana |
36:31 | Worldly & Unworldly Vedana |
41:3 | How Wrong Views Arise (compare with DN #1) |
41:6 | About Nirodha (the cessation of feeling and perception) |
41:7 | Measureless, Nothingness & Emptiness explained |
42:2 | Acting is not Right Livelihood |
42:3-5 | Being a Soldier is not Right Livelihood |
42:13 | A valuable and broad ranging discussion with the headman Pataliya |
45:2 | Ananda and Half the Holy Life |
45:8 | The 8-Fold Path Defined - very important |
45:159 | The Guest House |
46:2 | Nutriment for the 5 Hindrances and the 7 Factors of Enlightenment |
46:3 | The 7 Factors of Enlightenment linked together plus the 5 Types of Non-returner |
46:4 | The 7 Factors of Enlightenment are measureless, perfected, persist and abate for reasons |
46:5 | The 7 Factors of Enlightenment called that because they lead to Enlightenment |
46:6 | How to practice Sense Restraint and how this leads to The 7 Factors of Enlightenment |
46:11 | Moral Conduct (Virtue) is the Foundation |
46:14-16 | Chanting The 7 Factors of Enlightenment as a cure for illness |
46:31-32 | Diligence as the Root and also Careful Attention |
46:39 | Hindrances strangle life like a parasitic tree |
46:51 | Like 46:2, but much deeper |
46:53 | The 7 Factors of Enlightenment versus a sluggish or excited mind |
46:54 | The 7 Factors of Enlightenment and the 4 Brahma Viharas |
46:55 | The 5 Hindrances and the Pools of Water |
46:56 | Causes and conditions for having or not having Knowledge and Vision |
47:6 | A Jataka Tale: The Hawk and the Quail |
47:7 | Catching Monkeys (source of the Uncle Remus "Tar Baby" tale) |
47:9 | Be an Island (also in DN #16) |
47:12 | Sariputta's "Lion's Roar" (also in DN #16 and DN #28) |
47:13 | Sariputta's Death |
47:14 | After hearing of the deaths of Sariputta and Moggallana, The Buddha says one should "Be an Island" |
47:19 | The Acrobats: Protecting oneself and others via the 4 Foundations of Mindfulness |
47:20 | A brilliant simile on the meaning of Mindfulness: Beautiful girl, jug of oil & a sharp sword |
47:35 | Clear Comprehension and Feelings, Thoughts & Perceptions |
48:1 | The 5 Faculties |
48:9 | The 5 Faculties explained in a different way |
48:10 | 48:9 plus the standard definition of the 5 Faculties |
48:36 | 5 Other Faculties with definitions |
48:40 | 5 Other Faculties and the Jhanas [questionable logic(!)] |
48:41 | The Buddha is subject to aging |
48:43 | The 5 Faculties are the same as The 5 Powers |
48:50 | How The 5 Faculties work to bring Liberation |
48:51 | Wisdom is the Chief (most important) [also 48:52, 54, 55, 67-70] |
51:10 | The strange story of Ananda not asking the Buddha to live 100 years [also in DN #16] |
51:11-12 | The 4 Bases of Power lead to development of the magical powers |
51:15 | Wise Wishes |
51:20 | Details of the 4 Bases of Power |
54:1 | One thing when developed is of great benefit: Mindfulness of Breathing [also in MN #118] |
54:8 | Mindfulness of Breathing leads to Jhanas and to Insights |
54:9 | Monks hear discourse on foulness of the body; many commit suicide; Ananda requests discourses on Mindfulness of Breathing instead of foulness |
54:10 | Mindfulness of Breathing fulfills the Four Foundations of Mindfulness [also in MN #118] |
54:13 | Contains much of the material from MN #118 |
55:1 | Better to be a Stream Enterer than a World ruling Monarch |
55:3 | 6 things that partake of true knowledge |
55:6 | 4 factors of Stream Entry |
55:7 | Do unto others as you would have them do unto you |
55:8&10 | Also in DN #16 |
55:37 | How a lay follower is accomplished in various ways |
55:39 | Stream Entry factors for a lay woman (cf. 55:6 - same factors as for a lay man) |
56:1-2 | What to do |
56:7-10 | What not to do |
56:11 | The 1st Sermon: Setting in Motion the Wheel of Dhamma |
56:21 | Also in DN #16 |
56:31 | A Handful of Leaves |
56:34 | Practice like you hair is on fire |
56:42,43&46 | A short version of Dependent Origination |
56:47-48 | Precious Human Birth: The simile of the turtle and the yoke |
56:49-60 | A Stream Enterer has much less Dukkha than a non-stream enterer |
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