Numerical Discourses of the Buddha, An Anthology of Suttas from the Anguttara Nikaya,
translated by Nyanaponika Thera and Bhikkhu Bodhi, AltaMira Press, 1999, ISBN : 0742504050
Handful of Leaves, Volume Three, An Anthology from the Anguttara Nikaya,
translated by Thanissaro Bhikkhu (Geoffrey DeGraff), Sati Center for Buddhist Studies, 2003
The Anguttara Nikaya, the fourth division of the Sutta Pitaka, consists of several thousand suttas arranged in eleven books (nipatas) according to numerical content. At first glance this may seem a rather pedantic classification scheme, but in fact it often proves quite useful. For example, if you dimly recall having heard something about the five subjects worthy of daily contemplation and you'd like to track down the original passage in the Canon, a good place to begin your search is the Book of the Fives in the Anguttara. There is no complete modern English translation that I know of, but the above 2 anthologies contain many important suttas.
What follows is a list, with a single line of notes, for the suttas I found the most interesting and helpful while reading these 2 anthologies:
| I v 9.10; I vi 1, 2 | the Luminous Mind - see especially this note |
| I vi 9 | importance of diligence |
| I xv 1-3 | right view and the 3 characteristics |
| II i 5 | (bio) don't be content with good mindstates, have unremitting diligence |
| II i 9 | the 2 Guardians of the world |
| II iii 1 | the fools and the wise - seeing transgressions and forgiving transgressions |
| II iii 10 | how tranquility (samatha) and insight (vipassana) function together to uproot passion and ignorance |
| II iv 1-2 | Gratitude; Repaying one's parents |
| III 25 | 3 types of persons |
| III 32 | references Sn 1106-7 |
| III 33 | Karmma: Bad actions ripen, Good actions don't ripen; rebirth (ripening) can take place in this life, the next life or a future life |
| III 35 | The 3 messengers: old age, sickness and death |
| III 38 | (bio) 3 palaces plus old age, sickness and death |
| III 47 | Conditioned and Unconditioned |
| III 57 | Vacchagotta - giving |
| III 60 | Miracle of Instruction; Benefiting others via the holy life |
| III 61 | The 4 Noble Truths are equivalent to Dependent Origination; dukkha is caused by ignorance |
| III 65 | The Kalama Sutta |
| III 68 | Greed, Hatred and Delusion |
| III 70 | the Roots of the Uposatha - 8 precepts, etc. |
| III 71 | the drawbacks of greed, hatred and delusion |
| III 76 | Kamma leads to becoming |
| III 93 | you can't force results |
| III 99 | The Salt Crystal; "Why do bad things happen to good people?" |
| III 100: 9-15 | the need to balance concentration, energy and equanimity |
| III 101: 1 & 2 | Gratification, Danger, Escape |
| III 129 | No Secrets |
| IV 21 | (bio) Reverence for the Dhamma |
| IV 24 | non-dual: there is no seen, there is no seer |
| IV 36 | (bio) Dana - will you be a deva? |
| IV 41 | 4 Developments of Concentration; references Sn 1048 |
| IV 45 | "...within this fathom-long body, with its perception & intellect, ... there is the cosmos..." |
| IV 77 | the 4 imponderables: range of a Buddha, range of a person in jhana, threads of kamma, origin of the world |
| IV 96, 99 | Living for ones own good and for anothers - early Bodhisattva idea |
| IV 192 | knowing a person's traits |
| IV 232 | 4 kinds of Kamma |
| IV 246 | The Growth of Wisdom |
| V 14-15 | The 5 Powers |
| V 25 | 5 Helpers of Right View |
| V 49 | on Grief - see especially the verses at the end of this sutta |
| V 51 | the 5 hindrances - with river simile |
| V 53 | 5 factors for exertion |
| V 57 | The 5 Daily Reflections |
| V 73-74 | Practice! Don't just learn and teach |
| V 75-76 | the battle to guard celibacy; short version of graduated training |
| V 77-80 | 77: dangers of living in the wilderness; 78: dangers of society and sangha; 79: more dangers (including flowery poems [Rumi poems in Dharma talks?]) |
| V 121 | advice to a sick monk; sickness and spiritual practice |
| V 129 | 5 deeds leading directly to hell |
| V 159 | How to teach the Dhamma |
| V 161 | Removing Grudges |
| V 177 | 5 wrong livelihoods: Business in weapons, in living beings, in meat, in intoxicants, and in poison |
| V 193 | 5 Hindrances and the 5 similes of water |
| V 198 | Right Speech has 5 Qualities: spoken at the right time, in truth, affectionately, beneficially, with a mind of loving-kindness |
| V 202 | 5 rewards of listening to dhamma. (Teachers: do your dhamma talks generate these?) |
| VI 50 | Sense control, virtue, concentration, wisdom, disenchantment, dispassion |
| VI 55 | The Similes of the Lute |
| VI 63 | Penetrative Exposition: Sensuality, vedana, perception, asava, karma, dukkha all should be known |
| VI 65,66, 76,77 | Qualities needed for the supermundane |
| VI 88 | 6 obstructions to practice due to not listening well |
| VII 6 & 7 | 7 Treasures |
| VII 11 & 12 | 7 obsessions (or latent tendencies) |
| VII 46 | 7 Perceptions - cf. Progress of Insight |
| VII 49 | 7 reasons for giving |
| VII 56 | 7 reasons why the Dhamma declines |
| VII 58 | Dealing with Drowsiness |
| VII 60 | 7 disadvantages to being angry |
| VII 64 | seven qualities that make one a respectable and honorable individual - and able to approach the dhamma |
| VII 67 | Necessity of Meditation |
| VII 80 | The Buddha explains how to recognize authentic teachings of Dhamma |
| VIII 2 | Supporting conditions for wisdom |
| VIII 6 | The 8 Worldly Conditions: loss & gain, fame & ill fame, praise & blame, pleasure & pain |
| VIII 19 | Dhamma is like the Ocean |
| VIII 26 | To Jivaka: how a lay follower can best work for the welfare of others |
| VIII 30 | Anaruddha and 8 Great Thoughts |
| VIII 31,33,35 | Giving |
| VIII 53 | Instructions to Mahapajapati Gotami (the Buddha's foster mother) |
| VIII 54 | Advice to a layman |
| VIII 63 | metta, karuna, mudita, and upekkha and the four foundations of mindfulness as a basis for concentration practice |
| VIII 73,74 | Mindfulness of Death; simile of "hair on fire" in #74 |
| IX 3 | 9 things to do to bring the mind towards liberation |
| IX 5 | 4 Powers; Freed from 5 Fears; includes "Dhamma is the best gift" |
| IX 36 | Using the aggregates of the Jhanas as a basis of insight (cf. MN 111 & 121) |
| IX 41 | the long road of meditation practice that culminates in Awakening begins with appreciating the value of renunciation; perfecting the jhanas leads to Awakening |
| X 6 & 7 | Meditative Experience of Nibbana |
| X 13 | the 10 fetters that bind us |
| X 15 | Heedfulness is foremost of skillful qualities |
| X 60 | the 10 Perceptions - an interesting list which include the 16 steps of Mindfulness of Breathing |
| X 61,62 | Associating with good people is the basis of hearing the true Dhamma |
| X 69 | 10 suitable topics of conversation |
| X 70 | 10 recommended topics of conversation |
| X 76 | The Prerequisites for Stream Entry and Enlightenment |
| X 93 | Anathapindika instructs a group of non-Buddhist wanderers on the nature of Right View: Dependent Origination |
| X 95 | Will all beings attain liberation? |
| X 176 | To Cunda the silversmith: 10 right actions |
| X 206 | The 1st 4 Precepts in detail |
| X 208 | The 4 Sublime Emotions can lead to 3rd stage of enlightenment |
| XI 1 | cf SN 12:23 and the Progress of Insight |
| XI 2 | cf SN 12:23 and the Progress of Insight; "there is no need for an act of will" |
| XI 10 | Meditate without "perception" of the meditation object - just experience it |
| XI 12 & 13 | the 6 Recollections - see the Vissudhimagga for later details |
| XI 16 | The 11 Benefits of Metta |
Back to the Study Guide to the Suttas
| Back to Leigh's Home Page | Site Map | Site Search |
/ Revised 01 May 09