Words of the Buddha
Explore the Buddha’s earliest teachings through his words. Over 12,028 discourses, verses, sayings, passages, and utterances from 3,720 texts with parallel Pāli-English translations.
Reflection of the Day
“I do not see any other form that so completely obsesses a man’s mind as the form of a woman.”
— AN 1.1·
Fire: Investigating Recurrent Experience
The Buddha cast his entire framework of liberation in the language of fire and its cessation. This essay traces that structure using what we now understand about how fire actually works.
Experience is examined starting with the texture of a single moment, to the cascade of experience, across the terrain where consciousness takes root, and to the extinguishing that is Nibbāna.
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Parallel Texts
Read Pāli and English side-by-side or interleaved, with line-by-line fidelity to the source.
Contextual Tooltips
Click any Pāli word or translated term for on-the-spot explanations that deepen understanding.
Bookmarks & Highlights
Save discourses and highlight key passages to build your personal collection of insights.
Discourses by Text Collections
Over 12,028 discourses, verses, sayings, passages, and utterances from 3,720 texts with parallel Pāli-English translations across the major collections below
| Collection | |
|---|---|
| The Path of Dhamma | 423 verses 100% ✓ |
| As It Was Said | 112 sayings 100% ✓ |
| Inspired Utterances | 80 utterances 100% ✓ |
| Middle Length Discourses | 152 discourses 100% |
| The Buddha's Ancient Discourses | 72 teachings 100% |
| Connected Discourses | 3,024 discourses 100% |
| Numerical Discourses | 8,122 discourses 100% |
| Long Discourses | 34 discourses 100% |
| Minor Passages | 9 passages 100% ✓ |
Latest Discourses
View all →In a chance meeting, the Buddha, unrecognized by the bhikkhu Pukkusāti, teaches him to deconstruct experience into six elements, six fields of contact, eighteen mental explorations, and four foundations. He further reveals that all notions of self—such as “I am this” or “I will be that”—are mere conceptions, inherently afflictive, and the peace of Nibbāna is realized by overcoming all conceptual proliferations.
Last updated on July 2, 2026
When a brahmin assumes that the Buddha’s serene faculties and radiant appearance must result from enjoying the finest worldly luxuries, the Buddha explains the true “luxurious and lofty beds” he attains—the heavenly bed, through abiding in the jhānas; the brahmic bed, through the boundless cultivation of loving-kindness, compassion, appreciative joy, and equanimity; and the noble bed, through the complete abandonment of passion, aversion, and delusion.
Last updated on July 2, 2026
When the Kālāmas, perplexed by conflicting teachers, ask the Buddha how to know truth from falsehood, he advises against blind reliance on tradition or authority. Instead, offering a pragmatic test: reject what leads to detriment and cultivate that which leads to well-being.
Last updated on July 2, 2026
When approached with abundant offerings, the Buddha expresses a heartfelt wish to avoid fame, and speaks of five contemplations which result in being established in dispassion and wisdom.
Last updated on July 2, 2026
The Buddha rejects fame and the pleasure of gains, extolling seclusion and awakening. He disapproves of living near villages—even when collected—as it invites disturbance and attachment to acquisitions, honor, and praise. He approves forest dwelling—even if dozing or distracted—for it leads to unification, collectedness, and freeing an unliberated mind.
Last updated on July 2, 2026
Anthologies
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An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon
In In the Buddha’s Words, Bhikkhu Bodhi curates a rich anthology of discourses drawn from the Pali Canon that capture the full breadth of the Buddha’s teachings. Through these selected suttas, readers explore key themes such as impermanence, not-self, and the path to awakening, revealing how suffering arises and can ultimately be transcended. Each section is introduced with Bhikkhu Bodhi’s insightful commentary, which clarifies the practical application of the Dhamma in daily life. The book’s thematic structure provides a coherent roadmap to the Buddha’s profound insights, emphasizing their timeless relevance in overcoming the human predicament. In essence, In the Buddha’s Words serves as an invaluable guide for anyone seeking a clear and transformative overview of Early Buddhism.
By Bhikkhu Bodhi
The heart essence of the Buddha’s original teachings
In Noble Truths, Noble Path, Bhikkhu Bodhi brings together key suttas from the Saṁyutta Nikāya that illuminate the essence of the Buddha’s teaching - the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path. Through these discourses, readers see how suffering arises, why it persists, and how it can be ended, culminating in Nibbāna. Each chapter, introduced by Ven. Bodhi, follows the structure of the Four Noble Truths, offering a clear roadmap to understand and overcome the human predicament. The book emphasizes the universal relevance of the Buddha’s radical insights and guides us toward liberation from the cycle of rebirth, making it an invaluable resource for anyone seeking a concise yet profound overview of Early Buddhism.
By Bhikkhu Bodhi
A daily learning feed of the Buddha's teachings — learn, reflect, and apply in practice.