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The heart essence of the Buddha's original teachings

Noble Truths, Noble Path

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Noble Truths, Noble Path

The heart essence of the Buddha's original teachings

In Noble Truths, Noble Path, Bhikkhu Bodhi brings together key suttas from the Saṃyutta 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

This is a collection of discourses as present in the anthology Noble Truths, Noble Path by Bhikkhu Bodhi. You can get an e-book or print version of this book from Wisdom Publications ↗.

The English translations to the discourses are provided by WordsOfTheBuddha.org project and based on the Pali texts of the linked discourses from the Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka Buddhavasse 2500 Pali Tipiṭaka in Roman script edition as made available by SuttaCentral.net.

1. The Four Noble Truths

The Matrix of the Teaching

  1. Samādhisutta - Collectedness - SN 56.1
  2. Samaṇabrāhmaṇasutta - Ascetics and Brahmins - SN 56.5
  3. Vitakkasutta - Thought - SN 56.7
  4. Khandhasutta - Aggregates - SN 56.13
  5. Kotigāmasutta - Koṭigāma - SN 56.21
  6. Āsavakkhayasutta - Destruction of the Influxes - SN 56.25
  7. Tathasutta - Real - SN 56.27
  8. Lokasutta - The World - SN 56.28
  9. Pariññeyyasutta - Should Be Fully Understood - SN 56.29
  10. Siṃsapāvanasutta - The Siṃsapā Grove - SN 56.31
  11. Daṇḍasutta - The Stick - SN 56.33
  12. Celasutta - The Turban - SN 56.34
  13. Suriyasutta (First) - The Sun (First) - SN 56.37
  14. Suriyasutta (Second) - The Sun (Second) - SN 56.38
  15. Papātasutta - The Precipice - SN 56.42
  16. Kūṭāgārasutta - Peaked House - SN 56.44
  17. Chiggaḷayugasutta - Yoke with a Hole - SN 56.47
  18. Sinerupabbatarājasutta - Sineru, King of Mountain - SN 56.49

2. The Five Aggregates

The Meaning of Suffering in Brief

  1. Aniccasutta - Impermanent - SN 22.12
  2. Sahetu-aniccasutta - Impermanent with Cause - SN 22.18
  3. Pariññasutta - Full Understanding - SN 22.23
  4. Abhijānasutta - Directly Knowing - SN 22.24
  5. Assādasutta (First) - Enjoyment (First) - SN 22.26
  6. Assādasutta (Second) - Enjoyment (Second) - SN 22.28
  7. Natumhākaṃsutta - Not Yours - SN 22.33
  8. Sammāsambuddhasutta - The Perfectly Awakened One - SN 22.58
  9. Anattalakkhaṇasutta - The Not-Self Characteristic - SN 22.59
  10. Upādiyamānasutta - One Clinging - SN 22.63
  11. Rādhasutta - Rādha - SN 22.71
  12. Sīhasutta - The Lion - SN 22.78
  13. Puṇṇamasutta - Full Moon - SN 22.82
  14. Pupphasutta - Flowers - SN 22.94
  15. Pheṇapiṇḍūpamasutta - Simile of the Lump of Foam - SN 22.95
  16. Aniccasaññāsutta - Perception of the Impermanent - SN 22.102

3. The Six Sense Bases

The Channels Through Which Suffering Originates

  1. Pahānasutta - Abandoning - SN 35.24
  2. Ādittasutta - Burning - SN 35.28
  3. Avijjāpahānasutta - Abandoning Ignorance - SN 35.53
  4. Sabbupādānapariññāsutta - Full Understanding of All Clinging - SN 35.60
  5. Upavāṇasutta - Upavāṇa - SN 35.70
  6. Suññalokasutta - Empty World - SN 35.85
  7. Dvayasutta - Dyads - SN 35.93
  8. Sakkapañhasutta - Sakka’s Questions - SN 35.118
  9. Rūpārāmasutta - Delight in Forms - SN 35.136
  10. Samuddasutta - The Ocean - SN 35.228
  11. Bālisikopamasutta - Simile of the Fisherman - SN 35.230
  12. Koṭṭhikasutta - Koṭṭhika - SN 35.232
  13. Dārukkhandhopamasutta - Simile of the Log - SN 35.241
  14. Vīṇopamasutta - Simile of the Lute - SN 35.246
  15. Chappāṇakopamasutta - Simile of the Six Animals - SN 35.247

4. Dependent Co-Arising

The Arising and Ending of Suffering

  1. Vibhaṇgasutta - Analysis - SN 12.2
  2. Gotamasutta - Gotama - SN 12.10
  3. Moḷiyaphaggunasutta - Moḷiyaphagguna - SN 12.12
  4. Kaccānagottasutta - Kaccānagotta - SN 12.15
  5. Paccayasutta - Conditions - SN 12.20
  6. Dasabalasutta - Ten Powers - SN 12.22
  7. Pañcaverabhayasutta - Five Enemies and Perils - SN 12.41
  8. Parivīmaṃsanasutta - Investigation - SN 12.51
  9. Mahārukkhasutta - The Great Tree - SN 12.55
  10. Assutavāsutta - Unlearned - SN 12.61
  11. Nagarasutta - The City - SN 12.65
  12. Sammasanasutta - Exploration - SN 12.66

5. The Path and the Way

The Practices Leading to the End of Suffering

5.1. The Four Establishments of mindfulness
  1. Ambapālisutta - Ambapāli - SN 47.1
  2. Satisutta - Mindfulness - SN 47.2
  3. Sālasutta - At Sāla - SN 47.4
  4. Makkaṭasutta - The Monkey - SN 47.7
  5. Gilānasutta - Ill - SN 47.9
  6. Sedakasutta - Sedaka - Sn 47.19
  7. Janapadakalyāṇīsutta - The Country Belle - SN 47.20
  8. Sirivaḍḍhasutta - Sirivaḍḍha - SN 47.29
5.2. The Seven Factors of Enlightenment
  1. Himavantasutta - The Himalayas - SN 46.1
  2. Kāyasutta - Body - SN 46.2
  3. Sīlasutta - Good Behavior - SN 46.3
  4. Bhikkhusutta - A Bhikkhu - SN 46.5
  5. Kuṇḍaliyasutta - Kuṇḍaliya - SN 46.6
  6. Gilānasutta - Ill - SN 46.14
  7. Aggisutta - Fire - SN 46.53
5.3. The Noble Eightfold Path
  1. Upaḍḍhasutta - Half - SN 45.2
  2. Kimatthiyasutta - For What Purpose? - SN 45.5
  3. Vibhaṇgasutta - Analysis - SN 45.8
  4. Paṭipadāsutta - Practice - SN 45.24
  5. Kalyāṇamittasutta - Good Friend - SN 45.49
  6. Pācīnaninnasutta - Slants to the East - SN 45.91
  7. Nadīsutta - The River - SN 45.160
  8. Oghavagga - The Chapter on the Floods - [SN 45.171-180]

6. The Unconditioned

The goal

  1. Asaṇkhatasutta - The Unconditioned - SN 43.1
  2. Anatasutta Etc. - The Uninclined, Etc. - [SN 43.13-43]

Last updated on March 27, 2025

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