Dhamma Audio

Pabbatarājasutta Aṅguttara Nikāya 3.48. Translated by Bhikkhu Bodhi “Bhikkhus, based on the Himalayas, the king of mountains, great sal trees grow in three ways. What three? They grow in branches, leaves, and foliage; they grow in bark and shoots; and they grow in softwood and heartwood. Based on the Himalayas, the king of mountains, great sal trees grow in these three ways. “So too, when the head...

Bahukārasutta, Very Helpful. Translated by John D. Ireland “Bhikkhus, brahmins and householders are very helpful to you. They provide you with the requisites of robes, almsfood, lodgings, and medicine in time of sickness. And you, bhikkhus, are very helpful to brahmins and householders, as you teach them the Dhamma that is good at the outset, good in the middle, and good at the end, with its corre...

Bahukārasutta, Aṅguttara Nikāya 3.24. Translated by Bhikkhu Bodhi “Bhikkhus, these three persons are helpful to another person. What three? “The person through whom another has gone for refuge to the Buddha, the Dhamma, and the Saṅgha. This person is helpful to the other person. “Again, the person through whom another comes to understand as it really is: ‘This is suffering,’ and ‘This is the origi...

Mahākhandhaka, The account of the going forth of Sāriputta and Moggallāna. Translated by Bhikkhu Brahmali At that time the wanderer Sañcaya was staying at Rājagaha with a large group of two hundred and fifty wanderers, including Sāriputta and Moggallāna. The two of them had made an agreement that whoever reached freedom from death first would inform the other. Just then, Venerable Assaji robed up...

Kaccānagottasutta Saṁyutta Nikāya 12.15. Translated by Bhikkhu Bodhi At Savatthī. Then the Venerable Kaccanagotta approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said to him: “Venerable sir, it is said, ‘right view, right view.’ In what way, venerable sir, is there right view?” “This world, Kaccana, for the most part depends upon a duality—upon the notion of existence and...

Vibhaṅgasutta Saṁyutta Nikāya 45.8. Translated by Bhikkhu Bodhi At Savatthī. “Bhikkhus, I will teach you the Noble Eightfold Path and I will analyse it for you. Listen to that and attend closely, I will speak.” “Yes, venerable sir,” those bhikkhus replied. The Blessed One said this: “And what, bhikkhus, is the Noble Eightfold Path? Right view, right intention, right speech, right action, right liv...

Mettābhāvanāsutta, The Development of Loving-kindness. Translated by John D. Ireland This was said by the Lord… “Bhikkhus, whatever grounds there are for making merit productive of a future birth, all these do not equal a sixteenth part of the mind-release of loving-kindness. The mind-release of loving-kindness surpasses them and shines forth, bright and brilliant. “Just as the radiance of all the...

Kammakaraṇavagga Numbered Discourses 7–9. Translated by Bhikkhu Sujato “These two things, mendicants, are dark. What two? Lack of conscience and prudence. These are the two things that are dark.” “These two things, mendicants, are bright. What two? Conscience and prudence. These are the two things that are bright.” “These two bright things, mendicants, protect the world. What two? Conscience and p...

Sappurisasutta Aṅguttara Nikāya 5.42 Translated by Bhikkhu Bodhi “Bhikkhus, when a good person is born in a family, it is for the good, welfare, and happiness of many people. It is for the good, welfare, and happiness of his mother and father, his wife and children, his slaves, workers, and servants, his friends and companions, and ascetics and brahmins. Just as a great rain cloud, nurturing all t...

Kammakaraṇavagga, Translated by Bhikkhu Sujato “Mendicants, I have learned these two things for myself—to never be content with skillful qualities, and to never stop trying. I never stopped trying, thinking: ‘Gladly, let only skin, sinews, and bones remain! Let the flesh and blood waste away in my body! I will not stop trying until I have achieved what is possible by human strength, energy, and vi...

Dvidhāpathasutta, The Discourse on the Two Paths. Translated by Bhikkhu Ānandajoti THUS I HEARD: At one time the Gracious One was going along the high road amongst the Kosalans with venerable Nāgasamāla as the attendent ascetic who followed behind him. The venerable Nāgasamāla saw two paths on the road, and having seen that, he said this to the Gracious One: “This is the path, reverend Sir, let us...

Doṇasutta Aṅguttara Nikāya 4.36. Translated by Bhikkhu Bodhi On one occasion the Blessed One was traveling along the highway between Ukkaṭṭhā and Setavya. The brahmin Doṇa was also traveling along the highway between Ukkaṭṭhā and Setavya. The brahmin Doṇa then saw the thousand-spoked wheels of the Blessed One’s footprints, with their rims and hubs, complete in all respects, and thought: “It is ast...

Maṅgalasutta, Blessing, Translated by Bhikkhu Sujato SO I HAVE HEARD. At one time the Buddha was staying near Sāvatthī in Jeta’s Grove, Anāthapiṇḍika’s monastery. Then, late at night, a glorious deity, lighting up the entire Jeta’s Grove, went up to the Buddha, bowed, and stood to one side. That deity addressed the Buddha in verse: “Many gods and humans have thought about blessings desiring well-b...

Sukhapatthanāsutta, Wishing for Happiness, Translated by Bhikkhu Sujato This was said by the Buddha, the Perfected One: that is what I heard. “Mendicants, an astute person who wishes for three kinds of happiness should take care of their ethics. What three? ‘May I be be praised!’ ‘May I become rich!’ ‘When my body breaks up, after death, may I be reborn in a good place, a heavenly realm!’ An astut...

“Bhikkhus, on the eighth of the fortnight, the ministers and assembly members of the four great kings wander over this world, thinking: ‘We hope there are many people who behave properly toward their mother and father, behave properly toward ascetics and brahmins, honor the elders of the family, observe the uposatha, keep the extra observance days, and do meritorious deeds.’ On the fourteenth of t...

Sabrahmakasutta Aṅguttara Nikāya 3.31. Translated by Bhikkhu Bodhi “Bhikkhus, those families dwell with Brahmā where at home the mother and father are revered by their children. Those families dwell with the first teachers where at home the mother and father are revered by their children. Those families dwell with the gift-worthy where at home the mother and father are revered by their children. “...

“Mendicants, whether Realized Ones arise or not, this law of nature persists, this regularity of natural principles, this surety of natural principles: all conditions are impermanent. A Realized One awakens to this and comprehends it, then he explains, teaches, asserts, establishes, clarifies, analyzes, and reveals it: ‘All conditions are impermanent.’ Whether Realized Ones arise or not, this law...

“Bhikkhus, there are these three causes for the origination of kamma. What three? Greed is a cause for the origination of kamma; hatred is a cause for the origination of kamma; delusion is a cause for the origination of kamma. “Any kamma, bhikkhus, fashioned through greed, born of greed, caused by greed, originated by greed, ripens wherever the individual is reborn. Wherever that kamma ripens, it...

At Sāvatthī. Seated to one side, King Pasenadi said to the Buddha, “Just now, sir, as I was in private retreat this thought came to mind. ‘Who are those who protect themselves? And who are those who don’t protect themselves?’ Then it occurred to me: ‘Those who do bad things by way of body, speech, and mind don’t protect themselves. Even if they’re protected by a company of elephants, cavalry, char...

At one time the Buddha was staying near Anupiya in a mango grove. Now at that time, Venerable Bhaddiya son of Kāḷīgodhā, even in the wilderness, at the foot of a tree, or in an empty dwelling, frequently expressed this heartfelt sentiment: “Oh, what bliss! Oh, what bliss!” Several bhikkhus heard him and thought, “Without a doubt, Venerable Bhaddiya leads the spiritual life dissatisfied. It’s when...

On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Āḷavī on a heap of leaves spread out on a cow track in a siṁsapā grove. Then Hatthaka of Āḷavī, while walking and wandering for exercise, saw the Blessed One sitting there. He then approached the Blessed One, paid homage to him, sat down to one side, and said to the Blessed One: “Bhante, did the Blessed One sleep well?” “Yes, prince, I slept well. I...

On one occasion the Blessed One was dwelling at Rajagaha in the Bamboo Grove, the Squirrel Sanctuary. There the Blessed One addressed the bhikkhus thus: “Bhikkhus!” “Venerable sir!” those bhikkhus replied. The Blessed One said this: “Bhikkhus, once in the past in this same Rajagaha there was a poor man, a pauper, an indigent. He undertook faith, virtue, learning, generosity, and wisdom in the Dham...

Kalyāṇamittasutta, translated by bhikkhu Sujato At Sāvatthī. Seated to one side, King Pasenadi said to the Buddha, “Just now, sir, as I was in private retreat this thought came to mind. ‘The teaching is well explained by the Buddha. But it’s for someone with good friends, companions, and associates, not for someone with bad friends, companions, and associates.’” “That’s so true, great king! That’s...

“Bhikkhus, do not think evil unwholesome thoughts; that is, sensual thought, thought of ill will, thought of harming. For what reason? These thoughts, bhikkhus, are unbeneficial, irrelevant to the fundamentals of the holy life, and do not lead to revulsion, to dispassion, to cessation, to peace, to direct knowledge, to enlightenment, to Nibbāna. “When you think, bhikkhus, you should think: ‘This i...

At Savatthī. Then the wanderer Nandiya approached the Blessed One and exchanged greetings with him. When they had concluded their greetings and cordial talk, he sat down to one side and said to the Blessed One: “How many things, Master Gotama, when developed and cultivated, lead to Nibbāna, have Nibbāna as their destination, Nibbāna as their final goal?” “These eight things, Nandiya, when develope...