Surf these sites: Access to Insight: Readings in Theravada Buddhism -- A library of readings from Theravada Buddhism. Search, browse, and download over 600 translated discourses by the Buddha, plus many transcriptions of Dhamma books and talks. Anapanasati Sutra -- Discourse on the Mindfulness of Breathing Anapanasati Sutta -- Sutra on Mindfulness of Breathing. Anattalakkhana Sutra: Buddha''s Sermon on Anatta (No-Self) -- One of the most important, and hard to grasp, of all all Buddhist teachings is the doctrine of anatta, or "no-self". One of Sakyamuni Buddha''s teachings about the cause of suffering was that it was a result of false illusions about the self. The self, or soul, or "essential person", was an illusion. Thus Buddhism does not teach that "you" are "soul" which is "reborn" (although certain forms of Hindu teaching may be understood in this way). Rather Buddhism teachers the "Mind" and "Mindfulness" exist, and that there is a karmic continuity between incarnations of mind. The link then is karmic, not essential. This is an excerpt from the Anattalakkhana Sutta in which the Buddha argues for this idea. Anattalakkhana Sutta -- The Discourse on the Not-self Characteristic. Basic Buddhist Texts -- Four Noble Truths, Eight-fold Path, etc. Bhikkhuni-samyutta -- Discourses of the Ancient Nuns. Bhikkuni Samyutta Sutta -- In these suttas, Mara, the personification of doubt and evil, tries in vain to lure the bhikkhunis (nuns) away from their meditation spots in the forest by asking them provocative questions. Without exception, these wise women conquer Mara decisively. Buddha''s First Sermon -- A reconstruction of Buddha''s first sermon. Although composed at least several centuries after Siddhartha Gautama''s death, it probably contains the essence of what the Buddha taught his earliest disciples. Buddha''s Sermon on Nirvana -- Also includes a version of Buddha''s first sermon. Buddhist Reading Room - Archive -- Buddhist lessons and sutras to read online. Buddhist Texts -- Buddha, 37 Bodhisattva Vows, Four Immeasurables, Buddhist Liturgy, Six Perfections, Four Noble Truths, Avalokiteshvara, Mindfulness, Five Precepts, ceremony, Prajna Paramita, Heart Sutra, Three Superior Heaps Cula Kammavibhanga Sutta -- This sutra is held to be one of Buddha''s teachings favorable to the concept of reincarnation. Culasunnata Sutta -- On Voidness (sunyata) -- the quintessence of Buddhism. Cunda Kammaraputta Sutta -- According to the Mahaparinibbana Sutta, Cunda the silversmith at a later date presented the Buddha with the final meal before the Buddha''s total liberation. Dhammacakkapavattana Sutta -- Setting the Wheel of Dhamma in Motion. Dhammapada -- An elegant rendering of this worldwide spiritual classic, a collection of 423 verses containing the Buddha''s essential teachings. This is a classic, much-esteemed translation by Venerable Acharya Buddharakkhita of the Dhammapada, which is full of vivid similes, cut-to-the-chase insights and beautiful, inspiring maxims. Hiri Sutta -- On Friendship. This is a sutra from the Sutta Nipata. Definition of friendship. Kalama Sutra -- Extract -- This extract exemplifies the scientific and rational approach to Buddhist practice and teachings, instead of by blind faith. It also demonstrates that the teachings of the Buddha are closely bonded to logic and his basic principle that if something is good and beneficial to one and all, we should accept and live by it. Kalama Sutta -- This discourse of the Buddha has been described as "the Buddha''s Charter of Free Inquiry." It counters the decrees of dogmatism and blind faith with a vigorous call for free investigation, exhorting one to not rely on what others say in what to believe. Kayagata-sati Sutta -- Sutra on Mindfulness Immersed in the Body. Links to Buddhist Sutras -- Maintained by Tricycle Lotus Sutra -- "The Universal Door Of The Bodhisattva Who Listens To The Sounds Of All The World" Lotus of the True Dharma -- One of the best-loved excerpts from the Lotus Sutra, on the subject of the true nature of the Buddha. Maha-Parinibbana Sutta -- Sutra on the Last Days of the Buddha. This sutra gives a good general idea of the Buddha''s Teaching, although it hardly offers anything that is not found -- and often more extensively dealt with -- in other sutras. At the end of his life, after almost half a century''s teaching, the Buddha had long since taught all that was necessary. During his last days his primary concern was to impress on his followers the necessity of unflinchingly putting into practice those very same teachings. Maha-Satipatthana Sutta -- The Great Frames of Reference Sutra. Mahayana Buddhist Sutras -- Compare many different translations of common Mahayana sutras. Metta Sutra -- The Buddha''s Words on Kindness (Metta Sutta) Metta Sutta -- May all beings be at ease.... Punna Sutta -- To Punna. This is a sutta from the Samyutta Nikaya (SN XXXV.88). Reflections On The Three Fold Lotus Sutra -- Paper by John R.A. Mayer. Presents reflections on how this text is applicable to issues in contemporary Western philosophy. Contrasts Nichiren and Tendai traditions with Zen. Sabbasava Sutta -- Sutra on All the Fermentations (thoughts that arise in mind). Samaññaphala Sutta -- The Fruits of the Contemplative Life Sutra. This discourse is one of the masterpieces of the Pali Canon. At heart, it is a comprehensive portrait of the Buddhist path of training, illustrating each stage of the training with vivid similes. This portrait is placed in juxtaposition to the Buddhist view of the teachings of rival philosophical teachers of the time, showing how the Buddha -- in contradistinction to the inflexible, party-line approach of his contemporaries -- presented his teaching in a way that was pertinent and sensitive to the needs of his listeners. Sammaditthi Sutta -- The Discourse on Right View. Sammaditthi Sutta -- The Discourse on Right View Samyutta Nikaya -- The Samyutta Nikaya, the third division of the Sutta Pitaka, contains 2,889 suttas grouped into five sections (vaggas). Each vagga is further divided into samyuttas, each of which in turn contains a group of suttas on related topics. The samyuttas are named according to the topics of the suttas they contain. Satipatthana Sutra -- Discourse on The Four Foundations of Mindfulness Shurangama Sutra -- Buddha''s discourse on impermanence and the physical senses. Siha Sutta -- To General Siha (On Generosity). Anguttara Nikaya V.34. Still Thoughts -- By Dharma Master Shi Zheng-Yan. The Awakening of Faith -- Mahayana-Sraddhotpada Shastra, attributed to Asvaghosha (translated by Yoshito S. Hakeda). The Dhammapada -- The Dhammapada consists of 423 verses in Pali uttered by the Buddha on some 305 occasions for the benefit of a wide range of human beings. These sayings were selected and compiled into one book as being worthy of special note on account of their beauty and relevance for molding the lives of future generations of Buddhists. The Gospel of Buddha -- A 19th century compilation from a variety of Buddhist texts by Paul Carus. It is modelled on the New Testament. It was very widely read, and was even recommended by Ceylonese Buddhist leaders as a teaching tool for Buddhist children. The Lotus Sutra -- "How mindful the tathagata is of all the bodhisattvas,protecting and instructing them so well! world-honoured one,if good men and good women seek the consummation of incomparable enlightenment, by what criteria should they abide and how should they control their thoughts?" The Lotus of the Wonderful Law -- In the eighth century CE, a new form of Buddhism spread from China to Japan. It was known as the Tendai sect and it derived its inspiration from a series of Sanskrit texts that focused on the Lotus Sutra, regarded by the Tendai as the final and most authentic teaching of the Buddha. The use of parables was one of the favorite methods of Tendai teaching. The Parable of the Burning House, which is a part of the Lotus of the Wonderful Law Sutra is designed to show the superiority of the single sutra (that of the Lotus) over traditional Buddhist. Theravadan Buddhist Texts -- Contains part of "A Handful of Leaves" and an amended version of Digital Buddha Vacana. Downloadable .zip file. Timeless Wisdom -- Quotes and excerpts from the Buddhist sutras. Treatise on the Great Perfection of Wisdom -- Extensive excerpts from Nagarjuna''s immense exegesis to the Mahaapraj~naapaaramitaa Sutra. It was preserved only in a 100-fascicle Chinese edition translated from Sanskrit in 405c.e. by Kumarajiva. Although presented in the form of an exegesis, it is actually a compendium of Dharma jewels as interpreted by one of the most illustrious Indian masters of the Middle Way. Vimalakirti Sutra -- Translated by Robert Thurman
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