At the heart of the Buddha’s teaching were the suttas (Sanskrit sutras), his discourses and dialogues. If we want to find out what the Buddha himself actually said, these are the most ancient sources available to us. The suttas were compiled into collections called “Nikayas,” of which there are four, each organized according to a different principle. The Digha Nikaya consists of longer discourses; the Majjhima Nikaya of middle-length discourses; the Samyutta Nikaya of thematically connected discourses; and the Anguttara Nikaya of numerically patterned discourses.

The present volume, which continues Wisdom’s famous “Teachings of the Buddha” series, contains a full translation of the Anguttara Nikaya. The Anguttara arranges the Buddha’s discourses in accordance with a numerical scheme intended to promote retention and easy comprehension. In an age when writing was still in its infancy, this proved to be the most effective way to ensure that the disciples could grasp and replicate the structure of a teaching.

Click here to download the Table of Contents to The Numerical Discourses

Click here to download the Thematic Guide to The Numerical Discourses

Praise & Reviews Praise for The Teachings of the Buddha Series "A triumph."—The Middle Way: Journal of the Buddhist Society “As close as we’ll get to the original teachings and account of the life of the Buddha.”—Tricycle Magazine “A book to be kept close at hand for a lifetime—it will long endure as a classic of scholarship and render the teachings of the historical Buddha accessible to any who have eyes to see and the interest to look.” —Inquiring Mind “An amazing work that speaks to us across 2500 years [to] open up new and precious insights into the depths of Buddhist history and thought."—Mountain Record “A priceless gift."-Joseph Goldstein, author of One Dharma “Bhikkhu Bodhi is a brilliant translator.” – Jack Kornfield, author of After the Ecstasy, the Laundry

Bhikkhu Bodhi, Translator Bhikkhu Bodhi is an American Buddhist monk from New York City. After completing his university studies he traveled to Sri Lanka, where he received ordination in 1973. He returned to the U.S. in 2002 and currently resides at Chuang Yen Monastery in Kent, New York, and is in demand worldwide as a speaker and Buddhist teacher. Renowned for his systematic and elegant translations of Buddhist scriptures, Venerable Bodhi has many important publications to his credit, including A Comprehensive Manual of Abhidhamma, The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha, The Connected Discourses of the Buddha, and In the Buddha’s Words. ,