Majjhima Nikaya

The Majjhima Nikaya (-nikya; "Collection

of Middle-length Discourses") is a
Buddhist scripture, the second of the ve
nikayas, or collections, in the Sutta Pitaka,
which is one of the "three baskets" that
compose the Pali Tipitaka (lit. "Three
Baskets") of Theravada Buddhism.
Composed between 3rd century BCE - 2nd
century CE.[1] This nikaya consists of 152
discourses attributed to the Buddha and
his chief disciples.[2]

Majjhima Nikaya

The Majjhima Nikaya corresponds to the

Madhyama gama found in the Sutra
Pitikas of various Sanskritic early Buddhist
schools, fragments of which survive in
Sanskrit and in Tibetan translation. A
complete Chinese translation from the
Sarvstivdin recension appears in the
Chinese Buddhist canon, where it is known
as the Zhng Ahnjng ( ). The
Madhyama gama of the Sarvstivda
school contains 222 stras, in contrast to
the 152 suttas in the Pli Majjhima
Nikya.[3]

Structure and contents

Bhikkhu Bodhi in the introduction to his
translation describes the collection as
follows:

If the Majjhima Nikya were to be

characterised by a single phrase
to distinguish it from among the
other books of the Pali Canon,
this might be done by describing
it as the collection that combines
 the richest variety of contextual
settings with the deepest and
most comprehensive assortment
of teachings.[4]

The 152 discourses come in three parts

each with ve divisions. All divisions save
the penultimate contain 10 discourses.
 # of 1st
Name English Name[4]
discourse

Mlapasapi The Root Fifty Discourses

Mlapariyya Vagga The Division of the Discourse on the Root 1

Shanda Vagga The Division of the Lion's Roar 11

Opamma Vagga The Division of Similes 21

Mahyamaka Vagga The Great Division of Pairs 31

Cayamaka Vagga The Shorter Division of Pairs 41

Majjhimapasapi The Middle Fifty Discourses

Gahapati Vagga The Division on Householders 51

Bhikkhu Vagga The Division on Bhikkhus 61

Paribbjaka Vagga The Division on Wanderers 71

Rja Vagga The Division on Kings 81

Brhmaa Vagga The Division on Brahmins 91

Uparipasapi The Final Fifty Discourses

Devadaha Vagga The Division at Devadaha 101

Anupada Vagga The Division of One by One 111

Suata Vagga The Division of Voidness 121

Vibhaga Vagga The Division of Expositions 131

Sayatana Vagga The Division of the Sixfold Base 143

Translations
Bhikkhu Nanamoli and Bhikkhu Bodhi
(trans.), The Middle Length Discourses of
the Buddha: A Translation of the
Majjhima Nikaya, 1995, Somerville:
Wisdom Publications ISBN0-86171-072-
X.
Mahapandit Rahul Sankrityayan had
translated Majjhima Nikaya from Prakrit
to Hindi.[5]
Lord Chalmers, trans. (1898-1926),
Further Dialogues of the Buddha, 1926
7, vol.1 , vol. 2 , London: Pali Text
Society. Reprint: Ann Arbor: Books on
Demand, University of Michigan.
I.B. Horner (trans.), The Book of Middle
Length Sayings, 19549, 3 volumes,
Bristol: Pali Text Society.
 David W. Evans (trans.), Discourses of
Gotama Buddha: Middle Collection, 1991,
Janus Pubns. "Translation in an
abridged form ... just about one third the
size of Horner's translation, but with well
over 90% of the signicant content"

Selections

A Treasury of the Buddha's Words, tr

Nanamoli, revised Khantipalo, Bangkok;
later revised & expanded to give MLDB
above
Twenty-Five Suttas from Mula-Pannasa,
Burma Pitaka Association, Rangoon,
1986?; reprinted Sri Satguru, Delhi
 Twenty-Five Suttas from Majjhima-
Pannasa, Myanmar Pitaka Association,
Rangoon, 1987; reprinted Sri Satguru,
Delhi
Twenty-Five Suttas from Upari-Pannasa,
Myanmar Pitaka Association, Rangoon,
1988?; reprinted Sri Satguru, Delhi

See also
List of Majjhima Nikaya suttas
Anguttara Nikaya
Buddhist texts
Digha Nikaya
Khuddaka Nikaya
Samyutta Nikaya
References
1. Upinder Singh. A History of Ancient and
Early Medieval India: From the Stone Age to
the 12th Century. Pearson. p.25.
2. A version of the Pali original is available
in Gotama, Buddha (2012). Majjhima
Nikaya: The Middle Length Discourses of
the Buddha. CreateSpace Independent
Publishing Platform. ASIN1478369620 .
ISBN978-1478369622. ISBN1478369620
3. A Dictionary of Buddhism, by Damien
Keown, Oxford University Press: 2004
4. Bodhi, Bhikkhu (1995). The Middle
Length Discourses of the Buddha: A New
Translation of the Majjhima Nikya. Kandy,
Sri Lanka: Buddhist Publication Society, rst
published by Wisdom Publications. pp.5
11, 20. ISBN0-86171-072-X.
5. Sharma, R.S. (2009). Rethinking India's
Past. Oxford University Press. ISBN978-0-
19-569787-2.

External links
Majjhima Nikya in English (& 30+ other
languages) together with Madhyama
gama parallels at suttacentral.net
Majjhima Nikaya in English at Metta.lk
Majjhima Nikaya in English at
accesstoinsight.org
Majjhima Nikaya lectures taught by
Bhikkhu Bodhi
MAJJHIMA NIKAAYA III, II.
3.5.Maagandiyasutta.m, III. 2.
5.Bahudhaatukasutta.m-, (115) The
Discourse on Many Elements
Digital Dictionary of Buddhism , entry on
Mdhyamgama
Translations by Bhikkhu Bodhi of
selected Suttas of the Majjhima Nikaya
online at Wisdom Publications
SEVEN GAMES OF INDIA IN THE 6TH
CENTURY B.C.
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