Selected Suttas

The Buddha’s search was to discover a path that transcends the universal suffering experienced by all sentient beings, specifically the challenges in aging, illness, and death. The following selected suttas represent six of the Buddha’s first teachings after the fulfillment of his quest.

After the Buddha's death in 80 BCE, his teachings were preserved orally by his disciples for many centuries before being written down in languages such as Pali, Sanskrit, and Gandhari. These oral transmissions often relied on rhythm and repetition as monks and nuns memorised the material through structured question-and-answer formats.

In Theravāda Buddhism, the Pāli Canon (or Tripiṭaka) is the main collection of the Buddha's words.

Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta: Setting the Wheel of Dhamma in Motion

“A record of the first sermon given by Gautama Buddha, the Sermon in the Deer Park at Sarnath. The main topic of this sutta is the Four Noble Truths, which refer to and express the basic orientation of Buddhism in a formulaic expression.[1][2] This sutta also refers to the Buddhist concepts of the Middle Way, impermanence, and dependent origination.” Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta - Wikipedia

The Satipatthana Sutta: The Way of Mindfulness

“The Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta[1][note 1] (Majjhima Nikaya 10: The Discourse on the Establishing of Mindfulness), and the subsequently created Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta[2] (Dīgha Nikāya 22: The Great Discourse on the Establishing of Mindfulness), are two of the most celebrated and widely studied discourses in the Pāli Canon of Theravada Buddhism, acting as the foundation for contemporary vipassana meditation practice…These suttas (discourses) stress the practice of sati (mindfulness) "for the purification of beings, for the overcoming of sorrow and lamentation, for the extinguishing of suffering and grief, for walking on the path of truth, for the realization of nibbāna."[note 2] Satipatthana Sutta - Wikipedia

The Kalama Sutta: The Charter on Free Inquiry

“Translator’s note: (The Buddha taught in this sutta that) Traditions are not to be followed simply because they are traditions. Reports (such as historical accounts or news) are not to be followed simply because the source seems reliable. One's own preferences are not to be followed simply because they seem logical or resonate with one's feelings. Instead, any view or belief must be tested by the results it yields when put into practice; and — to guard against the possibility of any bias or limitations in one's understanding of those results — they must further be checked against the experience of people who are wise. The ability to question and test one's beliefs in an appropriate way is called appropriate attention. The ability to recognize and choose wise people as mentors is called having admirable friends.” Kalama Sutta: To the Kalamas-Access to Insight

Karaniya Metta Sutta: The Buddha's Words on Loving-Kindness

Adittapariyaya Sutta: The Fire Sermon

“In this discourse, the Buddha preaches about achieving liberation from suffering through detachment from the five senses and mind.” Ādittapariyāya Sutta - Wikipedia

The Dhammapada: The Buddha's Path of Wisdom

“…According to the Theravada Buddhist tradition, each verse in the Dhammapada was originally spoken by the Buddha in response to a particular episode. Accounts of these, along with exegesis of the verses, are preserved in the classic commentary to the work, compiled by the great scholiast Bhadantacariya Buddhaghosa in the fifth century C.E. on the basis or material going back to very ancient times.” The Dhammapada: The Buddha's Path of Wisdom