Khuddaka Nikāya

Khuddaka Nikaya

The Khuddaka Nikaya, or "Collection of Little Texts" is the fifth division of the Sutta Pitaka, is a wide-ranging collection of fifteen books (eighteen in the Burmese Tipitaka) containing complete suttas, verses, and smaller fragments of Dhamma teachings.

The Nikaya contains:

1. Khuddakapatha — The Short Passages
A collection of nine short passages that may have been designed as a primer for novice monks and nuns. It includes several essential texts that to this day are regularly chanted by laypeople and monastics around the world of Theravada Buddhism. These passages include:

Khp 1: Saranagamana — Going for Refuge
Khp 2: Dasa Sikkhapada — The Ten Training Rules
Khp 3: Dvattimsakara — The 32 Parts
Khp 4: Samanera Pañha — The Novice's Questions
Khp 5: Mangala Sutta — Protection
Khp 6: Ratana Sutta — Treasures
Khp 7: Tirokudda Kanda — Hungry Shades Outside the Walls
Khp 8: Nidhi Kanda — The Reserve Fund
Khp 9: Karaniya Metta Sutta — Good Will

Links:
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/khp/index.html
https://www.dhammatalks.org/Archive/Writings/Ebooks/khuddakapatha200129.pdf

2. The Dhammapada is a collection of sayings of the Buddha in verse form .

Links
http://www.suttas.com/dhammapada.html
https://www.dhammatalks.org/Archive/Writings/Ebooks/Dhammapada200129.pdf

3. Udana — Exclamations
A rich collection of short suttas, each of which culminates in a short verse uttered by the Buddha.
The Udana is composed of eight chapters (vagga) of ten discourses each. The chapter titles are:

Bodhivagga (Awakening chapter)
Mucalindavagga (King Mucalinda chapter)
Nandavagga (Ven. Nanda chapter)
Meghiyavagga (Ven. Meghiya chapter)
Soṇavagga (Lay Follower Sona chapter)
Jaccandhavagga (Blind From Birth chapter)
Cullavagga (Minor chapter)
Pāṭaligāmiyavagga (Pataligamiya chapter)

Links
https://www.dhammatalks.org/Archive/Writings/Ebooks/Udana210221.pdf
https://www.ancient-buddhist-texts.net/English-Texts/Exalted-Utterances/index.htm

4. Itivuttaka — The Thus-saids

A collection of 112 short suttas, in mixed prose and verse form, each of which addresses a single well-focused topic of Dhamma. The Itivuttaka takes its name from the Pali phrase that introduces each sutta: iti vuttam Bhagavata, "Thus was said by the Buddha."

1. The Group of Ones (suttas 1-27)
Iti 1.1-1.23
Iti 24: A Heap of Bones
{Iti 1.24
Iti 25: Lying
Iti 26: Giving
Iti 27: The Development of Loving-kindness

2. The Group of Twos (28-49)
Iti 28-41
Iti 42: The Bright Protectors
Iti 43: The Not-born
Iti 44: The Nibbana-element
Iti 45-48
Iti 49: Held by Views

3. The Group of Threes (50-99)
Iti 50-71
Iti 72: Escape
Iti 73-74
Iti 75: A Rainless Cloud
Iti 76-81
Iti 82: Joyous Utterances
Iti 83
Iti 84: For the Welfare of Many
Iti 85-89
Iti 90: Foremost Faith
Iti 91-99

4. The Group of Fours (100-112)
Iti 100-105
Iti 106: With Brahma
Iti 107-108
Iti 109: The River Current
Iti 110-111
Iti 112: The World

Link:
https://www.dhammatalks.org/Archive/Writings/Ebooks/Itivuttaka210710.pdf

5. Sutta Nipata — The Sutta Collection

71 short suttas, including the Karaniya Metta Sutta (Goodwill/Loving-kindness), the Maha-mangala Sutta (Protection), and the Atthaka Vagga, a chapter of sixteen poems on the theme of non-clinging.

Link:
https://www.dhammatalks.org/Archive/Writings/Ebooks/SuttaNipata210710.pdf

6. Vimanavatthu — Stories of the Celestial Mansions

83 poems, each explaining how wholesome deeds led to a particular deity's rebirth in one of the heavenly realms.

Link:
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/vv/index.html
https://suttafriends.org/vimana-vatthu/

7. Petavatthu — Stories of the Hungry Ghosts

51 poems, each explaining how unwholesome deeds led to the rebirth of a being into the miserable realm of the "Hungry Ghosts" (peta).

Link:
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/pv/index.html
https://suttafriends.org/peta-vatthu/

8 & 9. Theragatha & Therigatha — Verses of the Elder Monks & Verses of the Elder Nuns

These two books offer exquisitely beautiful personal accounts, in verse form, of the lives of the early monks and nuns, often culminating in a lovely simile to describe their experience of Awakening. These verses depict — in often heart-breaking detail — the many hardships these men and women endured and overcame during their quest for Awakening, and offer deep inspiration and encouragement to the rest of us.

Link:
https://www.dhammatalks.org/Archive/Writings/Ebooks/TheragathaTherigatha210221.pdf

10. Jataka — Birth Stories

547 tales that recount some of the Buddha's former lives during his long journey as a Bodhisatta aspiring to Awakening.

Link
https://www.sacred-texts.com/bud/index.htm#jataka
https://www.ancient-buddhist-texts.net/English-Texts/Jataka/The-Jataka.pdf

11. Niddesa — Exposition

This book, traditionally ascribed to Sariputta, is a series of commentaries on sections of the Sutta Nipata. The first part, the Mahaniddesa, is a commentary on the Atthakavagga; the second, the Culaniddesa, a commentary on the Parayanavagga and the Khaggavisana Sutta (Sn 1.3).

Link:
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/nm/index.html
https://zacanger.com/niddesa/assets/niddesa.pdf

12. Patisambhidamagga — Path of Discrimination

An analysis of Abhidhamma concepts.

Link:
https://centrebouddhistetheravada.files.wordpress.com/2013/10/patisambhidamagga-1982-nanamoli.pdf

13. Apadana — Stories

Biographies, in verse, of the Buddha, 41 Paccekabuddhas ("silent" Buddhas), 549 arahant bhikkhus and 40 arahant bhikkhunis. Many of these stories are characterized by flowery paeans celebrating the glory, wonder, magnificence, etc. of the Buddha. The Apadana is believed to be a late addition to the Canon, added at the Second and Third Buddhist Councils.

Links:
https://tipitaka.fandom.com/wiki/Apadana
http://apadanatranslation.org/public/links/walters_legends-of-the-buddhist-saints.pdf

14. Buddhavamsa — History of the Buddhas

Biographical accounts of Gotama Buddha and of the 24 Buddhas who preceded him.

Link:
http://dhammadownload.com/File-Library/MinGunSayadawGyi/MinGunSayadawGyi-TGC-V1P2.pdf
https://www.buddhasasana.net/cloud/Books/Horner-Buddhavamsa-The-Chronicle-of-the-Buddhas.pdf
https://www.buddhasasana.net/cloud/Books/Horner-The-Clarifier-of-the-Sweet-Meaning.pdf

15. Cariyapitaka — Basket of Conduct

Stories, in verse, of 35 of the Buddha's previous lives. These stories, purportedly retold by the Buddha at Ven. Sariputta's request, illustrate the Bodhisatta's practice of seven of the ten paramis (perfections)

Link:
https://www.accesstoinsight.org/lib/authors/bodhi/wheel409.html
https://tipitaka.fandom.com/wiki/Cariyapitaka
https://drarisworld.wordpress.com/2021/12/29/an-introduction-to-cariyapitaka-the-basket-of-conduct/
https://www.buddhasasana.net/cloud/Books/Horner-The-Basket-of-Conduct-Cariyapitaka.pdf