MN 91 With Brahmāyu
The oldest and most respected brahmin of the age sends a student to examine the Buddha, and he spends several months following his every move before reporting back. Convinced that the Buddha fulfills an ancient prophecy of the Great Man, the brahmin becomes his disciple.
25m Jun 02, 2020
25m
MN 90 At Kaṇṇakatthala
King Pasenadi questions the Buddha on miscellaneous matters: caste, omniscience, and the gods among them.
12m May 31, 2020
12m
MN 89 Shrines to the Teaching
King Pasenadi, near the end of his life, visits the Buddha, and shows moving devotion and love for his teacher.
14m May 30, 2020
14m
MN 88 Discourse on the Foreign Cloth
King Pasenadi takes a chance to visit Venerable Ānanda, where he asks about skillful and unskillful behavior, and what is praised by the Buddha. He offers Ānanda a valuable cloth in gratitude.
16m May 28, 2020
16m
MN 87 Born of Affection
A rare glimpse into the marital life of King Pasenadi, and how he is led to the Dhamma by his Queen, the incomparable Mallikā. She confirms the Buddha’s teaching that our loved ones bring us sorrow; but that’s not something a husband, father, and king wants to hear.
21m May 26, 2020
21m
MN 86 With Aṅgulimāla
Ignoring warnings, the Buddha ventures into the domain of the notorious killer Aṅgulimāla and succeeds in converting him to the path of non-violence. After becoming a monk Aṅgulimāla still suffered for his past deeds, but only to a small extent. He uses his new commitment to non-violence to help a woman in labor.
15m May 23, 2020
15m
MN 85 With Prince Bodhi
Admitting that he used to believe that pleasure was to be gained through pain, the Buddha explains how his practice showed him the fallacy of that idea.
1hr 8m May 22, 2020
1hr 8m
MN 84 At Madhurā
In Madhurā, towards the north-eastern limit of the Buddha’s reach during his life, King Avantiputta asks Venerable Mahākaccāna regarding the brahmanical claim to be the highest caste.
12m May 19, 2020
12m
MN 83 About King Makhādeva
A rare extended mythic narrative, telling of an ancient kingly lineage and their eventual downfall.
13m May 17, 2020
13m
MN 82 With Raṭṭhapāla
A wealthy young man, Raṭṭhapāla, has a strong aspiration to go forth, but has to prevail against the reluctance of his parents. Even after he became a monk, his parents tried to persuade him to disrobe. The discourse ends with a moving series of teachings on the fragility of the world.
38m May 16, 2020
38m
MN 81 With Ghaṭikāra
The Buddha relates an unusual account of a past life in the time of the previous Buddha, Kassapa. At that time he was not interested in Dhamma, and had to be forced to go see the Buddha. This discourse is important in understanding the development of the Bodhisattva doctrine.
17m May 14, 2020
17m
MN 80 With Vekhanasa
Starting off similar to the previous, the Buddha goes on to explain that one is not converted to his teaching just because of clever arguments, but because you see in yourself the results of the practice.
10m May 13, 2020
10m
MN 79 The Shorter Discourse With Sakuludāyī
A wanderer teaches his doctrine of the “highest splendor” but is unable to give a satisfactory account of what that means. The Buddha memorably compares him to someone who is in love with an idealized women who he has never met.
21m May 12, 2020
21m
MN 78 With Uggāhamāna Samaṇamuṇḍika
A wanderer teaches that a person has reached the highest attainment when they keep four basic ethical precepts. The Buddha’s standards are considerably higher.
15m May 08, 2020
15m
MN 77 The Longer Discourse with Sakkuludāyī
Unlike many teachers, the Buddha’s followers treat him with genuine love and respect, since they see the sincerity of his teaching and practice.
48m May 07, 2020
48m
MN 76 With Sandaka
Venerable Ānanda teaches a group of wanderers how there are many different approaches to the spiritual life, many of which lead nowhere.
29m May 06, 2020
29m
MN 75 WIth Māgandiya
Accused by a hedonist of being too negative, the Buddha recounts the luxury of his upbringing, and his realization of how little value there was in such things. Through renunciation he found a far greater pleasure.
32m May 01, 2020
32m
MN 74 With Dighanakha
Deftly outmaneuvering an extreme skeptic, the Buddha discusses the outcomes of belief and disbelief. Rather than getting stuck in abstractions, he encourages staying close to the feelings one experiences.
8m Apr 29, 2020
8m
MN 73 The Longer Discourse with Vacchagotta
In the final installment of the “Vacchagotta trilogy”, Vacchagotta lets go his obsession with meaningless speculation, and asks about practice.
17m Apr 25, 2020
17m
MN 72 With Vacchagotta on Fire
Refusing to take a stance regarding useless metaphysical speculations, the Buddha illustrates the spiritual goal with the simile of a flame going out.
10m Apr 22, 2020
10m
MN 71 To Vacchagotta on the Three Knowledges
The Buddha denies being omniscient, and sets forth the three higher knowledges that form the core of his awakened insight.
6m Apr 19, 2020
6m
MN 70 At Kitagiri
A third discourse that presents the health benefits of eating in one part of the day, and the reluctance of some mendicants to follow this.
24m Apr 16, 2020
24m
MN 69 With Gulissāni
A monk comes down to the community from the wilderness, but doesn’t behave properly. Venerable Sāriputta explains how a mendicant should behave, whether in forest or town.
14m Apr 15, 2020
14m
MN 68 At Nalakapana
Those who practice do so not because they are failures, but because they aspire to higher freedom. When he speaks of the attainments of disciples, the Buddha does so in order to inspire.
17m Apr 14, 2020
17m
MN 67 Discourse at Catuma
After dismissing some unruly monks, the Buddha is persuaded to relent, and teaches them four dangers for those gone forth.
19m Apr 11, 2020
19m
MN 66 The Simile of the Quail
Again raising the rule regarding eating, but this time as a reflection of gratitude for the Buddha in eliminating things that cause complexity and stress. The Buddha emphasizes how attachment even to little things can be dangerous.
32m Apr 09, 2020
32m
MN 65 With Bhaddali
A monk refuses to follow the rule forbidding eating after noon, but is filled with remorse and forgiven.
27m Apr 07, 2020
27m
MN 64 The Greater Discourse to Malunkyaputta
A little baby has no wrong views or intentions, but the underlying tendency for these things is still there. Without practicing, they will inevitably recur.
19m Apr 05, 2020
19m
MN 63 The Short Dialogue with Malunkya
The sutta focuses on the “unexplained” or “undetermined” questions and explains why these are not answered – because they are not connected with the goal of the Buddhist path, namely the cessation of suffering.
14m Mar 29, 2020
14m
MN 62 The Longer Advice to Rahula
The Buddha tells Rāhula to meditate on not-self, which he immediately puts into practice. Seeing him, Venerable Sāriputta advises him to develop breath meditation, but the Buddha suggests a wide range of different practices first.
15m Mar 28, 2020
15m
MN 61 Advice to Rahula at Amballattika
Using the “object lesson” of a cup of water, the Buddha explains to his son, Rāhula, the importance of telling the truth and reflecting on one’s motives.
10m Mar 26, 2020
10m
MN 60 The Incontrovertible Teaching
The Buddha teaches a group of uncommitted householders how to use a rational reflection to arrive at practices and principles that are guaranteed to have a good outcome, even if we don’t know all the variables
59m Mar 24, 2020
59m
MN 59 The Many Kinds of Feeling
The Buddha resolves a disagreement on the number of kinds of feelings  that he taught, pointing out that different ways of teaching are  appropriate in different contexts, and should not be a cause of  disputes. He goes on to show the importance of pleasure in developing  higher meditation.
9m Mar 22, 2020
9m
MN 58 With Prince Abhaya
The leader of the Jains, Nigaṇṭha Nātaputta, gives his disciple Prince Abhaya a dilemma to pose to the Buddha, supposing that this will show his weakness. Things don’t go quite as planned.
7m Mar 21, 2020
7m
MN 57 The Ascetic who behaved like a Dog
Some ascetics in ancient India undertook extreme practices, such as a vow to behave like an ox or a dog. The Buddha meets two such individuals, and is reluctantly pressed to reveal the kammic outcomes of such practice.
11m Mar 08, 2020
11m
MN 56 With Upāli
The Buddha disagrees with a Jain ascetic on the question of whether physical or metal deeds are more important. When he hears of this, the Jain disciple Upāli decides to visit the Buddha and refute him, and proceeds despite all warnings
33m Mar 07, 2020
33m
MN 55 With Jīvaka
The Buddha’s personal doctor, Jīvaka, hears criticisms of the Buddha’s policy regarding eating meat, and asks him about it.
8m Mar 04, 2020
8m
MN 54 With Potaliya the Wanderer
When Potaliya got upset at being referred to as “householder”, the Buddha quizzed him as to the true nature of attachment and renunciation.
24m Mar 03, 2020
24m
MN 53 A Trainee
The Buddha is invited by his family, the Sakyans of Kapilavatthu, to inaugurate a new community hall. He invites Venerable Ānanda to explain in detail the stages of spiritual practice for a lay trainee.
15m Mar 02, 2020
15m
MN 52 The Man from the City of Aṭṭhaka
Asked by a householder to teach a path to freedom, Venerable Ānanda explains no less than eleven meditative states that may serve as doors to the deathless.
16m Mar 01, 2020
16m
MN 51 With Kandarka
The Buddha discusses mindfulness meditation with lay practitioners. Contrasting the openness of animals with the duplicity of humans, he explains how to practice in a way that causes no harm to oneself or others.
30m Feb 26, 2020
30m
MN 50 The Rebuke of Mara
Māra, the trickster and god of death, tried to annoy Moggallāna. He not only failed but was subject to a stern sermon warning of the dangers of attacking the Buddha’s disciples.
15m Feb 23, 2020
15m
MN 49 On the Invitation of Brahma
The Buddha ascends to a high heavenly realm where he engages in a cosmic contest with a powerful divinity, who had fallen into the delusion that he was eternal and all-powerful.
15m Feb 22, 2020
15m
MN 48 The Mendicants of Kosambi
Despite the Buddha’s presence, the monks of Kosambi fell into a deep and bitter dispute. The Buddha taught the reluctant monks to develop love and harmony, reminding them of the state of peace that they sought.
12m Feb 21, 2020
12m
MN 47 The Inquirer
While some spiritual teachers prefer to remain in obscurity, the Buddha not only encouraged his followers to closely investigate him, but gave them a detailed and demanding method to do so.
7m Feb 19, 2020
7m
MN 46 The Greater Discourse on Taking up Practices
While we all want to be happy, we often find the opposite happens. The Buddha explains why.
15m Feb 18, 2020
15m
MN 45 The Shorter Discourse on Taking up Practices
The Buddha explains how taking up different practices may have harmful or beneficial results. The memorable simile of the creeper shows how insidious temptations can be.
9m Feb 17, 2020
9m
MN 44 The Shorter Analysis
The layman Visākha asks the nun Dhammadinnā about various difficult matters, including some of the highest meditation attainments. The Buddha fully endorses her answers.
15m Feb 09, 2020
15m
MN 43 The Great Analysis
A series of questions and answers between Sāriputta and Mahākoṭṭhita, examining various subtle and abstruse aspects of the teachings.
17m Feb 08, 2020
17m
MN 42 Discourse to the People of Veranja
This sutta is identical to the previous sutta MN 41 Sāleyyaka Sutta apart from the first two paragraphs.
18m Feb 08, 2020
18m