Majjhima Nikāya
The Majjhima Nikaya emerged from a historical window spanning the 3rd century BCE to the 2nd century CE. This timeframe marks the period during which the collection was composed and transmitted within early Theravada Buddhism. It stands as the second of five nikayas, or collections, found in the Sutta Pitaka. The Sutta Pitaka itself forms one part of the three baskets known as the Pali Tipitaka. Scholars trace these origins back to oral traditions that eventually took written form over several centuries.
Bhikkhu Bodhi described this collection as combining the richest variety of contextual settings with the deepest and most comprehensive assortment of teachings. The text contains exactly 152 discourses attributed to the Buddha and his chief disciples. These suttas are arranged into three parts, each containing five specific divisions. All divisions except the penultimate one hold ten discourses each. This structure creates a systematic framework for studying the middle-length sayings of the tradition.
A version of the Madhyama Agama survives in Sanskrit fragments and Tibetan translations across various early Buddhist schools. The Sarvastivadin recension appears complete in Chinese as the Zhong Ahanjing. That particular school's Madhyama Agama holds 222 sutras compared to the 152 suttas found in the Pali Majjhima Nikaya. These parallel texts offer scholars a way to compare how different communities preserved similar teachings. Some versions exist only as fragments while others remain fully intact within their respective canons.
Lord Chalmers published Further Dialogues of the Buddha between 1898 and 1926 through the Pali Text Society in London. I.B. Horner followed with The Book of Middle Length Sayings from 1954 to 1959 in three volumes. David W. Evans released Discourses of Gotama Buddha: Middle Collection in 1991, which contained about 90% of significant content despite being one third the size of Horner's work. Bhikkhu Sujato completed The Middle Discourses in 2018 and made it available online at SuttaCentral under public domain terms. Mahapandit Rahul Sankrityayan translated portions from Prakrit into Hindi earlier in the century.
The collection features diverse contextual settings ranging from village dialogues to royal court discussions. It includes teachings attributed directly to the Buddha alongside those delivered by his chief disciples. Specific suttas like the Sammadiitti Sutta and Anapanasati Sutta appear within these pages as examples of doctrinal depth. The Parable of the Poisoned Arrow also appears here as a famous teaching moment. These texts cover everything from meditation techniques to complex philosophical arguments about reality and perception.
Common questions
What is the Majjhima Nikaya and when was it composed?
The Majjhima Nikaya emerged from a historical window spanning the 3rd century BCE to the 2nd century CE. This timeframe marks the period during which the collection was composed and transmitted within early Theravada Buddhism.
How many discourses are in the Majjhima Nikaya compared to other versions?
The text contains exactly 152 discourses attributed to the Buddha and his chief disciples. The Sarvastivadin recension appears complete in Chinese as the Zhong Ahanjing with 222 sutras compared to the 152 suttas found in the Pali Majjhima Nikaya.
Who published major English translations of the Majjhima Nikaya between 1898 and 2018?
Lord Chalmers published Further Dialogues of the Buddha between 1898 and 1926 through the Pali Text Society in London. Bhikkhu Sujato completed The Middle Discourses in 2018 and made it available online at SuttaCentral under public domain terms.
What specific teachings appear in the Majjhima Nikaya besides general doctrine?
Specific suttas like the Sammadiitti Sutta and Anapanasati Sutta appear within these pages as examples of doctrinal depth. The Parable of the Poisoned Arrow also appears here as a famous teaching moment covering everything from meditation techniques to complex philosophical arguments about reality and perception.
How is the Majjhima Nikaya structured into divisions and parts?
These suttas are arranged into three parts, each containing five specific divisions. All divisions except the penultimate one hold ten discourses each creating a systematic framework for studying the middle-length sayings of the tradition.