List of Majjhima Nikaya suttas

This is a list of the suttas in the Majjhima Nikaya collection of middle-length discourses, part of the Tipiṭaka Buddhist Canon. English translations were done by Bhante Sujato.

General list

Sutta number	Parts	Divisions	Pali title	English title	Description
MN 1	Mūlapannāsapāli - The Root Fifty Discourses	Mūlapariyāya Vagga - The Division of the Discourse on the Root	Mulapariyaya Sutta	The Root Sequence	The Buddha examines how the notion of a permanent self emerges from the process of perception. A wide range of phenomena are considered, embracing both naturalistic and cosmological dimensions. An unawakened person interprets experience in terms of a self, while those more advanced have the same experiences without attachment.
MN 2			Sabbasava Sutta	All the Fermentations	Also called "All The Taints" (Bhikkhu Bodhi) This sutta explains the seven ways to remove the taints by seeing, restraining, using, enduing, avoiding, removing, and by developing.
MN 3			Dhammadayada Sutta	Heirs in Dhamma	Some of the Buddha’s students inherit from him only material profits and fame. But his true inheritance is the spiritual path, the way of contentment. Venerable Sāriputta explains how by following the Buddha’s example we can experience the fruits of the path.
MN 4			Bhaya-bherava Sutta	Fear and Terror	The Buddha explains the difficulties of living in the wilderness, and how they are overcome by purity of conduct and meditation. He recounts some of the fears and obstacles he faced during his own practice.
MN 5			Anangana Sutta	Without Blemishes	The Buddha’s chief disciples, Sāriputta and Moggallāna, use a simile of a tarnished bowl to illustrate the blemishes of the mind and conduct. They emphasize how the crucial thing is not so much whether there are blemishes, but whether we are aware of them.
MN 6			Akankheyya Sutta	If a Bhikkhu Should Wish	According to the Buddha, careful observance of ethical precepts is the foundation of all higher achievements in the spiritual life.
MN 7			Vatthupama Sutta	The Simile of the Cloth	The many different kinds of impurities that defile the mind are compared to a dirty cloth. When the mind is clean we find joy, which leads to states of higher consciousness. Finally, the Buddha rejects the Brahmanical notion that purity comes from bathing in sacred rivers.
MN 8			Sallekha Sutta	The Discourse on Effacement	The Buddha differentiates between peaceful meditation and spiritual practices that encompass the whole of life. He lists forty-four aspects, which he explains as “effacement”, the wearing away of conceit.
MN 9			Sammaditthi Sutta	Right View	Venerable Sāriputta gives a detailed explanation of right view, the first factor of the noble eightfold path. At the prompting of the other mendicants, he approaches the topic from a wide range of perspectives.
MN 10			Satipatthana Sutta	Frames of Reference/Foundations of Mindfulness	Here the Buddha details the seventh factor of the noble eightfold path, mindfulness meditation. This collects many of the meditation teachings found throughout the canon, especially the foundational practices focusing on the body, and is regarded as one of the most important meditation discourses.
MN 11		Sīhanāda Vagga - The Division of the Lion's Roar	Cula-sihanada Sutta	The Shorter Discourse on the Lion's Roar	The Buddha declares that only those following his path can genuinely experience the four stages of awakening. This is because, while much is shared with other systems, none of them go so far as to fully reject all attachment to the idea of a self.
MN 12			Maha-sihanada Sutta	The Great Discourse on the Lion's Roar	A disrobed monk, Sunakkhatta, attacks the Buddha’s teaching because it merely leads to the end of suffering. The Buddha counters that this is, in fact, praise, and goes on to enumerate his many profound and powerful achievements.
MN 13			Maha-dukkhakkhandha Sutta	The Greater Discourse on the Mass of Suffering	Challenged to show the difference between his teaching and that of other ascetics, the Buddha points out that they speak of letting go, but do not really understand why. He then explains in great detail the suffering that arises from attachment to sensual stimulation.
MN 14			Cula-dukkhakkhandha Sutta	The Shorter Discourse on the Mass of Suffering	A lay person is puzzled at how, despite their long practice, they still have greedy or hateful thoughts. The Buddha explains the importance of absorption meditation for letting go such attachments. But he also criticizes self-mortification, and recounts a previous dialog with Jain ascetics.
MN 15			Anumana Sutta	Inference	Venerable Moggallāna raises the topic of admonishment, without which healthy community is not possible. He lists a number of qualities that will encourage others to think it worthwhile to admonish you in a constructive way.
MN 16			Cetokhila Sutta	The Wilderness in the Heart	The Buddha explains various ways one can become emotionally cut off from one’s spiritual community.
MN 17			Vanapattha Sutta	Jungle Thickets	While living in the wilderness is great, not everyone is ready for it. The Buddha encourages meditators to reflect on whether one’s environment is genuinely supporting their meditation practice, and if not, to leave.
MN 18			Madhupindika Sutta	The Ball of Honey	Challenged by a brahmin, the Buddha gives an enigmatic response on how conflict arises due to proliferation based on perceptions. Venerable Kaccāna draws out the detailed implications of this in one of the most insightful passages in the entire canon.
MN 19			Dvedhavitakka Sutta	Two Sorts of Thinking	Recounting his own experiences in developing meditation, the Buddha explains how to understand harmful and harmless thoughts, and how to go beyond thought altogether.
MN 20			Vitakkasanthana Sutta	The Removal of Distracting Thoughts	In a practical meditation teaching, the Buddha describes five different approaches to stopping thoughts.
MN 21		Opamma Vagga - The Division of Similes	Kakacupama Sutta	The Simile of the Saw	A discourse full of vibrant and memorable similes, on the importance of patience and love even when faced with abuse and criticism. The Buddha finishes with the simile of the saw, one of the most memorable similes found in the discourses.
MN 22			Alagaddupama Sutta	The Water-Snake Simile	One of the monks denies that prohibited conduct is really a problem. The monks and then the Buddha subject him to an impressive dressing down. The Buddha compares someone who understands only the letter of the teachings to someone who grabs a snake by the tail, and also invokes the famous simile of the raft.
MN 23			Vammika Sutta	The Ant	In a curious discourse laden with evocative imagery, a deity presents a riddle to a mendicant, who seeks an answer from the Buddha.
MN 24			Ratha-vinita Sutta	Relay Chariots	Venerable Sāriputta seeks a dialog with an esteemed monk, Venerable Puṇṇa Mantāniputta, and they discuss the stages of purification.
MN 25			Nivapa Sutta	The Bait	The Buddha compares getting trapped by Māra with a deer getting caught in a snare, illustrating the ever more complex strategies employed by hunter and hunted.
MN 26			Ariyapariyesana Sutta	The Noble Search	This is one of the most important biographical discourses, telling the Buddha’s experiences from leaving home to realizing awakening. Throughout, he was driven by the imperative to fully escape from rebirth and suffering.
MN 27			Cula-hatthipadopama Sutta	The Shorter Elephant Footprint Simile	The Buddha cautions against swift conclusions about a teacher’s spiritual accomplishments, comparing it to the care a tracker would use when tracking elephants. He presents the full training of a monastic.
MN 28			Maha-hatthipadopama Sutta	The Great Elephant Footprint Simile	Sāriputta gives an elaborate demonstration of how, just as any footprint can fit inside an elephant’s, all the Buddha’s teaching can fit inside the four noble truths. This offers an overall template for organizing the Buddha’s teachings.
MN 29			Maha-saropama Sutta	The Greater Discourse on the Simile of the Heartwood	Following the incident with Devadatta, the Buddha cautions the mendicants against becoming complacent with superficial benefits of spiritual life and points to liberation as the true heart of the teaching.
MN 30			Cula-saropama Sutta	The Shorter Discourse on the Simile of the Heartwood	Similar to the previous. After the incident with Devadatta, the Buddha cautions the mendicants against becoming complacent and points to liberation as the true heart of the teaching.
MN 31		Mahāyamaka Vagga - The Great Division of Pairs	Cula-gosinga Sutta	The Shorter Discourse in Gosinga	The Buddha comes across three mendicants practicing diligently and harmoniously, and asks them how they do it. Reluctant to disclose their higher attainments, they explain how they deal with the practical affairs of living together. But when pressed by the Buddha, they reveal their meditation attainments.
MN 32			Maha-gosinga Sutta	The Greater Discourse in Gosinga	Several senior mendicants, reveling in the beauty of the night, discuss what kind of practitioner would adorn the park. They take their answers to the Buddha, who praises their answers, but gives his own twist.
MN 33			Maha-gopalaka Sutta	The Greater Cowherd Discourse	This sutta explains the eleven ways for a bhikkhu to make progress in the path.
MN 34			Cula-gopalaka Sutta	The Shorter Discourse on the Cowherd	Drawing parallels with a cowherd guiding his herd across a dangerous river, the Buddha presents the various kinds of enlightened disciples who cross the stream of transmigration.
MN 35			Cula-saccaka Sutta	The Shorter Discourse on the Saccaka	Saccaka was a debater, who challenged the Buddha to a contest. Despite his bragging, the Buddha is not at all perturbed at his attacks.
MN 36			Maha-Saccaka Sutta	The Greater Discourse on the Saccaka	In a less confrontational meeting, the Buddha and Saccaka discuss the difference between physical and mental development. The Buddha gives a long account of the various practices he did before awakening, detailing the astonishing lengths he took to mortify the body.
MN 37			Cula-tanhasankhaya Sutta	The Shorter Discourse on the Destruction of Craving	Moggallāna visits the heaven of Sakka, the lord of gods, to see whether he really understands what the Buddha is teaching.
MN 38			Maha-tanhasankhaya Sutta	The Greater Discourse on the Destruction of Craving	To counter the wrong view that a self-identical consciousness transmigrates from one life to the next, the Buddha teaches dependent origination, showing that consciousness invariably arises dependent on conditions.
MN 39			Maha-Assapura Sutta	The Greater Discourse at Assapura	The Buddha encourages the mendicants to live up to their name, by actually practicing in a way that meets or exceeds the expectations people have for renunciants.
MN 40			Cula-assapura Sutta	The Shorter Discourse at Assapura	The labels of being a spiritual practitioner don’t just come from external trappings, but from sincere inner change.
MN 41		Cūḷayamaka Vagga - The Shorter Division of Pairs	Saleyyaka Sutta	The Brahmans of Sala	The Buddha explains to a group of brahmins the conduct leading to rebirth in higher or lower states, including detailed explanations of the ten core practices which lay people should undertake, and which also form the basis for liberation.
MN 42			Veranjaka Sutta	The Brahmins of Veranjaka	Similar to the previous. The Buddha explains the conduct leading to rebirth in higher or lower states, including detailed explanations of the ten core practices.
MN 43			Maha-vedalla Sutta	The Greater Set of Questions-and-Answers	A series of questions and answers between Sāriputta and Mahākoṭṭhita, examining various subtle and abstruse aspects of the teachings.
MN 44			Cula-vedalla Sutta	The Shorter Set of Questions-and-Answers	The layman Visākha asks the nun Dhammadinnā about various difficult matters, including some of the highest meditation attainments. The Buddha fully endorses her answers.
MN 45			Cula-dhammasamadana Sutta	The Shorter Discourse on Taking on 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.
MN 46			Maha-dhammasamadana Sutta	The Greater Discourse on Taking on Practices	While we all want to be happy, we often find the opposite happens. The Buddha explains why.
MN 47			Vīmaṃsaka Sutta	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.
MN 48			Kosambiya Sutta	The Kosambians	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.
MN 49			Brahmanimantanika Sutta	The Invitation Of A 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.
MN 50			Maratajjaniya Sutta	The Rebuke to 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.
MN 51	Majjhimapannāsapāli - The Middle Fifty Discourses	Gahapati Vagga - The Division on Householders	Kandaka Sutta	To Kandaka	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.
MN 52			Atthakanagara Sutta	To the Man from Atthakanagara	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.
MN 53			Sekha-patipada Sutta	The Practice for One in Training	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.
MN 54			Potaliya Sutta	To Potaliya	When Potaliya got upset at being referred to as “householder”, the Buddha quizzed him as to the true nature of attachment and renunciation.
MN 55			Jivaka Sutta	Discourse given to Jīvaka, the healer	The Buddha’s personal doctor, Jīvaka, hears criticisms of the Buddha’s policy regarding eating meat, and asks him about it.
MN 56			Upali Sutta	Discourse given to Upali the householder	The Buddha disagrees with a Jain ascetic on the question of whether physical or mental 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.
MN 57			Kukkuravatika Sutta	The Dog-duty Ascetic	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.
MN 58			Abhaya Sutta	To Prince Abhaya (On Right Speech)	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.
MN 59			Bahuvedaniya Sutta	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.
MN 60			Apannaka Sutta	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.
MN 61		Bhikkhu Vagga - The Division on Bhikkhus	Ambalatthikarahulovada Sutta	Advice to Rahula at Mango Stone	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.
MN 62			Maha-Rahulovada Sutta	The Greater Discourse of 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.
MN 63			Cula-Malunkyovada Sutta	The Shorter Instructions to Malunkya	A monk demands that the Buddha answer his metaphysical questions, or else he will disrobe. The Buddha compares him to a man struck by an arrow, who refuses treatment until he can have all his questions about the arrow and the archer answered.
MN 64			Maha-Malunkyaputta Sutta	The Greater Instructions to Malunkya	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.
MN 65			Bhaddali Sutta	To Bhaddali	A monk refuses to follow the rule forbidding eating after noon, but is filled with remorse and forgiven.
MN 66			Latukikopama Sutta	The Quail Simile	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.
MN 67			Catuma Sutta	At Catuma	After dismissing some unruly monks, the Buddha is persuaded to relent, and teaches them four dangers for those gone forth.
MN 68			Nalakapana Sutta	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.
MN 69			Gulissani Sutta	Gulissani	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.
MN 70			Kitagiri Sutta	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.
MN 71		Paribbājaka Vagga - The Division on Wanderers	Tevijja Vacchagotta Sutta	To Vacchagotta on the Threefold True Knowledge	The Buddha denies being omniscient, and sets forth the three higher knowledges that form the core of his awakened insight.
MN 72			Aggi-Vacchagotta Sutta	To 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.
MN 73			Maha-Vacchagotta Sutta	The Greater Discourse to Vacchagotta	In the final installment of the “Vacchagotta trilogy”, Vacchagotta lets go his obsession with meaningless speculation, and asks about practice.
MN 74			Dighanahka Sutta	To 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.
MN 75			Magandiya Sutta	To Magandiya	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.
MN 76			Sandaka Sutta	To Sandaka	Venerable Ānanda teaches a group of wanderers how there are many different approaches to the spiritual life, many of which lead nowhere.
MN 77			Maha-sakuludayi Sutta	The Greater Discourse to Sakuludayin	Unlike many teachers, the Buddha’s followers treat him with genuine love and respect, since they see the sincerity of his teaching and practice.
MN 78			Samana-Mundika Sutta	Mundika the Contemplative	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.
MN 79			Cula-sakuludayi Sutta	The Shorter Discourse to Sakuludayin	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 woman who he has never met.
MN 80			Vekhanassa Sutta	To Vekhanassa	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.
MN 81		Rāja Vagga - The Division on Kings	Ghatikara Sutta	Ghatikara the Potter	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.
MN 82			Ratthapala Sutta	About Ratthapala	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.
MN 83			Makhadeva Sutta	About King Makhadeva	A rare extended mythic narrative, telling of an ancient kingly lineage and their eventual downfall.
MN 84			Madhura Sutta	At Madhura	In Madhurā, towards the north-western limit of the Buddha’s reach during his life, King Avantiputta asks Venerable Mahākaccāna regarding the brahmanical claim to be the highest caste.
MN 85			Bodhirajakumara Sutta	To 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.
MN 86			Angulimala Sutta	About Angulimala	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.
MN 87			Piyajatika Sutta	From One Who Is Dear	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.
MN 88			Bahitika Sutta	The Cloak	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.
MN 89			Dhammacetiya Sutta	Monuments to the Dhamma	King Pasenadi, near the end of his life, visits the Buddha, and shows moving devotion and love for his teacher.
MN 90			Kannakatthala Sutta	At Kannakatthala	King Pasenadi questions the Buddha on miscellaneous matters: caste, omniscience, and the gods among them.
MN 91		Brāhmaṇa Vagga - The Division on Brahmins	Brahmayu Sutta	Brahmayu	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.
MN 92			Sela Sutta	To Sela	A brahmanical ascetic named Keṇiya invites the entire Saṅgha for a meal. When the brahmin Sela sees what is happening, he visits the Buddha and expresses his delight in a moving series of devotional verses.
MN 93			Assalayana Sutta	To Assalayana	A precocious brahmin student is encouraged against his wishes to challenge the Buddha on the question of caste. His reluctance turns out to be justified.
MN 94			Ghotamukha Sutta	To Ghotamukha	A brahmin denies that there is such a thing as a principled renunciate life, but Venerable Udena persuades him otherwise.
MN 95			Canki Sutta	With Canki	The reputed brahmin Caṅkī goes with a large group to visit the Buddha, despite the reservations of other brahmins. A precocious student challenges the Buddha, affirming the validity of the Vedic scriptures. The Buddha gives a detailed explanation of how true understanding gradually emerges through spiritual education.
MN 96			Phasukari Sutta	To Phasukari	A brahmin claims that one deserves service and privilege depending on caste, but the Buddha counters that it is conduct, not caste, that show a person’s worth.
MN 97			Dhananjani Sutta	To Dhananjani	A corrupt tax-collector is redeemed by his encounter with Venerable Sāriputta.
MN 98			Vasettha Sutta	To Vasettha	Two brahmin students ask the Buddha about what makes a brahmin: birth or deeds? the Buddha points out that, while the species of animals are determined by birth, for humans what matters is how you chose to live. This discourse anticipates the modern view that there are no such things as clearly defined racial differences among humans.
MN 99			Subha Sutta	To Subha	Working hard is not valuable in and of itself; what matters is the outcome. And just as in lay life, spiritual practice may or may not lead to fruitful results.
MN 100			Sangarava Sutta	To Sangarava	Angered by the devotion of a brahmin lady, a brahmin visits the Buddha. He positions himself against traditionalists and rationalists, as someone whose teaching is based on direct experience.
MN 101	Uparipannāsapāli - The Final Fifty Discourses	Devadaha Vagga - The Division at Devadaha	Devadaha Sutta	To Devadaha	The Buddha tackles a group of Jain ascetics, pressing them on their claim to be practicing to end all suffering by self-mortification. He points out a series of fallacies in their logic, and explains his own middle way.
MN 102			Pancattaya Sutta	The Five and Three	A middle length version of the more famous Brahmajala Sutta (DN1), this surveys a range of speculative views and dismisses them all.
MN 103			Kinti Sutta	What Do You Think About Me?	The Buddha teaches the monks to not dispute about the fundamental teachings, but to always strive for harmony.
MN 104			Samagama Sutta	At Samagama	Hearing of the death of the Jain leader Nigaṇṭha Nātaputta, the Buddha encourages the Saṅgha to swiftly resolve any disputes. He lays down a series of seven methods for resolving disputes. These form the foundation for the monastic code.
MN 105			Sunakkhatta Sutta	To Sunakkhatta	Not all of those who claim to be awakened are genuine. The Buddha teaches how true spiritual progress depends on an irreversible letting go of the forces that lead to suffering.
MN 106			Aneñja-sappaya Sutta	Conducive to the Imperturbable	Beginning with profound meditation absorption, the Buddha goes on to deeper and deeper levels, showing how insight on this basis leads to the detaching of consciousness from any form of rebirth.
MN 107			Ganaka-Moggallana Sutta	The Discourse to Ganaka-Moggallana	The Buddha compares the training of an accountant with the step by step spiritual path of his followers. But even with such a well explained path, the Buddha can only show the way, and it is up to us to walk it.
MN 108			Gopaka-Moggallana Sutta	Moggallana the Guardsman	Amid rising military tensions after the Buddha’s death, Venerable Ānanda is questioned about how the Saṅgha planned to continue in their teacher’s absence. As the Buddha refused to appoint a successor, the teaching and practice that he laid down become the teacher, and the Saṅgha resolves issues by consensus.
MN 109			Maha-punnama Sutta	The Great Full-moon Night Discourse	On a lovely full moon night, one of the mendicants presents the Buddha with a series of questions that go to the heart of the teaching. But when he hears of the doctrine of not-self, another mendicant is unable to grasp the meaning.
MN 110			Cula-punnama Sutta	The Shorter Discourse on the Full-moon Night	A good person is able to understand a bad person, but not vice versa.
MN 111		Anupada Vagga - The Division of One by One	Anupada Sutta	One by One as they Occurred	The Buddha describes in technical detail the process of insight of Venerable Sāriputta. Many ideas and terms in this text anticipate the Abhidhamma.
MN 112			Chabbisodhana Sutta	The Sixfold Purity	If someone claims to be awakened, their claim should be interrogated with a detailed series of detailed questions. Only if they can answer them clearly should the claim be accepted.
MN 113			Sappurisa Sutta	The True Man	The Buddha explains that a truly good person does not disparage others or feel superior because of their attainment.
MN 114			Sevitabba Asevitabba Sutta	To Be Cultivated and Not to Be Cultivated	The Buddha sets up a framework on things to be cultivated or avoided, and Venerable Sāriputta volunteers to elaborate.
MN 115			Bahudhatuka Sutta	The Many Kinds of Elements	Beginning by praising a wise person, the Buddha goes on to explain that one becomes wise by inquiring into the elements, sense fields, dependent origination, and what is possible and impossible.
MN 116			Isigili Sutta	The Discourse at Isigili	Reflecting on the changes that even geographical features undergo, the Buddha then recounts the names of sages of the past who have lived in Mount Isigili near Rājagaha.
MN 117			Maha-cattarisaka Sutta	The Great Forty	A discourse on the prerequisites of right samādhi that emphasizes the interrelationship and mutual support of all the factors of the eightfold path.
MN 118			Anapanasati Sutta	Mindfulness of Breathing	Surrounded by many well-practiced mendicants, the Buddha teaches mindfulness of breathing in detail, showing how they relate to the four kinds of mindfulness meditation.
MN 119			Kayagatasati Sutta	Mindfulness Immersed in the Body	This focuses on the first aspect of mindfulness meditation, the observation of the body. This set of practices, simple as they seem, have far-reaching benefits.
MN 120			Sankharuppatti Sutta	Reappearance by Aspiration	The Buddha explains how one can make a wish to be reborn in different realms.
MN 121		Suññata Vagga - The Division of Voidness	Cula-suññata Sutta	The Lesser Discourse on Emptiness	The Buddha describes his own practice of the meditation on emptiness.
MN 122			Maha-suññata Sutta	The Greater Discourse on Emptiness	A group of mendicants have taken to socializing too much, so the Buddha teaches on the importance of seclusion in order to enter fully into emptiness.
MN 123			Acchariyabbhutta Sutta	Wonderful and Marvelous	Venerable Ānanda is invited by the Buddha to speak on the Buddha’s amazing qualities, and proceeds to list a series of apparently miraculous events accompanying his birth. The Buddha caps it off by explaining what he thinks is really amazing about himself.
MN 124			Bakkula Sutta	About Venerable Bakkula	Venerable Bakkula, regarded as the healthiest of the mendicants, explains to an old friend his strict and austere practice. The unusual form of this discourse suggests it was added to the canon some time after the Buddha’s death.
MN 125			Dantabhumi Sutta	The Discourse on the "Tamed Stage"	A young monk is unable to persuade a prince of the blessings of peace of mind. The Buddha offers similes based on training an elephant that would have been successful, as this was a field the prince was familiar with.
MN 126			Bhumija Sutta	To Bhumija	Success in the spiritual life does not depend on any vows you may or may not make, but on whether you practice well.
MN 127			Anuruddha Sutta	To Anuruddha	A lay person becomes confused when encouraged to develop the “limitless” and “expansive” liberations, and asks Venerable Anuruddha to explain whether they are the same or different.
MN 128			Upakkilesa Sutta	Imperfections	A second discourse set at the quarrel of Kosambi, this depicts the Buddha, having failed to achieve reconciliation between the disputing mendicants, leaving the monastery. He spends time in the wilderness before encountering an inspiring community of practicing monks. There he discusses in detail obstacles to meditation that he encountered before awakening.
MN 129			Balapandita Sutta	Fools and Wise Men	A fool suffers both in this life and the next, while the astute benefits in both respects.
MN 130			Devaduta Sutta	The Divine Messengers	Expanding on the previous, this discourse contains the most detailed descriptions of the horrors of hell.
MN 131		Vibhaṅga Vagga - The Division of Expositions	Bhaddekaratta Sutta	An Auspicious Day	This discourse opens with a short but powerful set of verses extolling the benefits of insight into the here and now, followed by an explanation.
MN 132			Ananda Bhaddekaratta Sutta	Ananda and a Single Excellent Night	The same discourse as MN 131, but spoken by Venerable Ānanda.
MN 133			Maha-kaccana Bhaddekaratta Sutta	Maha-kaccana and a Single Excellent Night	The verses from MN 131 are explained in a different way by Venerable Mahakaccāna.
MN 134			Lomasakangiya Bhaddekaratta	Lomasakangiya and a Single Excellent Night	A monk who does not know the verses from MN 131 is encouraged by a deity to learn them.
MN 135			Cula-kammavibhanga Sutta	The Shorter Exposition of Kamma	The Buddha explains to a brahmin how your deeds in past lives affect you in this life.
MN 136			Maha-kammavibhanga Sutta	The Greater Exposition of Kamma	Confronted with an overly simplistic version of his own teachings, the Buddha emphasizes the often overlooked nuances and qualifications in how karma plays out.
MN 137			Salayatana-vibhanga Sutta	An Analysis of the Six Sense-media	A detailed analysis of the six senses and the relation to emotional and cognitive processes.
MN 138			Uddesa-vibhanga Sutta	An Analysis of the Statement	The Buddha gives a brief and enigmatic statement on the ways consciousness may become attached. Venerable Mahākaccāna is invited by the mendicants to draw out the implications.
MN 139			Aranavibhanga Sutta	An Analysis of Non-Conflict	Achieving peace is no simple matter. The Buddha explains how to avoid conflict through contentment, right speech, understanding pleasure, and not insisting on local conventions.
MN 140			Dhatu-vibhanga Sutta	An Analysis of the Properties	While staying overnight in a potter’s workshop, the Buddha has a chance encounter with a monk who does not recognize him. They have a long and profound discussion based on the four elements. This is one of the most insightful and moving discourses in the canon.
MN 141			Saccavibhanga Sutta	An Analysis of the Truths	Expanding on the Buddha’s first sermon, Venerable Sāriputta gives a detailed explanation of the four noble truths.
MN 142			Dakkhinavibhanga Sutta	The Exposition of Offerings	When his step-mother Mahāpajāpatī wishes to offer him a robe for his personal use, the Buddha encourages her to offer it to the entire Saṅgha instead. He goes on to explain that the best kind of offering to the Saṅgha is one given to the dual community of monks and nuns, headed by the Buddha.
MN 143		Saḷāyatana Vagga - The Division of the Sixfold Base	Anathapindikovada Sutta	Instructions to Anathapindika	As the great lay disciple Anāthapiṇḍika lies dying, Venerable Sāriputta visits him and gives a powerful teaching on non-attachment.
MN 144			Channovada Sutta	Instructions to Channa	The monk Channa is suffering a painful terminal illness and wishes to take his own life.
MN 145			Punnovada Sutta	Instructions to Punna	On the eve of his departure to a distant country, full of wild and unpredictable people, Venerable Puṇṇa is asked by the Buddha how he would respond if attacked there.
MN 146			Nandakovada Sutta	Nandaka's Exhortation	When asked to teach the nuns, Venerable Nandaka proceeds by inviting them to engage with his discourse and ask if there is anything that needs further explanation.
MN 147			Cula-rahulovada Sutta	The Shorter Discourse of Advice to Rāhula	The Buddha takes Rāhula with him to a secluded spot in order to lead him on to liberation.
MN 148			Chachakka Sutta	The Six Sextets	The Buddha analyzes the six senses from six perspectives, and demonstrates the emptiness of all of them.
MN 149			Maha-salayatanika Sutta	The Great Six Sense-media Discourse	Explains how insight into the six senses is integrated with the eightfold path and leads to liberation.
MN 150			Nagaravindeyya Sutta	To the Nagaravindans	In discussion with a group of householders, the Buddha helps them to distinguish those spiritual practitioners who are truly worthy of respect.
MN 151			Pindapataparisuddhi Sutta	The Purification of Almsfood	The Buddha notices Venerable Sāriputta’s glowing complexion, which is the result of his deep meditation. He then presents a series of reflections by which a mendicant can be sure that they are worthy of their alms-food.
MN 152			Indriya-bhavana Sutta	The Development of the Faculties	A brahmin teacher advocates that purification of the senses consists in simply avoiding seeing and hearing things. The Buddha explains that it is not about avoiding sense experience, but understanding it and learning to not be affected by sense experience."

See also

• List of suttas
  • List of Digha Nikaya suttas
  • List of Majjhima Nikaya suttas
  • List of Samyutta Nikaya suttas
  • List of Anguttara Nikaya suttas
  • List of Khuddaka Nikaya suttas

Source of translations

•  This article incorporates text from this source, which is by Bhante Sujato available under the CC0 license.

External links

• Majjhima Nikaya (Access to Insight)