Dīgha Nikāya

The Collection of Long Discourses

34 suttas, divided into three sections:

• Sīilakkhandha-vagga - The Division Concerning Morality (suttas 1 to 13)

• Mahā-vagga - The Great Division (suttas 14 to 23)

• Pātika-vagga - The Pātika Division (suttas 24 to 34)

Clicking the sutta number below will take you to an audio version of the sutta. Clicking the sutta name will take you to a text version of the sutta.

Sīlakkhandha-vagga—The Division Concerning Morality 

DN 1 - Brahmajāla Sutta - The All-embracing Net of views

While others may praise or criticise the Buddha, they tend to focus on trivial details. The Buddha presents an analysis of 62 kinds of wrong view, seeing through which one becomes detached from meaningless speculations.

DN 2 - Sāmaññaphala Sutta - The Fruits of the Contemplative Life

King Ajātasattu of Magadha asks the Buddha about the benefits in this life of being a samana ("recluse" or "renunciant"); the Buddha's reply is in terms of becoming an arahant.

DN 3 - Ambaṭṭha Sutta - With Ambaṭṭha

Ambaṭṭha the Brahmin is sent by his teacher to find whether the Buddha possesses the 32 bodily marks, but on arrival he is rude to the Buddha on grounds of descent (caste); the Buddha responds that he is actually higher born than Ambattha by social convention, but that he himself considers those fulfilled in conduct and wisdom as higher.

DN 4 - Soṇadaṇḍanta Sutta - With Soṇadaṇḍanta

The Buddha asks Sonadanda the Brahmin what are the qualities that make a Brahmin; Sonadanda gives five, but the Buddha asks if any can be omitted and argues him down to two: morality and wisdom.

DN 5 - Kūṭadanta Sutta - With Kūṭadanta

Kutadanta the Brahmin asks the Buddha how to perform a sacrifice; the Buddha replies by telling of one of his past lives, as chaplain to a king, where they performed a sacrifice which consisted of making offerings, with no animals killed.

DN 6 - Mahāli Sutta - With Mahāli

In reply to a question as to why a certain monk sees divine sights but does not hear divine sounds, the Buddha explains that it is because of the way he has directed his meditation.

DN 7 - Jāliya Sutta - With Jāliya

Asked by two Brahmins whether the soul and the body are the same or different, the Buddha describes the path to wisdom, and asks whether one who has fulfilled it would bother with such questions

DN 8 - Kassapa Sīhanāda Sutta  - (alt: MahaSīhanāda or Sīhanāda Sutta) - The Longer Discourse on the Lion's Roar

The word sīhanāda literally means 'lion's roar': this discourse is concerned with asceticism.

DN 9 - Poṭṭhapāda Sutta - About Poṭṭhapāda

Asked about the cause of the arising of saññā, usually translated as perception, the Buddha says it is through training; he explains the path as above up to the jhānas and the arising of their perceptions and then continues with the first three formless attainments; the sutta then moves on to other topics, the self and the unanswered questions.

DN 10 - Subha Sutta - With Subha

Shortly after the Buddha's death, Ananda describes the path taught by the Buddha.

DN 11 - Kevaṭṭa Sutta  - (alt: Kevaḍḍha Sutta) - To Kevatta

Kevaddha asks the Buddha why he does not gain disciples by working miracles; the Buddha explains that people would simply dismiss this as magic and that the real miracle is the training of his followers.

DN 12 - Lohicca Sutta - To Lohicca

On good and bad teachers.

DN 13 - Tevijja Sutta - The Three Knowledges

Asked about the path to union with Brahma, the Buddha explains it in terms of the Buddhist path, but ending with the four brahmaviharas.

Mahā-vagga—The Great Division

DN 14 - Mahāpadāna Sutta - The Great Discourse on the Harvest of Deeds

Tells the story of a past Buddha, Vipassi, up to shortly after his enlightenment; the story is similar to that of Gautama Buddha.

DN 15 - Mahānidāna Sutta - The Great Discourse on Causation

The longest and most detailed of the Buddha's discourses dealing with dependent arising / dependent origination (paṭiccasamuppāda), a doctrine central to the Buddha's entire teaching. 

DN 16 - Mahaparinibbāna Sutta - The Last Days of the Buddha

Story of the last few months of the Buddha's life, his death and funeral, and the distribution of his relics. The longest sutta in the Dīgha Nikāya, divided into six chapters.

DN 17 - Mahāsudassana Sutta - King Mahāsudassana

Story of one of the Buddha's past lives as a king and is a full version of a narrative given in brief in the Mahāparinibbāna-sutta.

DN 18 - Janavasabha Sutta - With Janavasabha

King Bimbisara of Magadha, reborn as the god Janavasabha, tells the Buddha that his teaching has resulted in increased numbers of people being reborn as gods. Beginning with an account of the fates of disciples who had recently passed away, the scene shifts to a discussion of Dhamma held by the gods.

DN 19 - Maha-Govinda Sutta - The Great Steward

A minor deity informs the Buddha of the conversations and business of the gods 

DN 20 - Mahasamaya Sutta - The Great Congregation

Long versified list of gods coming to honour the Buddha.

DN 21 - Sakkapañha Sutta - Sakka's Questions

The Buddha answers questions from Sakka, ruler of the gods.

DN 22 - Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta - The Great Discourse on the Foundations of Mindfulness

The Buddha details the seventh factor of the noble eightfold path, mindfulness meditation. This discourse is essentially identical to MN 10, with the addition of an extended section on the four noble truths derived from MN 141.

DN 23 - Pāyāsi Sutta  - alt: Payasi Rājañña Sutta - With Pāyāsi

A long and entertaining debate between a monk and a sceptic (Prince Pāyāsi), who went to elaborate and bizarre lengths to prove that there is no such thing as an afterlife. The discourse contains a colourful series of parables and examples. 

Pātika-vagga—The Pātika Division

DN 24 - Pāṭika Sutta  - alt:Pāthika Sutta or Pāṭikaputta Sutta

A monk has left the order because he says the Buddha does not work miracles; most of the sutta is taken up with accounts of miracles the Buddha has worked.

DN 25 - Udumbarikā Sihanada Sutta  - alt: Udumbarikā Sutta - The Lion's Roar at Udumbarikā's Monastery

This discourse gives a specially good example of dialogue between religions. The Buddha insists that he is not interested in making anyone give up their teacher or practices, but only to help people let go of suffering.

DN 26 - Cakkavatti Sihanada Sutta - The Wheel-turning Monarch

Story of humanity's decline from a golden age in the past, with a prophecy of its eventual return.

DN 27 - Aggañña Sutta - The Origin of Things

This sutta details why the true status of an individual is not a matter of the class into which one is born but of how one behaves.

DN 28 - Sampasādaniya Sutta - Inspiring Confidence

Shortly before he passes away, Sāriputta visits the Buddha and utters a moving eulogy of his great teacher. 

DN 29 - Pāsādika Sutta - An Impressive Discourse

Following the death of Nigaṇṭha Nātaputta, the leader of the Jains, the Buddha emphasises the stability and maturity of his own community. He encourages the community to come together after his death and recite the teachings in harmony.

DN 30 - Lakkhaṇa Sutta - The Marks of a Great Man

Explains the actions of the Buddha in his previous lives leading to his 32 bodily marks; thus it describes practices of a bodhisatta (perhaps the earliest such description).

DN 31 - Sigalovada Sutta  - alt: Singala Sutta, Singalaka Sutta or Sigala Sutta - To Sigala/The Layperson's Code of Discipline

The sutta gives advice on conduct and details what conduct leads to happiness and well-being in this life and re-birth in a heaven world. The sutta is traditionally regarded as the lay vinaya, the laity’s equivalent of the monastic rules.

DN 32 - Āṭānāṭiya Sutta - The Discourse on Atanatiya

Gods give the Buddha a poem for his followers, male and female, monastic and lay, to recite for protection from evil spirits; it sets up a mandala or circle of protection and a version of this sutta is classified as a tantra in Tibet and Japan.

DN 33 - Saṅgāti Sutta - Reciting in Concert

This is taught by Sariputta, at the Buddha's request, and gives lists arranged numerically from ones to tens.

DN 34 - Dasuttara Sutta - Up To Ten

Similar to the preceding sutta but with a fixed format; there are ten categories, and each number has one list in each; this material is also used in the Patisambhidamagga.