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135 Cūḷakammavibhanga Sutta: The Shorter Exposition of Action. The Buddha explains how kamma accounts for the fortune and misfortune of beings.

136 Mahākammavibhanga Sutta: The Greater Exposition of Action. The Buddha reveals subtle complexities in the workings of kamma that overturn simplistic dogmas and sweeping generalizations.

137 Saḷāyatanavibhanga Sutta: The Exposition of the Sixfold Base. The Buddha expounds the six internal and external sense bases and other related topics.

138 Uddesavibhanga Sutta: The Exposition of a Summary. The venerable Mahā Kaccāna elaborates upon a brief saying of the Buddha on the training of consciousness and the overcoming of agitation.

139 Araṇavibhanga Sutta: The Exposition of Non-conflict. The Buddha gives a detailed discourse on things that lead to conflict and things that lead away from conflict.

140 Dhātuvibhanga Sutta: The Exposition of Elements. Stopping at a potter’s workshop for the night, the Buddha meets a monk named Pukkusāti and gives him a profound discourse on the elements culminating in the four foundations of arahantship.

141 Saccavibhanga Sutta: The Exposition of the Truths. The venerable Sāriputta gives a detailed analysis of the Four Noble Truths.

142 Dakkhiṇāvibhanga Sutta: The Exposition of Offerings. The Buddha enumerates fourteen kinds of personal offerings and seven kinds of offerings made to the Sangha.

143 Anāthapiṇḍikovāda Sutta: Advice to Anāthapiṇḍika. The venerable Sāriputta is called to Anāthapiṇḍika’s deathbed and gives him a stirring sermon on non-attachment.

144 Channovāda Sutta: Advice to Channa. The venerable Channa, gravely ill, takes his own life despite the attempts of two brother-monks to dissuade him.

145 Puṇṇovāda Sutta: Advice to Puṇṇa. The bhikkhu Puṇṇa receives a short exhortation from the Buddha and decides to go live among the fierce people of a remote territory.

146 Nandakovāda Sutta: Advice from Nandaka. The venerable Nandaka gives the nuns a discourse on impermanence.

147 Cūḷarāhulovāda Sutta: The Shorter Discourse of Advice to Rāhula. The Buddha gives Rāhula a discourse that leads him to the attainment of arahantship.

148 Chachakka Sutta: The Six Sets of Six. An especially profound and penetrating discourse on the contemplation of all the factors of sense experience as not-self.

149 Mahāsaḷāyatanika Sutta: The Great Sixfold Base. How wrong view about the six kinds of sense experience leads to future bondage, while right view about them leads to liberation.

150 Nagaravindeyya Sutta: To the Nagaravindans. The Buddha explains to a group of brahmin householders what kind of recluses and brahmins should be venerated.

151 Piṇḍapātapārisuddhi Sutta: The Purification of Almsfood. The Buddha teaches Sāriputta how a bhikkhu should review himself to make himself worthy of almsfood.

152 Indriyabhāvanā Sutta: The Development of the Faculties. The Buddha explains the supreme development of control over the sense faculties and the arahant’s mastery over his perceptions.

Plan of central and eastern India showing some of the principal place names mentioned in the Pali Tipiṭaka with modern names in brackets (sources: Cambridge History of India, vol. 1 map 5; T. W. Rhys Davids, Buddhist India).

The MAJ JHIMA NIKĀYA

The MIDDLE LENGTH DISCOURSES of the BUDDHA

NAMO TASSA BHAGAVATO

ARAHATO SAMMĀSAMBUDDHASSA

HOMAGE TO THE BLESSED ONE,

ACCOMPLISHED AND FULLY ENLIGHTENED

Part One

The Root Fifty Discourses

(Mūlapaṇṇāsapāḷi)

1

The Division of the Discourse on the Root

(Mūlapariyāyavagga)

Mūlapariyāya Sutta

The Root of All Things

[1] 1. THUS HAVE I HEARD.1 On one occasion the Blessed One was living in Ukkaṭṭhā in the Subhaga Grove at the root of a royal sāla tree. There he addressed the bhikkhus thus: “Bhikkhus.”2—“Venerable sir,” they replied. The Blessed One said this:

2. “Bhikkhus, I shall teach you a discourse on the root of all things.3 Listen and attend closely