Exploring the Word of the Buddha

Taught by Bhikkhu Bodhi

January 2003 — December 2007

PARTS I – IX

Syllabus for a Systematic Study of the Majjhima Nikāya

This series of lectures explores the direct teachings of the Buddha himself as preserved in some of the oldest records of his discourses. The first part of the series, covering fifty-two of the discourses (Parts I to IX), constitutes a systematic study program in the teachings of Early Buddhism. The later part of the series (Part X) takes selected discourses from the book in sequence, explaining their meaning and practical relevance.

The talks cover all the major teachings of Early Buddhism, including:

1. Life of the Buddha
2. Fundamental Ethics
3. Meditation and Mind-training
4. Nature of True Wisdom

We suggest that all participants in the course acquire a copy of the Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha (Wisdom Publications, Boston). Texts from the other collections will be copied and handed out.

The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha,
a translation of the Majjhima Nikaya by Bhikkhu Ñāṇamoli and Bhikkhu Bodhi. Available on Amazon.com.

The Majjhima Nikaya, or “Middle-length Discourses” of the Buddha, is the second of the five nikayas, or collections, in the Sutta Pitaka of the Pali Tipitaka. This nikaya consists of 152 discourses by the Buddha and his chief disciples, which together constitute a comprehensive body of teaching concerning all aspects of the Buddha Dharma. more readers’ reviews

Introduction

An introduction to the organization of the Pali Canon and to some of the background conditions in India from which the Suttas arose.

I.  The Buddha’s Enlightenment

In this first part of the course, we will examine several suttas that help clarify the impetus behind the Buddha’s quest and the content of his enlightenment experience. The basic text is MN* 26, but we will make excursions to other texts that bring into finer focus aspects of his quest and enlightenment treated only concisely in MN 26:

1. MN 26. Ariyapariyesanā Sutta: The Noble Search
2. MN 4. Bhayabherava Sutta: Fear and Dread
3. MN 36. Mahāsaccaka Sutta: The Greater Discourse to Saccaka, (paragraphs 12-44)
4. Optional: MN 12. Mahāsīhanāda Sutta: The Greater Discourse on the Lion’s Roar, (paragraphs 44-63)

II. Approaching the Dhamma

1. Making wise choices

AN 3:65. Kālāma Sutta: To the Kālāmas (handout)
MN 60. Apaṇṇaka Sutta: The Incontrovertible Teachings (handout)

2. Test the Buddha himself

MN 47. Vimaṃsaka Sutta: The Inquirer

3. Faith, practice, and attainment

MN 95. Cankī Sutta: With Cankī

III.  The Ethical Life

1. Four ways of life

MN 46. Mahādhammasamādāna Sutta: The Greater Discourse on Ways of Undertaking Things

2. Karma and its results

MN 57. Kukkuravatika Sutta: The Dog-Duty Ascetic
MN 135. Cūḷakammavibhanga Sutta: The Shorter Exposition of Action (handout)

3. The path to a higher rebirth

MN 41. Sāleyyaka Sutta: The Brahmins of Sālā
Optional: MN 120. Sankhārupapatti Sutta: Reappearance by Aspiration

4. Right speech and patience

MN 61. Ambalaṭṭhikārāhulovāda Sutta: Advice to Rāhula at Ambalaṭṭhikā
MN 21. Kakacūpama Sutta: The Simile of the Saw

IV. Deepening One’s Perspective on the World

1. The faults of the worldly life

MN 13. Mahādukkhakkhandha Sutta: The Greater Discourse on the Mass of Suffering

2. The shortcomings in sensual pleasures

MN 54. Potaliya Sutta: To Potaliya
MN 75. Māgandiya Sutta: To Māgandiya

3. The misery of saṃsāra

SN 15. Anamataggasaṃyutta: Connected Discourses on Without Discoverable Beginning, selected suttas (handout)

4. Raṭṭhapāla and the call to renunciation

MN 82. Raṭṭhapāla Sutta: On Raṭṭhapāla

V.  The Path to Liberation (General)

1. The purpose of the spiritual life

MN 63. Cuḷamālunkya Sutta: The Shorter Discourse to Mālunkyāputta
MN 29. Mahāsāropama Sutta: The Greater Discourse on the Simile of the Heartwood

2. The gradual training

MN 27. Cūḷahatthipadopama Sutta: The Shorter Discourse on the Simile of the Elephant’s Footprint (handout-1,handout-2,handout-3)
MN 39. Mahā-Assapura Sutta: The Greater Discourse at Assapura

3. What makes one a monk?

MN 40. Cūḷa-Assapura Sutta: The Shorter Discourse at Assapura

4. The benefits of virtue

MN 6. Ākankheyya Sutta: If a Bhikkhu Should Wish

5. Purifying the mind

MN 19. Dvedhāvitakka Sutta: Two Kinds of Thought
MN 20. Vitakkasaṇṭhāna Sutta: The Removal of Distracting Thoughts
MN 7. Vatthūpama Sutta: The Simile of the Cloth (handout)
MN 8. Sallekha Sutta: Effacement

6. Eliminating the taints

MN 2. Sabbāsava Sutta: All the Taints (handout)

VI. The Practice in Detail

1. The Noble Eightfold Path

MN 117. Mahācattārīsaka Sutta: The Greater Forty

2. The way of mindfulness

MN 10. Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta: The Foundations of Mindfulness (handout-1, handout-2, handout-3, handout-4)

3. Mindfulness of breathing

MN 118. Ānāpānasati Sutta: Mindfulness of Breathing

4. The aids to enlightenment, etc.

MN 77. Mahāsakuludāyi Sutta: The Greater Discourse to Sakuludāyin

VII.  The Cultivation of Wisdom

1. Right view

MN 9. Sammādiṭṭhi Sutta: Right View (handout)
MN 11. Cūḷasīhanāda Sutta: The Shorter Discourse on the Lion’s Roar
MN 22. Alaggūpama Sutta: The Simile of the Snake
MN 38. Mahātaṇhāsankhaya Sutta: The Greater Discourse on the Destruction of Craving (handout)

2. Penetrative insight

MN 148. Chachaka Sutta: The Six Sets of Six
MN 146. Nandakovāda Sutta: Advice from Nandaka
MN 149. Mahāsaḷāyatanika Sutta: The Great Sixfold Base
MN 28. Mahāhatthipadopama Sutta: The Greater Discourse on the Simile of the Elephant’s Footprint
MN 64. Mahāmālunkya Sutta: The Greater Discourse to Mālunkyāputta

3. Final realization

MN 52. Aṭṭhakanāgara Sutta: The Man from Aṭṭhakanāgara (handout-1, handout-2)
MN 140. Dhātuvibhanga Sutta: The Exposition of the Elements

4. A typology of persons

MN 1. Mūlapariyāya Suttas: The Root of All Things (handout)

5. A typology of noble disciples

MN 70. Kīṭāgiri Sutta: At Kīṭāgiri (part) (handout)

VIII.  The Tathāgata

MN 12. Mahāsīhanāda Sutta: The Greater Discourse on the Lion’s Roar

IX. Life in the Sangha

1. Monks living in harmony

MN 31. Cūḷagosinga Sutta: The Shorter Discourse on Gosinga

2. The ideal monk

MN 32. Mahāgosinga Sutta: The Greater Discourse on Gosinga

3. A recalcitrant monk

MN 65. Bhaddāli Sutta: To Bhaddāli

4. Guidelines for future harmony

MN 104. Sāmagāma Sutta: At Sāmagāma

5. After the Buddha’s parinibbāna

MN 108. Gopakamoggallāna Sutta: With Gopaka Moggallāna

*Abbreviations:
MN = Majjhima Nikāya (Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha)
SN = Saṃyutta Nikāya (Connected Discourses of the Buddha)
AN = Aṅguttara Nikāya (Numerical Discourses of the Buddha)
DN = Dīgha Nikāya (Long Discourses of the Buddha)