Sutta Readings
Suttas selected and read aloud by teachers and senior Dhamma practitioners in the Theravada Buddhist tradition
Episodes
Several months after his Awakening, the Buddha delivers this sermon to an audience of 1,000 fire-worshipping ascetics. In his characteristically brilliant teaching style, the Buddha uses a metaphor that quickly penetrates to the heart of the audience — in this case, the metaphor of fire. Upon hearing this sermon, the entire audience attains full Awakening (arahatta).
Listen to this sutta read by Bhante H. Gunaratana (08'...
What one thing should a person hold onto in order to cross the flood of birth and old age, sorrow, and grief?
Listen to this sutta read by Ajahn Sucitto (03'11" 1.1 MB)
Recorded by jtb on 4 July 2006 in Concord, Massachusetts. Translated from the Pali by H. Saddhatissa. From The Sutta Nipata (London: »Curzon Press, Ltd., 1985). Text is copyright © 1985 H. Saddhatissa. Permission pending.
<...How does one cross the flood of birth and old age, sorrow, and grief?
Listen to this sutta read by Ajahn Sucitto (04'41" 1.6 MB)
Recorded by jtb on 4 July 2006 in Concord, Massachusetts. Translated from the Pali by H. Saddhatissa. From The Sutta Nipata (London: »Curzon Press, Ltd., 1985). Text is copyright © 1985 H. Saddhatissa. Permission pending.
The Buddha traces the cause of all our suffering: the mental quality of intention.
Listen to this sutta read by Ajahn Sucitto (02'38" 0.9 MB)
Recorded by jtb on 4 July 2006 in Concord, Massachusetts. Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi. From »The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Samyutta Nikaya, Bhikkhu Bodhi, trans. (Somerville: »Wisdom Publications, 2000). Text is ...
Good qualities in the heart naturally lead to the development of other good qualities. And it all starts with sila (virtue).
Listen to this sutta read by Ajahn Sucitto (04'58" 1.7 MB)
Recorded by jtb on 4 July 2006 in Concord, Massachusetts. Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. From »Handful of Leaves, Volume Three: An Anthology from the Khuddaka Nikaya, Thanissaro Bhikkhu, trans. and ed. T...
The Buddha admonishes his son, the novice Rahula, on the dangers of lying and stresses the importance of constant reflection on one's motives.
Listen to this sutta read by Thanissaro Bhikkhu (11'29" 3.9 MB)
Recorded by the reader in Spring 2006 at Metta Forest Monastery, USA. Translated from the Pali by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. From »Handful of Leaves, Volume One: An Anthology from the Digha and Majjhima N...
The Budda answers a series of questions on the causes of anger and attachment.
Listen to this sutta read by Sister Cittapala (06'13" 2.1 MB)
Recorded by jtb on 17 May 2006 in Lexington, Massachusetts, USA. Translated from the Pali by H. Saddhatissa. From The Sutta Nipata (London: »Curzon Press, Ltd., 1985). Text is copyright © 1985 H. Saddhatissa. Permission pending
Which is correct: by protecting oneself, one protects others; or by protecting others, one protects oneself? The Buddha's answer may surprise you.
Listen to this sutta read by Ajahn Candasiri (03'18" 1.1 MB)
Recorded by jtb on 17 May 2006 in Lexington, Massachusetts, USA. Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi. From »In the Buddha's Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon, Bhikkhu Bod...
The Buddha delivers meditation instructions to his son, the novice Rahula.
Listen to this sutta read by Ajahn Candasiri (19'50" 6.8 MB)
Recorded by jtb on 17 May 2006 in Lexington, Massachusetts, USA. Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Ñanamoli and Bhikkhu Bodhi. From »The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha (Somerville: »Wisdom Publications, 1995). Text is copyright © 1995 Wisdom Publi...
The ten armies of Mara approach the Bodhisatta (Buddha-to-be) in an unsuccessful attempt to lure him from his meditation seat.
Listen to this sutta read by Ajahn Candasiri (05'23" 1.9 MB)
Recorded by jtb on 17 May 2006 in Lexington, Massachusetts, USA. Translated from the Pali by H. Saddhatissa. From The Sutta Nipata (London: »Curzon Press, Ltd., 1985). Text is copyright © 1985 H. Saddhatissa. Pe...
King Bimbisara, struck by the young Buddha's radiant demeanor, follows him to the mountains to discover who he is and whence he comes.
Listen to this sutta read by Ajahn Candasiri (04'38" 1.6 MB)
Recorded by jtb on 17 May 2006 in Lexington, Massachusetts, USA. Translated from the Pali by H. Saddhatissa. From The Sutta Nipata (London: »Curzon Press, Ltd., 1985). Text is copyright © 1985 H. Saddhat...
The Buddha explains the criteria for determining whether or not something is worth saying. This discourse is a beautiful example of the Buddha's skill as teacher: not only does he talk about right speech, but he also demonstrates right speech in action.
Listen to this sutta read by Ajahn Candasiri (09'55" 2.8 MB)
Recorded by jtb on 17 May 2006 in Lexington, Massachusetts, USA. Translated from the Pali by ...
The Buddha retells the story of how, on the eve of his Awakening, he re-discovered the long-forgotten laws of dependent co-arising and the Four Noble Truths.
Listen to this sutta read by Leigh Brasington (08'16" 2.8 MB)
Recorded by jtb on 30 April 2006 in Barre, Massachusetts. Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi. From »The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Samyutta Nikaya,...
The Buddha explains how seeing deeply into dependent co-arising leads to Awakening. The causal chain here includes an additional set of factors not present in the "standard" chain of dependent co-arising.
Listen to this sutta read by Leigh Brasington (05'44" 2.0 MB)
Recorded by jtb on 30 April 2006 in Barre, Massachusetts. Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi. From »The Connected Discourses of th...
The Buddha explains how dependent co-arising functions in the development of right view.
Listen to this sutta read by Leigh Brasington (03'47" 1.3 MB)
Recorded by jtb 30 April 2006 in Barre, Massachusetts. Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi. From »The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Samyutta Nikaya, Bhikkhu Bodhi, trans. (Somerville: »Wisdom Publications, 2000). Te...
The third chapter of verses from the Dhammapada, a classic collection of concise teachings from the Buddha.
Listen to this sutta read by Gil Fronsdal (02'41" 0.9 MB)
Recorded by the reader in Feb 2006 . Translated from the Pali by Gil Fronsdal. From »The Dhammapada: A New Translation of the Buddhist Classic with Annotations, edited by Gil Fronsdal (Boston: »Shambhala Publications, 2005). Text is ...
The second chapter of verses from the Dhammapada, a classic collection of concise teachings from the Buddha.
Listen to this sutta read by Gil Fronsdal (03'03" 1.1 MB)
Recorded by the reader in Feb 2006 . Translated from the Pali by Gil Fronsdal. From »The Dhammapada: A New Translation of the Buddhist Classic with Annotations, edited by Gil Fronsdal (Boston: »Shambhala Publications, 2005). Text is...
The first chapter of verses from the Dhammapada, a classic collection of concise teachings from the Buddha.
Listen to this sutta read by Gil Fronsdal (04'49" 1.7 MB)
Recorded by the reader in Feb 2006 . Translated from the Pali by Gil Fronsdal. From »The Dhammapada: A New Translation of the Buddhist Classic with Annotations, edited by Gil Fronsdal (Boston: »Shambhala Publications, 2005). Text is ...
Taken together, this series of parallel suttas offers one of the most evocative descriptions of Nibbana to be found in the entire Canon.
Listen to this sutta read by Joseph Goldstein (03'05" 1.1 MB)
Recorded by jtb on 18 Feb 2006 at the Forest Refuge, Barre, Massachusetts, USA. Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi. From »In the Buddha's Words: An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon, Bhikk...
Ven. Anuradha learns that if you can't even locate the Tathagata in space when he's sitting right in front of you, how can you ever hope to answer questions about his fate after death?
Listen to this sutta read by Joseph Goldstein (4'54" 1.7 MB)
Recorded by jtb on 18 Feb 2006 at the Forest Refuge, Barre, Massachusetts, USA. Translated from the Pali by Bhikkhu Bodhi. From »The Connected Discourses of t...
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