The Buddha encourages Venerable Sāriputta to teach the mendicants, and he offers an extended listing of Buddhist doctrines arranged in numerical sequence.

Mighty spirits hold a congregation, and warn the Buddha that, since not all spirits are friendly, the mendicants should learn verses of protection.

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.

This presents the brahmanical prophecy of the Great Man, and explains the 32 marks in detail. This discourse contains some of the latest and most complex verse forms in the canon.

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

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

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

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.

In illustration of his dictum that one should rely on oneself, the Buddha gives a detailed account of the fall of a kingly lineage of the past, and the subsequent degeneration of society. This process, however, is not over, as the Buddha predicts that eventually society will fall into utter chaos. But far in the future, another Buddha, Metteyya, will arise in a time of peace and plenty.

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.