Principal Texts of the Khuddaka Nikāya, Volume 1 [Audiobook]

The Khuddaka Nikāya is different in character from the other four Nikāyas of the Sutta Pitaka in the Theravada Pāli Canon in that rather than being a single work it is, as its customary translation ‘Minor Anthologies’ suggests, a collection of independent works. A true anthology!

It contains some of the most important and well-known works in the Pāli Canon, including the Dhammapada, the Udāna, the Sutta Nipāta and the Jātaka Tales; and, in some recensions, Milinda’s Questions. There are also other works less-known to many Buddhists and students of Buddhism, such as the Vimānavatthu, the Therīgāthā and the Theragāthā.

These offer a wider perspective on the Dhamma as it has been lived through the centuries. Yet, perhaps because of its ‘anthology’ character and wide range, the Khuddaka Nikāya is less familiar in its entirety than the Dīgha Nikāyā, Majjhima Nikāya, the Saṁyutta Nikāya, and the Aṅguttara Nikāya which are more self-contained. Now, for the first time on audio, Dharma Audiobooks has brought together a compilation of the Principal Texts, spread over three volumes.

Listening to all three will, it is hoped, give the interested listener a clear and satisfying overview of the Anthology. Volume 1 contains the Khuddaka Patha, Dhammapada, Udāna, Itivuttaka, Sutta Nipāta, Vimānavatthu and Petavatthu. Each one has its own introduction, some short, some comprehensive. To many with some familiarity of the Pāli Canon, it will offer an opportunity to revisit some of the central Buddhist texts, including the Dhammapada and the Udāna – Inspired Utterances of the Buddha. But even for the ‘many’ an encounter with the Vimānavatthu – Stories of the Mansions and Petavatthu – Stories of the Departed will come as a surprise, for here we venture into the more mythical area of the Dhamma. In the Vimānavatthu we find ourselves visiting the ‘Mansions’ inhabited by the devas, a pleasant and enjoyable environment won through the karmic result of good deeds. We meet the devas who explain how, though often people living ordinary and unprivileged lives, find themselves unexpectedly transported to ethereal regions.

The Petavatthu, by contrast, display the darker side of karma, and features a succession of ghost stories. These important works are presented by readers who know their subjects from personal practice and study.