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Digha Nikāya
Majjhima Nikāya
Samyutta Nikāya
Anguttara Nikāya
Introduction
Sīlakkhandhavagga (DN 1 - 13)
Mahāvagga (DN 14 - 23)
Pāthikavagga (DN 24 - 34)
The Digha Nikāya (Long Volume) is the first collection of the Sutta Pitaka. As the name suggests, it contains the longest suttas of the canon. However, the volume as a whole is rather small, containing only 34 suttas. The Digha texts often rely heavily on narrative, featuring elaborate stories as framing devices for the central teachings of each sermon. It is also rife with fantastic details on mythic topics such as otherworldly beings and miraculous powers. Crucially, it details many conversations between the Buddha (or his disciples) and other religious figures of his time. The Digha suttas, then, seem primarily occupied with establishing Buddhist doctrine and explaining why the Buddha's teaching is superior to the teachings of the many other teachers who wandered India during the 5th century BCE.
In the Chinese Canon, the parallel collection is called the Dirgha Āgama. It was preserved from the now-extinct Dharmaguptaka sect. It has 38 sūtras, 4 more than the Pali Canon's volume.
Sīlakkhandhavagga means something like "Chapter on the Entirety of Ethical Practice." These suttas deal primarily with morality, and all 13 contain some version of a stock passage I call the Sīlakkhandhavagga Pericope. They also discuss the jhānas (states of meditative absorption), mental powers attained through meditation, and becoming an arahant (the name given to a person who attains enlightenment through following the Buddha's teachings). Sermons are primarily given to laypeople, and there are also many comparisons between the Buddha's teachings and the teachings of rival teachers. Scriptures in this collection often conclude with someone converting to a disciple of the Buddha.
DN 1: Brahmajāla Sutta (The Net of Brahmā)
After a teacher named Suppiya slanders the Buddha, his teaching, and his monks, the Buddha teaches the monks to not be moved by slander or praise. He then proceeds to discuss three levels of ethical practice, for which the Buddha is sometimes praised, but he insists that simple ethical practices are not worthy of celebration. He concludes by discussing 62 types of “wrong view,” which—like a great net—trap people in the cycle of dukkha. The overcoming of these views is what makes the Buddha worthy of praise.
DN 2: Samaññaphala Sutta (The Fruits of Renunciation)
King Ajātasattu, burdened with guilt after having his father killed to seize the throne, comes to the Buddha in hopes of having one question answered - a question which 6 other religious leaders had failed to answer previously. That question is: "What are the benefits, observable within this lifetime, of renouncing the world and taking up the homeless life?" The Buddha answers, listing benefits ranging from the mundane to the supernatural. The king is so delighted with the Buddha's response that he converts to a lay follower.
DN 3: Ambattha Sutta (The Sermon Delivered to Ambattha)
A Brahmin teacher named Pokkharasāti hears rumors of a great man in the area - our very own Buddha - and sends his student Ambattha to see if this man's body bears 32 Marks which could confirm his status. Ambattha is very rude and speaks poorly of the Buddha and his clan (the Sakyas), which leads to the Buddha giving a lengthy deconstruction of Ambattha's ideas of classist supremacy and pride in his heritage. In doing this, the Buddha reveals Ambattha's true heritage as a descandant of a slave. However, the Buddha completely subverts the idea that this is something to be ashamed of by revealing this ancestor eventually became a brilliant sage. He demonstrates to Ambattha why the Brahmins should not be so proud, and after revealing the great marks the Brahmin was looking for, Pokkharasāti visits him, invites the Buddha and his monks for a meal, and converts to a follower of the Buddha.
DN 4: Sonadanda Sutta (The Sermon Delivered to Ambattha)
A Brahmin named Sonadanda joins a large crowd of people traveling to visit the Buddha, despite pleas from his kinsmen to make the Buddha come visit him instead (as a show of power). On the way, Sonadanda becomes very anxious about making a fool of himself when he speaks to the Buddha, but the Buddha picks up on his worries and works together with the Brahmin in order to have a smooth, productive conversation. The Buddha asks him about the qualities a Brahmin must possess, and Sonadanda lists five; however, in their discussion, the two agree that there are only two qualities which are important: being ethical and being knowledgable. In doing so, the Buddha de-emphasizes the more exclusionary requirements associated with the title "Brahmin," giving it a more broad meaning applicable to anyone willing to practice ethics and morality as taught by the Buddha. This is reflective of a wider trend in the suttas, where the Buddha robs the term of its classist implications and reappropriates it as a title which can be earned by anyone, regardless of class. Sonadanda converts to a lay disciple, though only half-heartedly; his concern for his reputation and what his peers will think of him prevents him from becoming a full-fledged disciple.
DN 5: Kūtadanta Sutta (The Sermon Delivered to Kūtadanta)
This sutta is strikingly similar to the previous one. A Brahmin named Kūtadanta joins a large crowd of people traveling to visit the Buddha, despite pleas from his kinsmen, etc. This Brahmin asks the Buddha how to correctly perform a great sacrifice. The Buddha tells him a story about King Mahāvijita, and how the king’s head priest—later revealed to have been a past incarnation of the Buddha—instructed him in performing the sacrifice. In this story, we see Buddhist ideals of governance through peace and social welfare, as well as an argument for the rights of animals and lower-class humans which were typically brutalized by Brahmins. The Brahmin idea of a ritual animal sacrifice is reinterpreted as a bloodless ceremony, performed after the material needs of citizens are guaranteed by the king. The Buddha concludes by telling Kūtadanta that there are numerous acts of religious devotion which are greater “sacrifices” than the grand ceremony from his story. Kūtadanta converts to a lay disciple of the Buddha.
DN 6: Mahāli Sutta (The Sermon Given to Otthaddha Mahāli the Licchavi)
DN 7: Jāliya Sutta (The Sermon Given to Jāliya the Ascetic)
DN 7 simply repeats a section from DN 6, so they are both presented here. While on retreat, the Buddha is visited by two groups of men. One group of men, coming from Licchavi, is led by Otthaddha Mahāli, who has a question for the Buddha. One of his fellow countrymen is a disciple of the Buddha, and that person has been able to see heavenly sights during meditation, but has not heard heavenly sounds. Otthaddha wants to know why, and the Buddha explains the difference between "one-sided samādhi" and "two-sided samādhi." He next explains that these things aren't very important, and instead teaches that monks should strive to attain one of the "Four Noble Fruits," which are states of being along the irreversible journey towards enlightenment.
There is also a story, repeated in DN 7, about two ascetics named Mundiya and Jāliya, who ask the Buddha about the nature of the soul and the body. Ultimately, the Buddha states that these questions are inappropriate (since they don't have anything to do with the cessation of dukkha).
DN 8: Mahāsīhanāda Sutta (The Greater Sermon of the Lion's Roar)
The Buddha is approached by a "naked ascetic" named Kassapa, who has heard that the Buddha has spoken out against all forms of austere, ascetic practices. The Buddha insists this isn't true, because he knows that some forms of self-mortification lead to rebirth into the heavenly realms, while the more severe forms produce rebirth in the hell realms. The Buddha takes this opportunity to explain to Kassapa that people should compare him as a teacher to his rivals, and his order of monks to the students of his rivals, insisting that wise people will realize that the Buddha teaches the truth, and his monks are more accomplished than the disciples of other teachers.
The Buddha tells Kassapa that if he follows the "Noble Eightfold Path," he will be able to see for himself that what the Buddha teaches is true and beneficial. Kassapa is still hung up on the issue of self-mortification, and lists a bunch of extreme ascetic practices which he has heard are holy and worthy of practice. The Buddha rejects them, and says that there are spiritual practices which are higher: the developments of ethics, mind, and wisdom. After all, anyone can starve themselves and walk around wearing rags - it's far more difficult to undergo the training which leads to enlightenment.
The Buddha then talks about his "lion's roar," which gives this sutta its title. He declares that he speaks the truth confidently, never shying away from those who would question him or disparage his teaching. Those who hear his "lion's roar" are filled with confidence, follow his teachings, and see results as they progress along their spiritual path. Having heard the lion's roar, Kassapa joins the sangha - after a 4 month probation period, since Kassapa came from a rival teacher's order - and swiftly becomes an Arahant.
DN 9: Potthapāda Sutta (The Sermon Given to Potthapāda)
Early one morning, the Buddha visits an acquaintance at a public debate hall. This man, Potthapāda, tells him that the latest hot topic is a trance state called "the cessation of perception," and asks the Buddha to answer some questions about it. The Buddha takes this opportunity to tell Potthapāda about the path of meditation techniques he teaches, cleverly recontextualizing the topic of perception to be more in line with his own teaching. Potthapāda also asks the Buddha about ideas regarding the Self. After further questioning, the Buddha explains why he doesn't answer pointless philosophical questions.
Potthapāda excitedly praises the Buddha, provoking intense ridicule from those in attendance at the debate hall. A few days later, Potthapāda goes to see the Buddha in order to ask for further discussion, this time bringing a man named Citta with him. They continue discussing the Self, and the Buddha teaches the two men about how one can only speak about a "self" as a temporary state which is acquired as a result of conditioned rebirth. Potthapāda converts to a lay follower, and Citta joins the monastic order and becomes an arahant.
DN 10: Subha Sutta (The Sermon Given to Subha)
Shortly after the Buddha's death, a man named Subha asks Ānanda, who had served as the Buddha's primary attendant, to visit his home. Ānanda obliges him the next day, and Subha asks him what the Buddha had taught in order to establish people in the religious life. Ānanda explains to him the Buddha's teaching by way of the three categories of the Sīlakkhandhavagga Pericope - namely: Noble Ethics, Noble Concentration, and Noble Wisdom. After explaining each of the first two categories, Ānanda remarks that "with this accomplished, there is still more to be done." Subha praises what has been said each time, remarking how no other tradition contains anything as worthy of celebration as what Ānanda had said thus far, and asking "What else could possibly be added to this great teaching?"
Finally, Ānanda concludes with the explanation of Noble Wisdom, which leads up to the destruction of the corruptions and the attainment of enlightenment. The sutta ends with Subha becoming a lay disciple.
That's all there really is to this sutta, so I haven't bothered making an analysis.
DN 11: Kevatta Sutta (The Sermon Given to Kevatta)
A man named Kevatta tells the Buddha that his monks should perform miracles in order to inspire faith in more people. The Buddha immediately rejects his idea, but he insists. After the third time, the Buddha tells him that there are three kinds of miracles: psychic powers, telepathy, and teaching. The first two amount to little more than cheap magician's tricks, but the miracle of teaching - when an enlightened person instructs others regarding the path to awakening - is the only sort of miracle worth performing.
The Buddha tells Kevatta the story of a monk, capable of performing the miracle of psychic powers, who sought to discover how to bring about the complete cessation of material existence - presumably under a gnostic sort of assumption that this would liberate him from suffering. This monk used his psychic abilities to travel all the way to the realm of the Great Brahmā, but even this deity could do nothing but advise him to return to the Buddha. Upon doing so, the Buddha told him that the very framing of his question was incorrect, because one should not seek to end material existence, but should instead strive to become an arahant.
DN 12: Lohicca Sutta (The Sermon Given to Lohicca)
A Brahmin named Lohicca gets the idea in his head that anyone who discovers a true doctrine or philosophy should keep it to himself, because trying to teach others would be useless. Despite this, after hearing the Buddha had arrived in his village with a bunch of monks, he sends his barber to invite them over for a meal. The barber, troubled by the misguided belief Lohicca has developed, spills the beans to the Buddha and asks him to correct the Brahmin. After the meal, the Buddha cuts straight to the point, addressing this idea Lohicca has had.
He tells Lohicca that there are three sorts of teachers that should be corrected: an unenlightened teachers who try to teach despite their students turning away; unenlightened teachers who teach others who believe (mistakenly) that they are enlightened; and finally, enlightened teachers who try to teach despite their students turning away. Here we see an acknowledgment that, even when one is teaching the truth, it is wrong to force one's doctrine on others.
Finally, the Buddha tells Lohicca that there is one sort of teacher worthy of praise: it is, of course, one who teaches the sort of doctrine revealed by a Buddha and practiced by monks.
DN 13: Tevijja Sutta (The Sermon on the Threefold-Knowledge)
Many Brahmin teachers claim to teach the only practice which leads to rebirth in the heavenly realm of the god Brahmā. Two young Brahmins get in an argument about which of the two teachers they follow is correct. After reaching a stalemate, they decide to visit the Buddha in order to let him settle the debate and decide a winner.
The Buddha, of course, demonstrates to them that none of the Brahmins who make these claims know what they’re talking about. He uses a series of parables to demonstrate the folly of these teachers, then reveals the true method to achieve rebirth in the company of Brahmā: four meditations called the “Brahmā Abodes” or “Boundless States.”
The second chapter of the Digha Nikāya is the "Mahāvagga," or "Great Chapter." This collection has less of a consistent "theme" than the previous chapter did, and as noted by Walshe, seems to be named the "Mahāvagga" simply because many of the sermons include the word "Mahā" (Great) in the title.
DN 14: Mahāpadāna Sutta (The Sermon of the Great Legend)
The Buddha overhears a group of elder monks discussing past lives, and tells them about the lives of seven previous Buddhas. The monks wondered if he was capable of recalling these details because of his own insight, or because he had been informed by the gods. The Buddha answers them: "Both!" He then discusses the life of one Buddha in detail - Vipassī, who lived 91 aeons ago. He uses that story to inform the monks about events in the life of a bodhisatta which are "dhammatā," or "cosmic law." These events occur naturally in every aeon, repeatedly, as a result of universal principles, in much the same way as a ball tossed in the air always falls back to the earth.
Perhaps more importantly, the story of Vipassī demonstrates a core Buddhist doctrine: the dissatisfactory nature of birth, and the importance of bringing the cycle of rebirth to an end.
DN 15: Mahānidāna Sutta (The Sermon of the Great Causation)
Ānanda approaches the Buddha and declares that the clarity with which he understands the doctrine of Dependent Arising is remarkable. The Buddha warns him not to underestimate the complexity of this doctrine, and what proceeds is perhaps one of the most important sermons of the Buddha's career. In his discussion with Ānanda, the Buddha explains how Dependent Arising leads to the cycle of birth and death, keeping us trapped in the round of suffering lifetime after lifetime. Central to this particular discussion is the way that consciousness works together with the mental & material components of an individual to construct the subjective experience through which a person navigates reality. The Buddha also explains how one should refute various theories of the self, and discusses the two types of arahant - one who is "freed by wisdom" alone, and one who additionally has achieved "freedom of mind."