Dialogues of the Buddha, 3-Volume Set

the passing away of the Buddha and the distribution of his relics. Mahapadana Sutta deals with brief accounts of the last seven buddhas and the life story of the Vipassi Buddha. Doctrinally important are the two suttas: the Mahanidana Sutta, which explains the chain of cause and effect, and the Mahasatipatthana Sutta, which deals with the four methods of steadfast mindfulness and practical aspects of Buddhist meditation. The third division of the Digha Nikaya, the Pathika Vagga is made up of eleven shorter discourses of a miscellaneous nature. They deal with the Buddha's rejection of wrong and severe asceticism practiced by followers of many sects. They deal also with the periodical evolution and dissolution of the universe, the accounts of universal monarchs and the thirty-two physiognomic characteristics of a great man. There is one discourse, Singala Sutta, addressed to a young brahmin showing the duties to be performed by members of human society. The last two suttas, Sangiti and Dsasuttara, are discourses given by the Venerable Sariputta and they contain lists of doctrinal terms classified according to subject matter and numerical units. The style of their composition is different from the other nine suttas of the division. Note: Pariyatti Bookstore can ship Pali Text Society publications to countries in the Americas only (North, Central and South America, Hawaii and Puerto Rico.)