Words of the Buddha
Explore the Buddha’s earliest teachings through his words. Access over 1,055 texts with parallel Pāli-English translations and built-in study tools.
Reflection of the Day
“I do not see any other form that so completely obsesses a man’s mind as the form of a woman.”
— AN 1.1 ·

Fire: Investigating Recurrent Experience
The Buddha cast his entire framework of liberation in the language of fire and its cessation. This essay traces that structure using what we now understand about how fire actually works.
Experience is examined starting with the texture of a single moment, to the cascade of experience, across the terrain where consciousness takes root, and to the extinguishing that is Nibbāna.
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Parallel Texts
Read Pāli and English side-by-side or interleaved, with line-by-line fidelity to the source.
Contextual Tooltips
Click any Pāli word or translated term for on-the-spot explanations that deepen understanding.
Bookmarks & Highlights
Save discourses and highlight key passages to build your personal collection of insights.
Discourses by Text Collections
Access over 2,200 discourses, verses, sayings, passages, and utterances from 1,055 texts with parallel Pāli-English translations
| Collection | |
|---|---|
| The Path of Dhamma | 423 verses 100 %
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| As It Was Said | 112 sayings 100 %
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| Inspired Utterances | 80 utterances 100 %
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| Middle Length Discourses | 94 discourses 62 %
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| The Buddha's Ancient Discourses | 43 teachings 61 %
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| Connected Discourses | 516 discourses 18 %
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| Numerical Discourses | 934 discourses 10 %
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| Minor Passages | 7 passages 78 %
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Latest Discourses
View all →The Buddha defines establishing mindfulness across four domains: body, felt experience, mind, and mental qualities. Cultivating this mindfulness involves observing their arising and vanishing nature, a profound practice achieved by diligently walking the Noble Eightfold Path.
Last updated on May 17, 2026
Six qualities that help achieve greatness and expansiveness in wholesome qualities in no long time.
Last updated on May 17, 2026
Three individuals arise for the world’s welfare: the Buddha, the Arahant, and the trainee disciple. Out of compassion, all three teach the pure Dhamma, opening the door to the deathless and helping diligent followers make an end to suffering.
Last updated on May 17, 2026
The Buddha advises to 1.) dwell contemplating the unattractive nature of the body, 2.) establish mindfulness as the first priority while breathing in and out, and 3.) observe impermanence in all conditioned phenomena.
Last updated on May 17, 2026
It is natural for a practitioner practicing in accordance with the Dhamma to speak and think only in terms of the Dhamma, not in terms of what is not the Dhamma.
Last updated on May 17, 2026
Anthologies
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An Anthology of Discourses from the Pali Canon
In In the Buddha’s Words, Bhikkhu Bodhi curates a rich anthology of discourses drawn from the Pali Canon that capture the full breadth of the Buddha’s teachings. Through these selected suttas, readers explore key themes such as impermanence, not-self, and the path to awakening, revealing how suffering arises and can ultimately be transcended. Each section is introduced with Bhikkhu Bodhi’s insightful commentary, which clarifies the practical application of the Dhamma in daily life. The book’s thematic structure provides a coherent roadmap to the Buddha’s profound insights, emphasizing their timeless relevance in overcoming the human predicament. In essence, In the Buddha’s Words serves as an invaluable guide for anyone seeking a clear and transformative overview of Early Buddhism.
By Bhikkhu Bodhi
The heart essence of the Buddha’s original teachings
In Noble Truths, Noble Path, Bhikkhu Bodhi brings together key suttas from the Saṁyutta Nikāya that illuminate the essence of the Buddha’s teaching - the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path. Through these discourses, readers see how suffering arises, why it persists, and how it can be ended, culminating in Nibbāna. Each chapter, introduced by Ven. Bodhi, follows the structure of the Four Noble Truths, offering a clear roadmap to understand and overcome the human predicament. The book emphasizes the universal relevance of the Buddha’s radical insights and guides us toward liberation from the cycle of rebirth, making it an invaluable resource for anyone seeking a concise yet profound overview of Early Buddhism.
By Bhikkhu Bodhi
A daily learning feed of the Buddha’s teachings — learn, reflect, and apply in practice.