The third division of the Dīgha Nikāya, containing eleven discourses on a range of topics including cosmology, ethics, and the qualities of a universal monarch. Notable discourses include the Aggañña Sutta on the origins of society and the Saṅgīti Sutta and Dasuttara Sutta, which systematically catalogue the Buddha's teachings in numbered sets — serving as precursors to the Abhidhamma method of analysis.
Pāthikavagga - The Pāthika Division
The Buddha recounts the rise and fall of the wheel-turning monarchs, demonstrating how economic neglect triggers cosmic moral degeneration. Charting humanity’s descent and eventual renewal through virtue, he foretells the coming of Buddha Metteyya and urges monastics to dwell anchored in mindfulness.
PTS 3.58–3.79The Buddha reframes Siṅgālaka’s ritual of revering the six directions into practical lay ethics. He explains abandoning corrupt deeds, avoiding six drains on wealth, discerning true from false friends, and fulfilling reciprocal duties across six social relationships to achieve happiness in this world and the next.
PTS 3.180–3.193