Anguttara Nikaya. The Buddha's Numbered Discourses. Volume 1

Anguttara-nikaya, or "Numerical Discourses of the Buddha," is the fourth of the four major collections of the Sutta-pitaka of the Pali Canon. It consists of 11 nipatas, or books, which together contain almost ten thousand short sutras. However, a large part of them are repetitions with minor changes, so there are about four thousand unique texts. The basis of the Anguttara-nikaya is a numerical scheme, in which sutras containing a certain number of points under consideration are included in the book corresponding to that number. This facilitated easier memorization and mastery of materials in ancient times when writing was just beginning to emerge, and all teachings were transmitted orally. In this edition, the Anguttara-nikaya is divided into four volumes. Volume 1 contains an extensive preface by the venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi, the translator from Pali to English, as well as the first three nipatas: The Book of the One, The Book of the Two, The Book of the Three. The thematic range of the sutras covers the most diverse aspects of Buddhist teaching.