Anguttara

Anguttara Nikaya, or Aṅguttara Nikāya, is a canonical collection in Theravada Buddhism and a part of the Sutta Pitaka of the Pali Canon. The name means "Numerical Collection" or "Collections by numbers," reflecting its arrangement of discourses according to the number of topics discussed. The work is divided into eleven sections, known as nipatas, ranging from one to eleven. Within each section, suttas present teachings as lists or enumerations—one item, two items, and so on—often in dialogue form between the Buddha and monks or lay followers. The topics cover ethics, mental development, wisdom, and the path to liberation, with many suttas formulated as practical guidance for daily life and spiritual practice.

Historically, the Anguttara Nikaya is part of the early Buddhist literature preserved in the Theravada tradition. It is generally dated to the first few centuries BCE through the early centuries CE, with its textual transmission rooted in Sri Lankan monastic life and broader Theravada communities. In some other Buddhist canons there are related parallels, but the Anguttara exists as a distinct collection within the Pali Canon.

In modern scholarship and practice, the Anguttara Nikaya is valued for its concise, structured mode of instruction and its emphasis on enumerated ethical and meditative considerations. It is widely studied in Theravada monasteries and is available in numerous translations. A prominent English translation is Bhikkhu Bodhi’s The Numerical Discourses of the Buddha, which presents selected suttas with commentary and notes.