Khuddaka

Khuddaka is a term from Pali literature meaning “minor” or “small.” In Buddhist usage, it most often refers to the Khuddaka Nikaya, the final collection within the Sutta Pitaka of the Pali Canon. The Khuddaka Nikaya comprises a diverse assortment of shorter discourses, verses, and narrative works that were gathered and transmitted by various monastic communities over several centuries. It is distinguished from the four longer collections that precede it: the Digha Nikaya, Majjhima Nikaya, Samyutta Nikaya, and Anguttara Nikaya.

The Khuddaka Nikaya includes a broad range of genres and texts. Some of its best-known items are the Khuddakapatha (a short introductory collection), Dhammapada (verses on ethics and practice), Udana (utterances inspired by spiritual events), Itivuttaka (short discourses attributed to the Buddha), and Sutta Nipata (a mixed collection of poetry and discourses). It also contains the Jataka tales, which recount the Buddha’s past lives; Buddhavamsa and Cariyapitaka, which present biographical and ethical material; and other minor texts that supplement the core sutras. The collection thus functions as both a repository of accessible teachings and a source of narrative and devotional material within the Theravada tradition.

Scholarly and lay communities study Khuddaka texts for guidance in ethics, meditation, and understanding the Buddha’s life and exemplary qualities. While the texts share a common scriptural status within the Pali Canon, they vary in style, dating, and emphasis, reflecting their long, decentralized compilation.