The Middle Length Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Majjhima Nikaya (The Teachings of the Buddha) Hardcover – November 9, 1995

When I first started to practice, I was told that the Buddha's discourses were repetitive and boring, and that I should not bother with them. For years I followed that advice, but eventually I got frustrated at being told what the Buddha said. I really didn't want to hear about it second hand. One year I bought a copy of the Majjhima Nikaya. Life has never been the same since. What I found was that a great deal of what I was being told was wrong, and a great deal was being omitted.

The Majjhima Nikaya is my answer to "the book you would want to have if stranded on a desert island". Of all the Nikayas, this is the one to read (although lately I know that many people start with "In the Buddha's Words", which is Bhikkhu Bodhi's version of "The Buddha's Greatest Hits").

I admit that the canonical literature is not exactly a quick read (!). But I strongly suggest to anyone who is seriously interested in the Buddha's teachings that they take the time and effort and read it for themselves. It is the closest thing we have to the true words of the Buddha, and whatever its faults the canon has been quite carefully preserved for over 2400 years. I took a year to read the Majjhima Nikaya. I read a discourse or two a day. I savored it. And it was worth every moment.

There is some basic misunderstanding about the Pali canon. Many consider the Pali canon to be "Theravada Buddhism", as opposed to "Mahayana Buddhism" (like Zen and Tibetan Buddhism). In the first millennium in India, when India was nominally a Buddhist country, all of the schools of Buddhism studied the same texts. Where the schools diverged was not in their basic source material, but in how they interpreted them, and in what aspects of Buddhist practice they chose to emphasize. To be sure, we also have Chinese versions (the Agamas) and two partial Tibetan versions (the Tengyur and the Kangyur), but they all came from essentially the same original Sanskrit texts. So to characterize the Pali canon as Theravadan is not really accurate. Thus I think a reading of at least the Majjhima Nikaya is worthwhile for any Buddhist, if for no other reason than to see how their own tradition has diverged from the original teachings.

(To be sure, Theravadan Buddhism has evolved from the original teachings almost as much. And that is not in any way to disparage such developments. It is only, I think, useful to know what is original and what came later.)

Bhikkhu Bodhi (who is an American) humbly credits Bhikkhu Nanamoli as a co-author. Bhikkhu Nanamoli was Bhikkhu Bodhi's teacher in Sri Lanka. But I think at this point the work is largely that of Bhikkhu Bodhi's, and a remarkable work it is. He is, I think, clearly the master Pali to English translator of all time. He not only has a masterful grasp of both languages, he is also a master of the subtleties and nuances of the Buddha's teachings. This is the only way one can truly translate not only the literal meaning of the texts, but the substance as well. You will find his footnotes are required reading as you go through the discourses. It's the only way to really make sense of documents that have been preserved across time and vastly different cultures for so many centuries.

(Also note that Bhikkhu Bodhi has given several years of in-depth talks on the Majjhima Nikaya, all of which are available on the Internet.)

The Pali canon is, I believe, the greatest literary treasure in the world. It has been carefully preserved, century after century, by dedicated monastics. As a result we have access to this astonishing tradition. We are profoundly fortunate to be able, with a click of a mouse, to order such a volume from Amazon. When I am reading works like the Majjhima Nikaya, I am often struck by what a privilege it is to have access to such a great gift, and how many hundreds and thousands of people over the centuries were involved in making it available. It is very humbling.

If you really want to make a real practice, it's worth reading the original Nikayas. They are far more readable than most people would suspect, I haven't finished reading this one but from what I have read, I wasn't disappointed. It's the closest you are going to get to the original words of the Buddha without either having to read Pali palm leaves or a time machine. Good dhamma is good for you.

Well translated and wonderfully commented translation of the Majjhima Nikaya. Bhikkhu Bodhi is the guiding hand through the introduction and annotations working through the late Bhikkhu Namamoli's notes. Like the other Nikayas offered by Wisdom Publications this translation is rich in commentary that bring out the beauty in each sutta and offers suggestions for further reading.

I purchased the entire English and Pali NIkayas. I could not have been more pleased with these purchases. The print and binding quality are excellent. The teachings are wonderful. The annotations, which are plentiful, are beyond helpful. I recommend the Nikayas to anyone who is interested in the Dhamma.

Sastisfied. The book received was in excellent state. I'm studying and learning very much from the original noble, precious teachings of the Buddha translated in English. Really appreciate the efforts of the translator.

Discussing at a book club at Buddhist meditation temple. Easier to understand in a group setting where you can discuss other’s takes on the discourses.

This book was very impressive! It gave me a compressive understantding what the Buddha taught
about 2500years ago very vividly. I would like to recommend to you listening the author Bikku Bodhi's lectures
about this book on the web sites. ( http://bodhimonastery.org/a-systematic-study-of-the-majjhima-nikaya.html)
If you listen his lecture you can understand the content of the book more easily.
Actually his lecture is one of the best and the most kind one I ever had in my life about Buddha's teaching.
Through reading this book and listening of his lecture you can get the insight of the origin of your suffering
and how to deal with them succesfully.
Thank you!!

The fourth edition of this essential reference has just been released by the publisher Wisdom Publications. Until amazon.com can obtain a new supply, it can be obtained directly from Wisdom Publications for $39.96, a 20% discount from the new list price of $49.95, reduced from the $65 list for the third edition. There is a small publishing oversight on the title page which identifies it mistakenly as the third edition instead of the fourth edition, however this does not detract from the otherwise excellent quality of the binding and printing.