The Connected Discourses of the Buddha: A Translation of the Saṃyutta Nikaya

I'm an adult reader and have been meaning to study Buddhism, and the world is fortunate to have these Wisdom Publishing volumes.Many thanks to the Monk translators of these works.Highly recommended, excellent paper, excellent binding.

of a book this is, and thus more than a book.Thus it is beyond any attempt at a "review," as such.This along with the other "companion" volumes (The Long, The Middle-length, The Numerical)deserve to eventually find themselves on the bookshelves of most people who have more than a passing interest in Buddhism.When someone has done this kind of work that spans over 2,000 pages, it would be ungracious to whine about the quality of the translation. I myself am simply awed by the quality that comes through in this edition.What the Buddha said is one thing, what one (usually Ananda) has heard him say is another. And the wobbly wedding cake of an edifice that has come to be known as Buddhism is yet another.This collection is as close to an English reading person is going to get to what THE MAN really said. And much of what he said is rational, straight-forward, and free of jargon. (What a surprise!)But naturally, as the Suttas were recorded much later after B's death, the text bears all the traits of the mnemonic techniques that were necessary for committing them memory. In other words, there is a lot of repetition in a way that is not unlike the meters used in Homer's Illiad, for example.While the format and size makes this appear as if one ought to be familiar with Buddhism first, I would argue the other way around. It's a mountain of a book: ain't no sense in trying to climb it in a day. Or even in a month.Even a short hike here and there will always be rewarding for those who have a taste and sensibility for ancient poetry, and imagination that will transport them to a time and place when these teachings were given.In a culture, at a time, when mythical thinking and conception of phenomena were as binding as gravity, Siddhartha's feat of rationality is nothing less than astounding.This translation reads swift and is free of pointless archaisms. Yet it retains the aroma of the Monsoons and the sylvan majesty of the Groves.Go to the mountain or let it come to you:Stand up next to it and chop it down with the edge of your hand.

If you've ever felt stuck in life, you should read the sutta. It's not religious, it's how reality works.

HIgh quality with an encyclopedia of teachings. quality paper with small print for more teaching. I recommend it for any dedicated student of Buddhism. Dr. Ronald Cutburth

The Tipitaka, known as the Buddhist "bible", is a massive collection of texts that were first compiled by the Fourth Buddhist Council in 29 BCE. It was divided into 5 volumes (nikayas). At over 2,000 pages for just the Samyutta Nikaya alone, the Buddha clearly had a lot more to say than the handful of inspirational quotes floating around on social media sites.If you're new to Buddhism, and don't know which nikaya to start with, I'd recommend starting with The Dhammapada—of which there are many options.  Gil Fronsdal  rendered a modern translation of this text. It can also be read freely online at sites like dhammatalks or SuttaCentral. I'd also recommend purchasing the  Majjhima Nikaya  before the Samutta Nikaya. If the Majjhima Nikaya is the algebra of Buddhism, the Samutta Nikaya is the pre-calculus, and is arguably more challenging to parse.Regarding book quality—yes, the pages are thin, but they don't feel fragile or cheap, and they're glued firmly to the hard back cover. I can't imagine this book showing much wear anytime soon. I've had mine for 5 years now, and it still looks new. Admittedly, I'm pretty light handed with my books. If I had one complaint is that ellipses are used perhaps a little too heavily to minimize repetition, sometimes at the expense of the text flow. Regardless, the teachings themselves are still solidly preserved.

This is a best full translation into english of the Samyutta Nikaya. Which are the original discourses of the Historical Buddha and his close disciples as preserved by the Theravada school of Buddhism. The Samyutta is one of the Five Nikayas. The website Access To Insight also has many free translations available by Thanissaro Bhikkhu. Which I usually prefer. Check them out for comparison purposes. The Pali Text society Pali-English dictionary is kind of the gold standard for the English meaning of the Pali but the monk practitioners sometimes disagree with it and between themselves. The Digha Nikaya is considered to be the collection prepared for newcomers to the teachings. But has references to Indian beliefs in 400 BCE The Majjhima Nikaya or Middle Length discourses are considered as being indoctrination for converts into the teachings. And the Samyutta contains some of the most advanced teachings, in a sense, for advanced practitioners. The Samyutta contains the famous sermon on the four noble truths considered, to be the first discourse.

If you want to dive deep into studying ancient buddhist scripture, this and the other collections of Nikaya's in this series are what you are looking for. They are big books, full of commentary, indexes and other useful tools. If you are looking for a more general overview or a more explanatory overview, then go for the Anthology of Discourses (I loved it). The Nikaya's are definitely for the serious student. The quality of the book is top knotch, pages are thin like a bible but are high quality. You can write notes on the pages in pen but you'll see the writing through from the other side (just like a regular bible page).

Received the order as it is. Well done team

All the Buddhas teach only two things: Dukkha and the end of DukkhaNow is our opportunity to learn the Dhamma taught by the Blessed Ones, the Arahants, the Perfectly Enlightened Ones.Make sure, if you can, to not only get the Samyutta Nikaya, but all Nikayas.With lots of loving-kindnessRaymond

I have some complaints about the delivery. The book was supposed to be new, but it arrived with a torn and dented cover. They were really careless, and considering the price I paid, it's disgraceful. As for the book itself, I have no complaints. It's part of a well-made collection, with appropriate philological comments, and it's also a beautiful edition. It's just a shame about the delivery handling.

This is a great translation. Highly recommend for anyone who is interested in Sutta reading. As always Venerable Bhikkhu Bodhi has provided thorough and detailed notes from various commentaries as well as his own analysis. And the reader can decide the best approach to understanding some of the harder terminology used in the Suttas.