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Majjhima Nikāya — Middle-Length Discourses

152 Discourses

Mūlapaṇṇāsa MN 1–50 50 texts

MN1 The Root of All Things The Buddha examines how the notion of a permanent self emerges from the process of perception. A wide range of phenomena are considered, embracing both naturalistic and cosmological dimensions. An unawakened person interprets experience in terms of a self, while those more advanced have the same experiences without attachment.
MN2 All the Defilements The diverse problems of the spiritual journey demand a diverse range of responses. Rather than applying the same solution to every problem, the Buddha outlines seven methods of dealing with defilements, each of which works in certain cases.
MN3 Heirs in the Teaching Some of the Buddha’s students inherit from him only material profits and fame. But his true inheritance is the spiritual path, the way of contentment. Venerable Sāriputta explains how by following the Buddha’s example we can experience the fruits of the path.
MN4 Fear and Dread The Buddha explains the difficulties of living in the wilderness, and how they are overcome by purity of conduct and meditation. He recounts some of the fears and obstacles he faced during his own practice.
MN5 Unblemished The Buddha’s chief disciples, Sāriputta and Moggallāna, use a simile of a tarnished bowl to illustrate the blemishes of the mind and conduct. They emphasize how the crucial thing is not so much whether there are blemishes, but whether we are aware of them.
MN6 One Might Wish According to the Buddha, careful observance of ethical precepts is the foundation of all higher achievements in the spiritual life.
MN7 The Simile of the Cloth The many different kinds of impurities that defile the mind are compared to a dirty cloth. When the mind is clean we find joy, which leads to states of higher consciousness. Finally, the Buddha rejects the Brahmanical notion that purity comes from bathing in sacred rivers.
MN8 Self-Effacement The Buddha differentiates between peaceful meditation and spiritual practices that encompass the whole of life. He lists forty-four aspects, which he explains as “effacement”, the wearing away of conceit.
MN9 Right View Venerable Sāriputta gives a detailed explanation of right view, the first factor of the noble eightfold path. At the prompting of the other mendicants, he approaches the topic from a wide range of perspectives.
MN10 Mindfulness Meditation Here the Buddha details the seventh factor of the noble eightfold path, mindfulness meditation. This collects many of the meditation teachings found throughout the canon, especially the foundational practices focusing on the body, and is regarded as one of the most important meditation discourses.
MN11 The Shorter Discourse on the Lion’s Roar The Buddha declares that only those following his path can genuinely experience the four stages of awakening. This is because, while much is shared with other systems, none of them go so far as to fully reject all attachment to the idea of a self.
MN12 The Longer Discourse on the Lion’s Roar A disrobed monk, Sunakkhatta, attacks the Buddha’s teaching because it merely leads to the end of suffering. The Buddha counters that this is, in fact, praise, and goes on to enumerate his many profound and powerful achievements.
MN13 The Longer Discourse on the Mass of Suffering Challenged to show the difference between his teaching and that of other ascetics, the Buddha points out that they speak of letting go, but do not really understand why. He then explains in great detail the suffering that arises from attachment to sensual stimulation.
MN14 The Shorter Discourse on the Mass of Suffering A lay person is puzzled at how, despite their long practice, they still have greedy or hateful thoughts. The Buddha explains the importance of absorption meditation for letting go such attachments. But he also criticizes self-mortification, and recounts a previous dialog with Jain ascetics.
MN15 Measuring Up Venerable Moggallāna raises the topic of admonishment, without which healthy community is not possible. He lists a number of qualities that will encourage others to think it worthwhile to admonish you in a constructive way.
MN16 Hard-heartedness The Buddha explains various ways one can become emotionally cut off from one’s spiritual community.
MN17 Jungle Thickets While living in the wilderness is great, not everyone is ready for it. The Buddha encourages meditators to reflect on whether one’s environment is genuinely supporting their meditation practice, and if not, to leave.
MN18 The Honey-Cake Challenged by a brahmin, the Buddha gives an enigmatic response on how conflict arises due to proliferation based on perceptions. Venerable Kaccāna draws out the detailed implications of this in one of the most insightful passages in the entire canon.
MN19 Two Kinds of Thought Recounting his own experiences in developing meditation, the Buddha explains how to understand harmful and harmless thoughts, and how to go beyond thought altogether.
MN20 How to Stop Thinking In a practical meditation teaching, the Buddha describes five different approaches to stopping thoughts.
MN21 The Simile of the Saw A discourse full of vibrant and memorable similes, on the importance of patience and love even when faced with abuse and criticism. The Buddha finishes with the simile of the saw, one of the most memorable similes found in the discourses.
MN22 The Simile of the Cobra One of the monks denies that prohibited conduct is really a problem. The monks and then the Buddha subject him to an impressive dressing down. The Buddha compares someone who understands only the letter of the teachings to someone who grabs a snake by the tail, and also invokes the famous simile of the raft.
MN23 The Termite Mound In a curious discourse laden with evocative imagery, a deity presents a riddle to a mendicant, who seeks an answer from the Buddha.
MN24 Chariots at the Ready Venerable Sāriputta seeks a dialog with an esteemed monk, Venerable Puṇṇa Mantāniputta, and they discuss the stages of purification.
MN25 Sowing The Buddha compares getting trapped by Māra with a deer getting caught in a snare, illustrating the ever more complex strategies employed by hunter and hunted.
MN26 The Noble Quest This is one of the most important biographical discourses, telling the Buddha’s experiences from leaving home to realizing awakening. Throughout, he was driven by the imperative to fully escape from rebirth and suffering.
MN27 The Shorter Simile of the Elephant’s Footprint The Buddha cautions against swift conclusions about a teacher’s spiritual accomplishments, comparing it to the care a tracker would use when tracking elephants. He presents the full training of a monastic.
MN28 The Longer Simile of the Elephant’s Footprint Sāriputta gives an elaborate demonstration of how, just as any footprint can fit inside an elephant’s, all the Buddha’s teaching can fit inside the four noble truths. This offers an overall template for organizing the Buddha’s teachings.
MN29 The Longer Simile of the Heartwood Following the incident with Devadatta, the Buddha cautions the mendicants against becoming complacent with superficial benefits of spiritual life and points to liberation as the true heart of the teaching.
MN30 The Shorter Simile of the Heartwood Similar to the previous. After the incident with Devadatta, the Buddha cautions the mendicants against becoming complacent and points to liberation as the true heart of the teaching.
MN31 The Shorter Discourse at Gosiṅga The Buddha comes across three mendicants practicing diligently and harmoniously, and asks them how they do it. Reluctant to disclose their higher attainments, they explain how they deal with the practical affairs of living together. But when pressed by the Buddha, they reveal their meditation attainments.
MN32 The Longer Discourse at Gosiṅga Several senior mendicants, reveling in the beauty of the night, discuss what kind of practitioner would adorn the park. They take their answers to the Buddha, who praises their answers, but gives his own twist.
MN33 The Longer Discourse on the Cowherd For eleven reasons a cowherd is not able to properly look after a herd. The Buddha compares this to the spiritual growth of a mendicant.
MN34 The Shorter Discourse on the Cowherd Drawing parallels with a cowherd guiding his herd across a dangerous river, the Buddha presents the various kinds of enlightened disciples who cross the stream of transmigration.
MN35 The Shorter Discourse With Saccaka Saccaka was a debater, who challenged the Buddha to a contest. Despite his bragging, the Buddha is not at all perturbed at his attacks.
MN36 The Longer Discourse With Saccaka In a less confrontational meeting, the Buddha and Saccaka discuss the difference between physical and mental development. The Buddha gives a long account of the various practices he did before awakening, detailing the astonishing lengths he took to mortify the body.
MN37 The Shorter Discourse on the Ending of Craving Moggallāna visits the heaven of Sakka, the lord of gods, to see whether he really understands what the Buddha is teaching.
MN38 The Longer Discourse on the Ending of Craving To counter the wrong view that a self-identical consciousness transmigrates from one life to the next, the Buddha teaches dependent origination, showing that consciousness invariably arises dependent on conditions.
MN39 The Longer Discourse at Assapura The Buddha encourages the mendicants to live up to their name, by actually practicing in a way that meets or exceeds the expectations people have for renunciants.
MN40 The Shorter Discourse at Assapura The labels of being a spiritual practitioner don’t just come from external trappings, but from sincere inner change.
MN41 The People of Sālā The Buddha explains to a group of brahmins the conduct leading to rebirth in higher or lower states, including detailed explanations of the ten core practices which lay people should undertake, and which also form the basis for liberation.
MN42 The People of Verañjā Similar to the previous. The Buddha explains the conduct leading to rebirth in higher or lower states, including detailed explanations of the ten core practices.
MN43 The Great Elaboration A series of questions and answers between Sāriputta and Mahākoṭṭhita, examining various subtle and abstruse aspects of the teachings.
MN44 The Shorter Elaboration The layman Visākha asks the nun Dhammadinnā about various difficult matters, including some of the highest meditation attainments. The Buddha fully endorses her answers.
MN45 The Shorter Discourse on Taking Up Practices The Buddha explains how taking up different practices may have harmful or beneficial results. The memorable simile of the creeper shows how insidious temptations can be.
MN46 The Great Discourse on Taking Up Practices While we all want to be happy, we often find the opposite happens. The Buddha explains why.
MN47 The Inquirer While some spiritual teachers prefer to remain in obscurity, the Buddha not only encouraged his followers to closely investigate him, but gave them a detailed and demanding method to do so.
MN48 The Mendicants of Kosambī Despite the Buddha’s presence, the monks of Kosambi fell into a deep and bitter dispute. The Buddha taught the reluctant monks to develop love and harmony, reminding them of the state of peace that they sought.
MN49 On the Invitation of Divinity The Buddha ascends to a high heavenly realm where he engages in a cosmic contest with a powerful divinity, who had fallen into the delusion that he was eternal and all-powerful.
MN50 The Condemnation of Māra Māra, the trickster and god of death, tried to annoy Moggallāna. He not only failed but was subject to a stern sermon warning of the dangers of attacking the Buddha’s disciples.

Majjhimapaṇṇāsa MN 51–100 50 texts

MN51 With Kandaraka The Buddha discusses mindfulness meditation with lay practitioners. Contrasting the openness of animals with the duplicity of humans, he explains how to practice in a way that causes no harm to oneself or others.
MN52 The Wealthy Citizen Asked by a householder to teach a path to freedom, Venerable Ānanda explains no less than eleven meditative states that may serve as doors to the deathless.
MN53 A Trainee The Buddha is invited by his family, the Sakyans of Kapilavatthu, to inaugurate a new community hall. He invites Venerable Ānanda to explain in detail the stages of spiritual practice for a lay trainee.
MN54 With Potaliya the Householder When Potaliya got upset at being referred to as “householder”, the Buddha quizzed him as to the true nature of attachment and renunciation.
MN55 With Jīvaka The Buddha’s personal doctor, Jīvaka, hears criticisms of the Buddha’s policy regarding eating meat, and asks him about it.
MN56 With Upāli The Buddha disagrees with a Jain ascetic on the question of whether physical or mental deeds are more important. When he hears of this, the Jain disciple Upāli decides to visit the Buddha and refute him, and proceeds despite all warnings.
MN57 The Ascetic Who Behaved Like a Dog Some ascetics in ancient India undertook extreme practices, such as a vow to behave like an ox or a dog. The Buddha meets two such individuals, and is reluctantly pressed to reveal the kammic outcomes of such practice.
MN58 With Prince Abhaya The leader of the Jains, Nigaṇṭha Nātaputta, gives his disciple Prince Abhaya a dilemma to pose to the Buddha, supposing that this will show his weakness. Things don’t go quite as planned.
MN59 The Many Kinds of Feeling The Buddha resolves a disagreement on the number of kinds of feelings that he taught, pointing out that different ways of teaching are appropriate in different contexts, and should not be a cause of disputes. He goes on to show the importance of pleasure in developing higher meditation.
MN60 A Sure Bet The Buddha teaches a group of uncommitted householders how to use a rational reflection to arrive at practices and principles that are guaranteed to have a good outcome, even if we don’t know all the variables.
MN61 Advice to Rāhula at Ambalaṭṭhika Using the “object lesson” of a cup of water, the Buddha explains to his son, Rāhula, the importance of telling the truth and reflecting on one’s motives.
MN62 The Longer Advice to Rāhula The Buddha tells Rāhula to meditate on not-self, which he immediately puts into practice. Seeing him, Venerable Sāriputta advises him to develop breath meditation, but the Buddha suggests a wide range of different practices first.
MN63 The Shorter Discourse With Māluṅkyaputta A monk demands that the Buddha answer his metaphysical questions, or else he will disrobe. The Buddha compares him to a man struck by an arrow, who refuses treatment until he can have all his questions about the arrow and the archer answered.
MN64 The Longer Discourse With Māluṅkya A little baby has no wrong views or intentions, but the underlying tendency for these things is still there. Without practicing, they will inevitably recur.
MN65 With Bhaddāli A monk refuses to follow the rule forbidding eating after noon, but is filled with remorse and forgiven.
MN66 The Simile of the Quail Again raising the rule regarding eating, but this time as a reflection of gratitude for the Buddha in eliminating things that cause complexity and stress. The Buddha emphasizes how attachment even to little things can be dangerous.
MN67 At Cātumā After dismissing some unruly monks, the Buddha is persuaded to relent, and teaches them four dangers for those gone forth.
MN68 At Naḷakapāna Those who practice do so not because they are failures, but because they aspire to higher freedom. When he speaks of the attainments of disciples, the Buddha does so in order to inspire.
MN69 With Gulissāni A monk comes down to the community from the wilderness, but doesn’t behave properly. Venerable Sāriputta explains how a mendicant should behave, whether in forest or town.
MN70 At Kīṭāgiri A third discourse that presents the health benefits of eating in one part of the day, and the reluctance of some mendicants to follow this.
MN71 To Vacchagotta on the Three Knowledges The Buddha denies being omniscient, and sets forth the three higher knowledges that form the core of his awakened insight.
MN72 With Vacchagotta on Fire Refusing to take a stance regarding useless metaphysical speculations, the Buddha illustrates the spiritual goal with the simile of a flame going out.
MN73 The Longer Discourse With Vacchagotta In the final installment of the “Vacchagotta trilogy”, Vacchagotta lets go his obsession with meaningless speculation, and asks about practice.
MN74 With Dīghanakha Deftly outmaneuvering an extreme skeptic, the Buddha discusses the outcomes of belief and disbelief. Rather than getting stuck in abstractions, he encourages staying close to the feelings one experiences.
MN75 With Māgaṇḍiya Accused by a hedonist of being too negative, the Buddha recounts the luxury of his upbringing, and his realization of how little value there was in such things. Through renunciation he found a far greater pleasure.
MN76 With Sandaka Venerable Ānanda teaches a group of wanderers how there are many different approaches to the spiritual life, many of which lead nowhere.
MN77 The Longer Discourse with Sakuludāyī Unlike many teachers, the Buddha’s followers treat him with genuine love and respect, since they see the sincerity of his teaching and practice.
MN78 With Uggāhamāna Samaṇamaṇḍikāputta A wanderer teaches that a person has reached the highest attainment when they keep four basic ethical precepts. The Buddha’s standards are considerably higher.
MN79 The Shorter Discourse With Sakuludāyī A wanderer teaches his doctrine of the “highest splendor” but is unable to give a satisfactory account of what that means. The Buddha memorably compares him to someone who is in love with an idealized women who he has never met.
MN80 With Vekhanasa Starting off similar to the previous, the Buddha goes on to explain that one is not converted to his teaching just because of clever arguments, but because you see in yourself the results of the practice.
MN81 With Ghaṭīkāra The Buddha relates an unusual account of a past life in the time of the previous Buddha, Kassapa. At that time he was not interested in Dhamma, and had to be forced to go see the Buddha. This discourse is important in understanding the development of the Bodhisattva doctrine.
MN82 With Raṭṭhapāla A wealthy young man, Raṭṭhapāla, has a strong aspiration to go forth, but has to prevail against the reluctance of his parents. Even after he became a monk, his parents tried to persuade him to disrobe. The discourse ends with a moving series of teachings on the fragility of the world.
MN83 About King Maghadeva A rare extended mythic narrative, telling of an ancient kingly lineage and their eventual downfall.
MN84 At Madhurā In Madhurā, towards the north-eastern limit of the Buddha’s reach during his life, King Avantiputta asks Venerable Mahākaccāna regarding the brahmanical claim to be the highest caste.
MN85 With Prince Bodhi Admitting that he used to believe that pleasure was to be gained through pain, the Buddha explains how his practice showed him the fallacy of that idea.
MN86 With Aṅgulimāla Ignoring warnings, the Buddha ventures into the domain of the notorious killer Aṅgulimāla and succeeds in converting him to the path of non-violence. After becoming a monk Aṅgulimāla still suffered for his past deeds, but only to a small extent. He uses his new commitment to non-violence to help a woman in labor.
MN87 Born From the Beloved A rare glimpse into the marital life of King Pasenadi, and how he is led to the Dhamma by his Queen, the incomparable Mallikā. She confirms the Buddha’s teaching that our loved ones bring us sorrow; but that’s not something a husband, father, and king wants to hear.
MN88 The Imported Cloth King Pasenadi takes a chance to visit Venerable Ānanda, where he asks about skillful and unskillful behavior, and what is praised by the Buddha. He offers Ānanda a valuable cloth in gratitude.
MN89 Shrines to the Teaching King Pasenadi, near the end of his life, visits the Buddha, and shows moving devotion and love for his teacher.
MN90 At Kaṇṇakatthala King Pasenadi questions the Buddha on miscellaneous matters: caste, omniscience, and the gods among them.
MN91 With Brahmāyu The oldest and most respected brahmin of the age sends a student to examine the Buddha, and he spends several months following his every move before reporting back. Convinced that the Buddha fulfills an ancient prophecy of the Great Man, the brahmin becomes his disciple.
MN92 With Sela A brahmanical ascetic named Keṇiya invites the entire Saṅgha for a meal. When the brahmin Sela sees what is happening, he visits the Buddha and expresses his delight in a moving series of devotional verses.
MN93 With Assalāyana A precocious brahmin student is encouraged against his wishes to challenge the Buddha on the question of caste. His reluctance turns out to be justified.
MN94 With Ghoṭamukha A brahmin denies that there is such a thing as a principled renunciate life, but Venerable Udena persuades him otherwise.
MN95 With Caṅkī The reputed brahmin Caṅkī goes with a large group to visit the Buddha, despite the reservations of other brahmins. A precocious student challenges the Buddha, affirming the validity of the Vedic scriptures. The Buddha gives a detailed explanation of how true understanding gradually emerges through spiritual education.
MN96 With Esukārī A brahmin claims that one deserves service and privilege depending on caste, but the Buddha counters that it is conduct, not caste, that show a person’s worth.
MN97 With Dhanañjāni A corrupt tax-collector is redeemed by his encounter with Venerable Sāriputta.
MN98 With Vāseṭṭha Two brahmin students ask the Buddha about what makes a brahmin: birth or deeds? the Buddha points out that, while the species of animals are determined by birth, for humans what matters is how you chose to live. This discourse anticipates the modern view that there are no such things as clearly defined racial differences among humans.
MN99 With Subha Working hard is not valuable in and of itself; what matters is the outcome. And just as in lay life, spiritual practice may or may not lead to fruitful results.
MN100 With Saṅgārava Angered by the devotion of a brahmin lady, a brahmin visits the Buddha. He positions himself against traditionalists and rationalists, as someone whose teaching is based on direct experience.

Uparipaṇṇāsa MN 101–152 52 texts

MN101 At Devadaha The Buddha tackles a group of Jain ascetics, pressing them on their claim to be practicing to end all suffering by self-mortification. He points out a series of fallacies in their logic, and explains his own middle way.
MN102 The Five and Three A middle length version of the more famous Brahmajāla Sutta (DN1), this surveys a range of speculative views and dismisses them all.
MN103 Is This What You Think Of Me? The Buddha teaches the monks to not dispute about the fundamental teachings, but to always strive for harmony.
MN104 At Sāmagāma Hearing of the death of the Jain leader Nigaṇṭha Nātaputta, the Buddha encourages the Saṅgha to swiftly resolve any disputes. He lays down a series of seven methods for resolving disputes. These form the foundation for the monastic code.
MN105 With Sunakkhatta Not all of those who claim to be awakened are genuine. The Buddha teaches how true spiritual progress depends on an irreversible letting go of the forces that lead to suffering.
MN106 Conducive to the Imperturbable Beginning with profound meditation absorption, the Buddha goes on to deeper and deeper levels, showing how insight on this basis leads to the detaching of consciousness from any form of rebirth.
MN107 With Moggallāna the Accountant The Buddha compares the training of an accountant with the step by step spiritual path of his followers. But even with such a well explained path, the Buddha can only show the way, and it is up to us to walk it.
MN108 With Moggallāna the Guardian Amid rising military tensions after the Buddha’s death, Venerable Ānanda is questioned about how the Saṅgha planned to continue in their teacher’s absence. As the Buddha refused to appoint a successor, the teaching and practice that he laid down become the teacher, and the Saṅgha resolves issues by consensus.
MN109 The Longer Discourse on the Full-Moon Night On a lovely full moon night, one of the mendicants presents the Buddha with a series of questions that go to the heart of the teaching. But when he hears of the doctrine of not-self, another mendicant is unable to grasp the meaning.
MN110 The Shorter Discourse on the Full-Moon Night A good person is able to understand a bad person, but not vice versa.
MN111 One by One The Buddha describes in technical detail the process of insight of Venerable Sāriputta. Many ideas and terms in this text anticipate the Abhidhamma.
MN112 The Sixfold Purification If someone claims to be awakened, their claim should be interrogated with a detailed series of detailed questions. Only if they can answer them clearly should the claim be accepted.
MN113 A True Person The Buddha explains that a truly good person does not disparage others or feel superior because of their attainment.
MN114 What Should and Should Not Be Cultivated The Buddha sets up a framework on things to be cultivated or avoided, and Venerable Sāriputta volunteers to elaborate.
MN115 Many Elements Beginning by praising a wise person, the Buddha goes on to explain that one becomes wise by inquiring into the elements, sense fields, dependent origination, and what is possible and impossible.
MN116 At Isigili Reflecting on the changes that even geographical features undergo, the Buddha then recounts the names of sages of the past who have lived in Mount Isigili near Rājagaha.
MN117 The Great Forty A discourse on the prerequisites of right samādhi that emphasizes the interrelationship and mutual support of all the factors of the eightfold path.
MN118 Mindfulness of Breathing Surrounded by many well-practiced mendicants, the Buddha teaches mindfulness of breathing in detail, showing how it relates to the four kinds of mindfulness meditation.
MN119 Mindfulness of the Body This focuses on the first aspect of mindfulness meditation, the observation of the body. This set of practices, simple as they seem, have far-reaching benefits.
MN120 Rebirth by Choice The Buddha explains how one can make a wish to be reborn in different realms.
MN121 The Shorter Discourse on Emptiness The Buddha describes his own practice of the meditation on emptiness.
MN122 The Longer Discourse on Emptiness A group of mendicants have taken to socializing too much, so the Buddha teaches on the importance of seclusion in order to enter fully into emptiness.
MN123 Incredible and Amazing Venerable Ānanda is invited by the Buddha to speak on the Buddha’s amazing qualities, and proceeds to list a series of apparently miraculous events accompanying his birth. The Buddha caps it off by explaining what he thinks is really amazing about himself.
MN124 With Bakkula Venerable Bakkula, regarded as the healthiest of the mendicants, explains to an old friend his strict and austere practice. The unusual form of this discourse suggests it was added to the canon some time after the Buddha’s death.
MN125 The Level of the Tamed A young monk is unable to persuade a prince of the blessings of peace of mind. The Buddha offers similes based on training an elephant that would have been successful, as this was a field the prince was familiar with.
MN126 With Bhūmija Success in the spiritual life does not depend on any vows you may or may not make, but on whether you practice well.
MN127 With Anuruddha A lay person becomes confused when encouraged to develop the “limitless” and “expansive” liberations, and asks Venerable Anuruddha to explain whether they are the same or different.
MN128 Corruptions A second discourse set at the quarrel of Kosambi, this depicts the Buddha, having failed to achieve reconciliation between the disputing mendicants, leaving the monastery. He spends time in the wilderness before encountering an inspiring community of practicing monks. There he discusses in detail obstacles to meditation that he encountered before awakening.
MN129 The Foolish and the Astute A fool suffers both in this life and the next, while the astute benefits in both respects.
MN130 Messengers of the Gods Expanding on the previous, this discourse contains the most detailed descriptions of the horrors of hell.
MN131 One Fine Night This discourse opens with a short but powerful set of verses extolling the benefits of insight into the here and now, followed by an explanation.
MN132 Ānanda and One Fine Night The same discourse as MN 131, but spoken by Venerable Ānanda.
MN133 Mahākaccāna and One Fine Night The verses from MN 131 are explained in a different way by Venerable Mahakaccāna.
MN134 Lomasakaṅgiya and One Fine Night A monk who does not know the verses from MN 131 is encouraged by a deity to learn them.
MN135 The Shorter Analysis of Deeds The Buddha explains to a brahmin how your deeds in past lives affect you in this life.
MN136 The Longer Analysis of Deeds Confronted with an overly simplistic version of his own teachings, the Buddha emphasizes the often overlooked nuances and qualifications in how karma plays out.
MN137 The Analysis of the Six Sense Fields A detailed analysis of the six senses and the relation to emotional and cognitive processes.
MN138 A Summary Recital and its Analysis The Buddha gives a brief and enigmatic statement on the ways consciousness may become attached. Venerable Mahākaccāna is invited by the mendicants to draw out the implications.
MN139 The Analysis of No Strife Achieving peace is no simple matter. The Buddha explains how to avoid conflict through contentment, right speech, understanding pleasure, and not insisting on local conventions.
MN140 The Analysis of the Elements While staying overnight in a potter’s workshop, the Buddha has a chance encounter with a monk who does not recognize him. They have a long and profound discussion based on the four elements. This is one of the most insightful and moving discourses in the canon.
MN141 The Analysis of the Truths Expanding on the Buddha’s first sermon, Venerable Sāriputta gives a detailed explanation of the four noble truths.
MN142 The Analysis of Religious Donations When his step-mother Mahāpajāpatī wishes to offer him a robe for his personal use, the Buddha encourages her to offer it to the entire Saṅgha instead. He goes on to explain that the best kind of offering to the Saṅgha is one given to the dual community of monks and nuns, headed by the Buddha.
MN143 Advice to Anāthapiṇḍika As the great lay disciple Anāthapiṇḍika lies dying, Venerable Sāriputta visits him and gives a powerful teaching on non-attachment.
MN144 Advice to Channa The monk Channa is suffering a painful terminal illness and wishes to take his own life.
MN145 Advice to Puṇṇa On the eve of his departure to a distant country, full of wild and unpredictable people, Venerable Puṇṇa is asked by the Buddha how he would respond if attacked there.
MN146 Advice from Nandaka When asked to teach the nuns, Venerable Nandaka proceeds by inviting them to engage with his discourse and ask if there is anything that needs further explanation.
MN147 The Shorter Advice to Rāhula The Buddha takes Rāhula with him to a secluded spot in order to lead him on to liberation.
MN148 Six By Six The Buddha analyzes the six senses from six perspectives, and demonstrates the emptiness of all of them.
MN149 The Great Discourse on What Relates to the Six Sense Fields Explains how insight into the six senses is integrated with the eightfold path and leads to liberation.
MN150 With the People of Nagaravinda In discussion with a group of householders, the Buddha helps them to distinguish those spiritual practitioners who are truly worthy of respect.
MN151 The Purification of Alms The Buddha notices Venerable Sāriputta’s glowing complexion, which is the result of his deep meditation. He then presents a series of reflections by which a mendicant can be sure that they are worthy of their alms-food.
MN152 The Development of the Faculties A brahmin teacher advocates that purification of the senses consists in simply avoiding seeing and hearing things. The Buddha explains that it is not about avoiding sense experience, but understanding it and learning to not be affected by sense experience.

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