This book contains the integral Dutch translation of the first volume of the Anguttara-Nikaya, ‘The Numerical Discourses of the Buddha’.
De Anguttara-Nikaya is traditionally seen as the fourth set (nikaya) in the Sutta-Pitaka, after the Digha-Nikaya, the Majjhima-Nikaya and the Samyutta-Nikaya. The Sutta-Pitaka is the ‘basket’ of discourses (sutta’s) attributed to the historical Buddha and his main disciples.
The Sutta-Pitaka is part of the Pali-Canon together with the Vinaya-Pitaka (the ‘basket’ of the monastic rules) and the Abhidhamma-Pitaka (the ‘basket’ with detailed scholastic presentations of doctrinal material). Together they form the body of sacred texts of Theravada Buddhism. The Pali-Canon or Tipitaka (‘three baskets’) contain the oldest extant scriptures of the Buddhist tradition.
The entire Anguttara-Nikaya consists of 11 books in which 8122 suttas are arranged according to their numerical content. These eleven books contain teachings that cover an increasing number of topics.
This volume contains the translation of the first three books. The ‘Book of the Ones’ contains suttas that deal with one thing only, such as neglect, which is the one thing that leads to the deterioration of the Dhamma; and the form of a woman, which is the one thing that occupies a man’s mind. The next book (‘The Book of the Twos’) deals with paired subjects, such as loss of wealth versus loss of insight, and the striving of householders versus the striving of wandering ascetics. The third book (‘The Book of the Threes’) contains suttas relating to three things, such as three dangers that separate mother and son: fire, flood and invasion by wild tribes; or three kinds of miracles: the miracle of magical power, the miracle of interpretation and the miracle of education.
