The Numerical Discourses

(S. Ekottarika Āgama; C. 增壹阿含經)

The Numerical Discourses is a collection of Āgama sutras that was translated to Chinese by Dharmanandi and edited by a team headed by Gautama Saṃghadeva. The exact date of translation is unclear, but the text itself retains the older style of translators prior to Gautama Saṃghadeva’s translation of the *Medium Discourses*.

The Numerical Discourses collection is controversial because it contains a number of passages of clearly Mahāyāna inspiration, yet it also represents an early canonical tradition that doesn’t align with the Theravāda or Sarvâstivāda. As such, it appears to be a piece of another tradition that offers an alternative glimpse of early Buddhist texts in India.

Like the Theravāda Aṅguttara Nikāya, the Numerical Discourses is arranged in a numerical order starting with topics with one item and ending with topics with eleven items. The sutras are arranged in 52 chapters.

Below is a list of translated sūtras from the The Numerical Discourses that are currently available.

Division	Chapter	Sūtra
Front Matter	A Reader’s Guide
Introduction	Dao-an’s Preface
	1. Introduction
Books of Ones	2. Ten Recollections	1. The Buddha
		2. The Dharma
		3. The Saṅgha
		4. The Precepts
		5. Generosity
		6. The Gods
		7. Peace
		8. Breathing
		9. The Body
		10. Death
	3. Broader Explanations	1. The Buddha
		2. The Dharma
		3. The Saṅgha
		4. The Precepts
		5. Generosity
		6. The Gods
		7. Peace
		8. Breathing
		9. The Body
		10. Death
	4. Disciples
	5. Nuns
	6. Laymen
	7. Laywomen
	8. Asura	1. Asura
		2. Beneficial
		3. The Single-Entry Path
		4. The Light
		5. The Darkness
		6. The Factors of the Path
		7. Disappearance
		8. Belief
		9. Flourishing
		10. Unmatched
	9. The Only Son	1. The Laywoman
		2. The Laywoman (2)
		3. The Mind
		4. The Mind (2)
		5. Downfall
		6. Birth in Heaven
		7. A Man’s Perception
		8. A Woman’s Perception
		9. Notions of Desire
		10. Notions of Desire (2)
	10. The Guarded Mind	1. No Pride
		2. No Pride (2)
		3. Recollecting Generosity
		4. Generosity
		5. Generosity (2)
		6. The Stingy and the Tireless
		7. Merits of Generosity
		8. Māra the Wicked One
		9. Bad Destinies
		10. One Person
	11. The Non-Returner	1. Non-Returning
		2. Non-Returning (2)
		3. Non-Returning (3)
		4. Non-Returning (4)
		5. Heart
		6. Heart (2)
		7. Alms
		8. Alms (2)
		9. Devadatta
		10. Devadatta (2)
	12. The Single-Entry Path	1. The Abodes of Mindfulness
		2. Spitefulness
		3. The Most Honored
		4. Watching over the Sick
		5. Praise and Slander
		6. Senior Years
		7. Devadatta
		8. Devadatta (2)
		9. Skin
		10. Śrīla
	13. Profit	1. Surādha
		2. Enjoyment of Desires
		3. Nāḷijaṅgha
		4. Nakula
		5. Sundarī
		6. Good Deeds
		7. Śakra the Lord of Gods
	14. The Five Precepts	1. Killing Beings
		2. Not Killing Beings
		3. Stealing
		4. Generosity
		5. Wrong Sex
		6. No Wrong Sex
		7. False Speech
		8. Not Speaking Falsely
		9. Drinking Alcohol
		10. Not Drinking Alcohol
Book of Twos	15. Existence and Inexistence	1. Two Kinds of Views
		2. Two Kinds of Views (2)
		3. Two Kinds of Gifts
		4. Two Kinds of Work
		5. Two Kinds of Favors
		6. Two Signs of a Fool
		7. Honoring the Tathāgata
		8. Honoring the Dharma
		9. Honoring the Tathāgata’s Shrine
		10. Right View
	16. The Fire Extinguished	1. Nanda
		2. Nirvāna
		3. The Crow
		4. The Donkey
		5. The Good and Not Good
		6. The Good and Not Good (2)
		7. A Candle
		8. Patience and Contemplation
		9. The Priest
		10. Rāhula
	17. Breathing	1. Rāhula
		2. Two People
		3. Two People (2)
		4. Two Afflictions
		5. Bitter Fruit
		6. Sweet Fruit
		7. Mūrdhaja
		8. Jānussoṇī
		9. Good and Bad Friendship
		10. Cūlapanthaka
		11. Devadatta
	18. Conscience and Modesty	1. Conscience and Modesty
		2. Two People
		3. Dharma and Alms Giving
		4. Kasyapa
		5. Naga
		6. Ananda
		7. Ananda (2)
		8. Path of Great Affection
		9. Blameworthy
		10. Commendable
	19. The Request	1. Brahmā’s Request
		2. Two Things
		3. Ending Craving
		4. The Lion
		5. The Unwise
		6. Little Wealth
		7. The Poor Family
		8. Susima
		9. Kātyāyana
		10. Dharma Teachers
		11. A Woman
	20. Good Friends	1. Good Friends
		2. Devadatta
		3. Dharmaruci
		4. The Lion and the Sheep
		5. Knowing Rebirth
		6. The Indolent
		7. The Forest Dweller
		8. The Forest Dweller (2)
		9. Two People
		10. Two Things
		11. Mother and Father
		12. Cūḷapanthaka
		13. Two Things
Book of Threes	24. Tall Flag	5. Miraculous Transformations
		6. The Three Fasting Days
Book of Fours	27. The Destination of the Four Truths	6. Four Kinds of Fearlessness
	31. Progressive	8. The Bodhisattva's Austerities
Book of Eights	43: The God *Rohitassa	5. The Parable of the Raft
		7. The Fruits of the Ascetics
Book of Tens	46. Binding Rules	4. Ten Powers
Book of Elevens	50. Venerating the Three Treasures	6. Knowledge of Rebirth
		8. The Snake Parable

Dharma Pearls

Translating Classical Buddhism to Modern English

The Numerical Discourses

(S. Ekottarika Āgama; C. 增壹阿含經)

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