Khuddaka Nikaya

Pali Canon
		Vinaya Pitaka
		Sutta- vibhanga Khandhaka Pari- vara
		Sutta Pitaka
		Digha Nikaya Majjhima Nikaya Samyutta Nikaya
		; Anguttara Nikaya Khuddaka Nikaya
		Abhidhamma Pitaka
		Dhs. Vbh. Dhk. Pug. Kvu. Yamaka Patthana

The Khuddaka Nikaya (-nikāya; "Minor Collection") is the last of the five nikayas, or collections, in the Sutta Pitaka, which is one of the "three baskets" that compose the Pali Tipitaka, the scriptures of Theravada Buddhism. This nikaya consists of fifteen (Sri Lanka and Thailand) to eighteen books (Burmese edition) in different editions on various topics by the Buddha and his chief disciples।

Divisions

This nikaya contains some or all of the following texts:

1. Khuddakapatha
2. Dhammapada
3. Udana
4. Itivuttaka
5. Suttanipata
6. Vimanavatthu
7. Petavatthu
8. Theragatha
9. Therigatha
10. Jataka
11. Niddesa
12. Patisambhidamagga
13. Apadana
14. Buddhavamsa
15. Cariyapitaka
16. Nettipakarana or Netti (Burmese edition only)
17. Petakopadesa (Burmese edition only)
18. Milindapanha (Burmese edition only)

The introduction to the Sumangalavilasini, the commentary on the Digha Nikaya compiled in the fourth or fifth century by Buddhaghosa on the basis of earlier commentaries that no longer survive says that the reciters of the Digha listed 2-12 in this nikaya, while the reciters of the Majjhima Nikaya listed 2-15. Later, it gives a listing of the contents of the Canon also found in the introductions to the commentaries on the Vinaya and Abhidhamma Pitakas, which gives 1-15 for this nikaya, though it also includes an alternative classification in which the Vinaya and Abhidhamma are also included in this nikaya, so that the five nikayas are a classification of the whole Canon, not just the Sutta Pitaka. Scholars conclude on the basis of these lists that 13-15 were added later, and 1 later still.

Both surviving subcommentaries on the passage about reciters explain the apparent difference between the reciters as being, not a substantive disagreement on the contents of the Canon, but merely a nominal one on its classification. Thus they say for example that the Digha reciters did regard 15 as canonical but counted it as part of 10 instead of a separate book. Similarly, the more recent subcommentary, compiled by the head of the Burmese sangha about two centuries ago, says that 16 and 17 were counted as part of 11 and/or 12.^[1]

The full list of 18 books are included in the inscriptions approved by the Burmese Fifth Council and in the printed edition of the text recited at the Sixth Council.

Dating the books of the Khuddaka Nikaya

Oliver Abeynayake has the following to say on the dating of the various books in the Khuddaka Nikaya:

‘The Khuddaka Nikaya can easily be divided into two strata, one being early and the other late। The texts Sutta Nipata, Itivuttaka, Dhammapada, Therigatha (Theragatha), Udana and Jataka belong to the early stratum. The texts Khuddakapatha, Vimanavatthu, Petavatthu, Niddesa, Patisambhida, Apadana, Buddhavamsa and Cariyapitaka can be categorized in the later stratum.

Translations

The following translations include material from at least two books of the Khuddaka Nikaya. For translations of individual books, see the separate articles.

• Psalms of the Early Buddhists, 9 & 8 tr C. A. F. Rhys Davids, Pali Text Society[1], Lancaster; originally published separately
• Minor Anthologies of the Pali Canon, 1931-75, 4 volumes, Pali Text Society, Lancaster; translations of 2, 1, 3, 4, 14, 15, 6, 7
• The Udana and the Itivuttaka, tr John D. Ireland, Buddhist Publication Society, Kandy, Sri Lanka; originally published separately