Buddhism
The Tipitaka (selections)
One short reading from each part of the Pali Canon — the Vinaya, the five Nikayas of the Sutta Pitaka, and the Abhidhamma — condensed and retold in plain modern English.
This is a retelling, not a translation. Seven short readings. The Pali Canon runs to tens of volumes; this is an introduction, not the canon.
Readings
The Great Division (Mahavagga) — The Going Forth8 passagesThe Fruits of the Contemplative Life (Samannaphala Sutta)8 passagesThe Root of All Things (Mulapariyaya Sutta)7 passagesConnected Discourses on the Aggregates7 passagesThe Book of Ones7 passagesDhammapada Selections and Sutta Nipata7 passagesThe Book of Phenomenological Analysis7 passages
- Translation
- Plain-English retelling — Divine Reader editorial retelling, after public-domain and free-distribution translations (2026)
- Language
- English
- Licence
- Retelling © Divine Reader; underlying translations acknowledged on the Sources page
- Note
- These are condensed retellings for orientation, not scholarly translations. Passage numbers are editorial.