The Majjhima Nikaya is the second book in the Sutta Pitaka, the first division of the Tipitaka, the sacred scriptures of Buddhism. The 152 discourses or suttas in this book are of medium length and hence its name. The discourses take various forms and cover a wide range of subjects. Some are dialogues and debates, others are elaborations of something the Buddha had formerly said in brief A few consist of reminiscences by the Buddha and several were spoken by disciples in the years after his passing. The discourses in the Majjhima Nikàya are arranged eclectically – according to who they were addressed to (lay people, brahmins, wanderers), by their names (e.g. lion’s roar), by their style (e.g. vibhaïga) or very roughly according to their subject (e.g. su¤¤atà).