Major section of the Tripitaka , the canon of Theravada Buddhism, largely attributed to the Buddha himself.
It is divided into five collections, or Nikaya s: the Digha Nikaya ("Long Collection"), containing 34 lengthy sutra s, including some of the most important doctrinal expositions; the Majjhima Nikaya ("Medium Collection"), containing 152 sutras dealing with a variety of subjects; the Samyutta Nikaya ("Cluster Collection"), with more than 7,000 sutras arranged according to subject; the Anguttara Nikaya ("Gradual Collection"), a numerical arrangement, for mnemonic purposes, of 9,557 terse sutras; and the Khuddaka Nikaya ("Short Collection"). See also Abhidhamma Pitaka ; Vinaya Pitaka .