Out of the collection of Discourses in the Suttapitaka, the Majjhima-Nikaya – The Collection of Middle Length Sayings presents the work of 152 Discourses in three volumes viz., Vol. I: the First Fifty discourses, Vol. II: The Middle Fifty Discourses, and Vol. III: The Final Fifty two Discourses. The Suttas of Majjhima-Nikaya discuss almost all points of religion of the Buddha, on the four noble truths, on Karma, on the futility of desires, on reprehensibility of the belief in the soul, on Nirvana, on the variouis kinds of meditation etc. These discussions are in the form of dialogues. Myths and legends associated with these teachings are also narrated. Apart from the fact that these Suttas give us the best picture of the ancient Buddhist religion and the manner of teaching by the Buddha and his early disciples, they also give us some interesting glimpses into the life and deeds of those ancient times of the monks themselves and also of other sections of the population. We also come across descriptions of various kinds of ascetic practices which were popular. References are also made to all kinds of superstitions and to the social and legal conditions of the time. This translation is based on the edition of the Majjhima-Nikaya published in three volumes for the Pali Text Society by V. Trenckar (Vol. I, 1888) and Lord Chalmers (Vols. I, II & III, 1898, 1899).
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