These are the suttas that were recommended to laypeople by the late Ven. Ñāṇavimala, a highly regarded German monk in Sri Lanka.
I. Who is an Upāsaka?
Caṇḍālasutta – AN 5.175: various qualities of upāsakas
Mahānāmasutta – AN 8.25: saddhā, sīla, straightening of view
Jīvakasutta – AN 8.26: saddhā, sīla, straightening of view
Mahānāmasutta – SN 55.37: saddhā, sīla, straightening of view
Siṅgālasutta – DN 31: duties to family
Gihisāmīcisutta – AN 4.60: duties of upāsaka to saṅgha
Paṭhama-uggasutta – AN 8.21: eight dhammas for an upāsaka
Saṅkhittūposathasutta – AN 8.41: eight dhammas for an upāsaka
Saṁvega
Arakasutta – AN 7.74: how life grew shorter
(Actually the Ñāṇavimala website gives AN 7.70, but I think this must be a mistake because the sutta in question, the Sakkāragarukāra, has nothing to do with lifespans growing shorter)
Cakkavattīsutta – DN 26: what will happen in the future
Devadūtasutta – MN 130: the torments of hell
Dāna
Mettasutta – Iti 22: dāna, self-mastery & restraint
Velāmasutta – AN 9.20: whom to give dāna to
Āhuneyyasutta – AN 9.10: how to give dāna
Dutiyasaññāsutta – AN 7.49: dāna as bringing great fruit
Dānānisaṃsasutta – AN 5.35: benefits of dāna
Sīla
Saṅkhittūposathasutta – AN 8.41: eight precepts for laypeople
Vitthatūposathasutta – AN 8.42: eight precepts for laypeople
Sakkasutta – AN 10.46: uposatha to be observed not just once in a while
Uposathasutta – AN 3.70: what is uposatha
Duccaritasutta – SN 47.47: sīla as good conduct of body, speech and mind
Brahmacariyogadhasutta – SN 55.2: the sīla pleasing to Ariyans
Bhāvanā
Pītisutta – AN 5.176: even a lay-follower should train in aloofness
Bhikkhusutta – SN 47.3: straightening of view and purifying of sīla
Cūḷavedallasutta – MN 44: four satipaṭṭhānas and samādhi nimitta
Anāthapiṇḍikovādasutta – MN 143
Dutiyamahānāmasutta – AN 11.12
Kaṅkheyyasutta – SN 54.12
How to judge the Dhamma
Aññatarabrāhmaṇasutta – AN 3.53: eight qualities of the Dhamma
With the approach of death
Nakulapitusutta – SN 22.1: keep the mind healthy in old age
Paṭhamadvebrāhmaṇasutta – AN 3.51: ditto
Dutiyadvebrāhmaṇasutta – AN 3.52: ditto
Final part of Makhādevasutta – MN 83: don’t be the last person in the line
Benefits of Dhamma Practice
Appamādasutta – AN 4.116: no fear of death
Ārakkhasutta – AN 4.117: ditto
Satisūpaṭṭhitasutta – AN 5.122: some benefits
First duty is to oneself
Dhammapada 166: not to neglect oneself for the sake of others
Dhammapada 158: first establish yourself, then teach
Duties to relatives
Nivesakasutta – AN 3.75: duty to establish relatives in faith in Buddha, Dhamma, Saṅgha
Finally…
Mahācattārīsakasutta – MN 117:
Complete the Noble Eightfold Path in a specific order to obtain samādhi; after that right knowledge and right liberation.
