There is an ancient book known as “Suttasangaha,” which was formerly included in Khuddaka Nikaya (of Suttapitaka) in the Sri Lankan Tipitaka, or at least this is what I heard somewhere…
I try to find this book Suttasangaha but cannot find it. Is it available anywhere? What I have is a verbatim (Pali-Burmese) translation in Pali-Burmese, which is not very beautiful to read (very useful if I don’t understand something, but not for simple reading). There is also the Sinhalese (Sri Lanka) translation of Suttasangaha Commentary, which I have as well.
The introduction to Suttasangaha Commentary says that these are the suttas that the Buddha taught to people upon which the people became Enlightened on the spot. I believe that this collection is therefore worthy of study.
I searched by Google the list of the suttas in mentioned in Suttasangaha, so that could learn what to read and memorize as number one thing to help me get free from all fetters and support others on their Path. However, I found nothing. Therefore, I made my list according to the headings in the Sinhalese Suttasangaha Commentary, but it’s only handwritten.
I would like to give it to you and if you have the time and enthusiasm, you could create a table (preferably online, e.g., in Google Spreadsheet) with the order number, sutta name, Tipitaka address/reference, and a link in SuttaCentral to read it right away.
Well, if nobody does it, I think I will do it… but no idea when. I also would like to suggest that Suttasangaha could somehow be searched and found (perhaps in Thailand??) and included in the SuttaCentral’s main Tipitaka tree, possibly right below Milindapanha.
But note, that Suttasangaha was NOT included as a Khuddaka Nikaya book by the Sixth Buddhist Council. Either the council didn’t know about it - which is possible because Burmese don’t know much about it - or it was maybe deemed unnecessary because I think all of the suttas there are already included in the Nikayas or Vinaya Pitaka.
Summary -
- Do you know where I can get Suttasangaha as a standalone book? (Not a commentary or a verbatim translation?) In any language, preferably Pali/Sinhalese/Burmese?
- Would you be interested in making a comprehensive list of the suttas mentioned in Suttasangaha, and if so, may I know the deadline when you’d like to have it done? It is a great opportunity to gain a big Dhamma dana merit. (Link to my handwritten list is here - https://archive.org/download/sutta-sangaha-discourse-list-with-references/SuttaSangaha%20discourse%20list%20with%20references.pdf
- Can I dream that Suttasangaha may be included in Suttacentral’s main Tipitaka tree, so me and anyone else just comes, clicks - Suttapitaka - Khuddaka Nikaya - SuttaSangaha and gets the list ready to read (and become Enlightened) right away?