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suttas noob confusion

newtechnewtech Veteran
edited June 2010 in Buddhism Basics
hello:

so iv been interested in suttas lately, but getting confused, my problems are:

1)cant find a decent collection of suttas, dont know if there is a structure or order of reading or if im getting a literaly translation.

2) i read SATIPATTHANA SUTTA and ANAPANASATI SUTTA (dont know if they are only one) and find it really helpful: what i like.. i read only buddha´s words about a certain concrete thing..then i jump to other suttas and they start like with 5 pages of names of the people who attend the meeting, then 5 pages about the lights that 10000 buddhas create in 1000000 universes, and thats where they lost me..whats the purpouse of that kind of introductions?, any way of finding in the internet only the word of buddha?

Thanks!

Comments

  • pegembarapegembara Veteran
    edited June 2010
    Hi nt,

    Try these
    http://www.accesstoinsight.org/
    http://www.what-buddha-taught.net/
  • DeshyDeshy Veteran
    edited June 2010
    The two suttas are not the same, anapanasathi explains the steps of meditation and sathipatthana explains a set of instructions of how to do vipassana or how to reflect on things during meditation. They are two different things. I remember these two suttas were discussed in detail sometimes back by some suttas experts here but I cannot find the particular thread. Why don't you search the forum and have a look. I don't have the time right now
  • ValtielValtiel Veteran
    edited June 2010
    1)cant find a decent collection of suttas, dont know if there is a structure or order of reading or if im getting a literaly translation.

    Accesstoinsight as has been said. The order doesn't really matter. Generally MN is a commonly suggested starting point-and given the two suttas you cite as preferences, I would say it'd probably be a good place to start for you. That website also has a self-directed study guide if that would help.

    You won't be getting a literal translation, though-literal translation just doesn't work. Just make sure to read footnotes.
    2) i read SATIPATTHANA SUTTA and ANAPANASATI SUTTA (dont know if they are only one) and find it really helpful: what i like.. i read only buddha´s words about a certain concrete thing..then i jump to other suttas and they start like with 5 pages of names of the people who attend the meeting, then 5 pages about the lights that 10000 buddhas create in 1000000 universes, and thats where they lost me..whats the purpouse of that kind of introductions?

    Could you name some of the other ones? It sounds like you may have gone to some Mahayana texts and perhaps that's not your style?
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