Books · Sahitya - Literature

Itivuttaka – This Was Said by the Buddha

Thanissaro Bhikkhu

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ShrutSangam GyanBhandars JainTatvaGyanshala

The Itivuttaka, meaning “as it was said” is a collection of 112 short discourses, from the Pali Canon of Theravada Buddhism. The original writetn text is attributed to a laywoman named Khujjuttara, who worked in the palace of King Udena of Kosambi as a servant to one of his queens, Samavati. Because the Queen could not leave the palace to hear the Buddha’s discourses, Khujjuttara went in her place, memorized what the Buddha said, and then returned to the palace to teach the Queen and her 500 ladies-in-waiting. She was also an effective teacher: when the inner apartments of the palace later burned down, killing the Queen and her entourage, the Buddha commented that all of the women had reached at least the first stage of Awakening. This book is a new translation from 2001 by Thanissaro Bhikkhu, Read more