Personally, my go to sutta is the Magga Vibhanga sutta SN 45.8, because it is easy to memorize, and comprehensive, so long as one knows a few extra points. As to which I’d pick to be my desert island sutta, probably dn 22, the Maha Satipatthana sutta.
I also really love the Anattalakkhana sutta SN 22.59. It is critically important to understanding the dhamma, as anatta is a key concept.
Yes, so many favorites. I have grown to like the 2. Mahārāhulovādasuttaṃ MN 62. This sutta is actually required by the commentary for all monks to give a dhamma talk on (memorize) for release from dependence from a teacher.
I started to memorize it in Pali last year, but never finished. I might try again later.
I really like how much is packed into the sutta.
I’ve always liked MN 140
(1) Anattalakkhana sutta is my favourite for contemplating the Dhamma.
(2)“Atanatiya rakkha” given by Vessavana Maharaja in Atanatiya sutta, for inspire confidence and respect towards all Seven Sammasambuddhas and invoke protection. I memorised the first part and recite in heart or in front of the altar before I leave my house everyday.
I often chant these two scriptures too.
Thanks for sharing 
What do you like about it?
I agree, Anattalakkhana is amazing! It is the testing ground for any philosophical theory or position, and, none stand up to it lol!
I will read this sutta tomorrow! Thank you Venerable!
I find it has some beautiful phrases. For example
“Bhikkhu, this person consists of six elements, six bases of contact, and eighteen kinds of mental exploration, and he has four foundations. The tides of conceiving do not sweep over one who stands upon these foundations, and when the tides of conceiving no longer sweep over him he is called a sage at peace. One should not neglect wisdom, should preserve truth, should cultivate relinquishment, and should train for peace…“Therefore a bhikkhu possessing this wisdom possesses the supreme foundation of wisdom. For this, bhikkhu, is the supreme noble wisdom, namely, the knowledge of the destruction of all suffering.
“His deliverance, being founded upon truth, is unshakeable. For that is false, bhikkhu, which has a deceptive nature, and that is true which has an undeceptive nature—Nibbāna. Therefore a bhikkhu possessing this truth possesses the supreme foundation of truth. For this, bhikkhu, is the supreme noble truth, namely, Nibbāna, which has an undeceptive nature.
“Formerly, when he was ignorant, he undertook and accepted acquisitions; now he has abandoned them, cut them off at the root, made them like a palm stump, done away with them so that they are no longer subject to future arising. Therefore a bhikkhu possessing this relinquishment possesses the supreme foundation of relinquishment. For this, bhikkhu, is the supreme noble relinquishment, namely, the relinquishing of all acquisitions.
“Formerly, when he was ignorant, he experienced covetousness, desire, and lust; now he has abandoned them, cut them off at the root, made them like a palm stump, done away with them so that they are no longer subject to future arising. Formerly, when he was ignorant, he experienced anger, ill will, and hate; now he has abandoned them, cut them off at the root, made them like a palm stump, done away with them so that they are no longer subject to future arising. Formerly, when he was ignorant, he experienced ignorance and delusion; now he has abandoned them, cut them off at the root, made them like a palm stump, done away with them so that they are no longer subject to future arising. Therefore a bhikkhu possessing this peace possesses the supreme foundation of peace. For this, bhikkhu, is the supreme noble peace, namely, the pacification of lust, hate, and delusion.
“So it was with reference to this that it was said: ‘One should not neglect wisdom, should preserve truth, should cultivate relinquishment, and should train for peace.’
“‘The tides of conceiving do not sweep over one who stands upon these foundations, and when the tides of conceiving no longer sweep over him he is called a sage at peace.’ So it was said. And with reference to what was this said?
“Bhikkhu, ‘I am’ is a conceiving; ‘I am this’ is a conceiving; ‘I shall be’ is a conceiving; ‘I shall not be’ is a conceiving; ‘I shall be possessed of form’ is a conceiving; ‘I shall be formless’ is a conceiving; ‘I shall be percipient’ is a conceiving; ‘I shall be non-percipient’ is a conceiving; ‘I shall be neither-percipient-nor-non-percipient’ is a conceiving. Conceiving is a disease, conceiving is a tumour, conceiving is a dart. By overcoming all conceivings, bhikkhu, one is called a sage at peace. And the sage at peace is not born, does not age, does not die; he is not shaken and does not yearn. For there is nothing present in him by which he might be born. Not being born, how could he age? Not ageing, how could he die? Not dying, how could he be shaken? Not being shaken, why should he yearn?
Fantastic thanks for sharing
I really like these verses from the Cakkavatti sutta.
Among the people who live for 80,000 years, there will be just three afflictions: greed, starvation, and old age. The Black Plum Tree Land will be successful and prosperous. The villages, towns, and capital cities will be no more than a chicken’s flight apart. And the land will be so full of people you’d think they were squashed together, like a thicket of rushes or reeds. The royal capital will be Varanasi, renamed Ketumatī. And it will be successful, prosperous, populous, full of people, with plenty of food. There will be 84,000 cities in the Black Plum Tree Land, with the royal capital of Ketumatī foremost.
And in the royal capital of Ketumatī a king named Saṅkha will arise, a wheel-turning monarch, a just and principled king. His dominion will extend to all four sides, he will achieve stability in the country, and possess the seven treasures.He will have the following seven treasures: the wheel, the elephant, the horse, the jewel, the woman, the treasurer, and the counselor as the seventh treasure. He will have over a thousand sons who are valiant and heroic, crushing the armies of his enemies. After conquering this land girt by sea, he will reign by principle, without rod or sword.
And the Blessed One named Metteyya will arise in the world—perfected, a fully awakened Buddha, accomplished in knowledge and conduct, holy, knower of the world, supreme guide for those who wish to train, teacher of gods and humans, awakened, blessed—just as I have arisen today. He will realize with his own insight this world—with its gods, Māras and Brahmās, this population with its ascetics and brahmins, gods and humans—and make it known to others, just as I do today. He will teach the Dhamma that’s good in the beginning, good in the middle, and good in the end, meaningful and well-phrased. And he will reveal a spiritual practice that’s entirely full and pure, just as I do today. He will lead a Saṅgha of many thousand mendicants, just as I lead a Saṅgha of many hundreds today.
My wish is to be reborn as the eldest son of the wheel turning monarch, Sanka, and after he ordains as a Bhikkhu, I want to be the next wheel turning monarch and offer a lot of alms food, drinks, useful things, and monasteries to the Buddha Metteyya and aspire for Buddhahood.
I also like these verses.
“Mendicants, live as your own island, your own refuge, with no other refuge. Let the teaching be your island and your refuge, with no other refuge.And how does a mendicant do this? They meditate observing an aspect of the body—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world. They meditate observing an aspect of feelings … mind … principles—keen, aware, and mindful, rid of covetousness and displeasure for the world. That’s how a mendicant lives as their own island, their own refuge, with no other refuge. That’s how they let the teaching be their island and their refuge, with no other refuge.
You should roam inside your own territory, the domain of your fathers. If you roam inside your own territory, the domain of your fathers, Māra won’t catch you or get hold of you. It is due to undertaking skillful qualities that merit grows.
3 posts were split to a new topic: Nidhikaṇḍa Sutta Study
I also like these
Sāmaññaphalasutta
Siṅgālasutta
Lakkhaṇasutta
Suññatalokasutta
Buddhaapadāna
Subhūtittheraapadāna
Tisaraṇagamaniyattheraapadāna
Pañcasīlasamādāniyattheraapadāna
Ekañjalikattheraapadāna
Pulinathūpiyattheraapadāna
Vessantarajātaka
Mūgapakkhajātaka
Mātaṅgajātaka
I think listening/reading and studying the Dhamma can make our parami more mature and ready. In the past, many became ready to be enlightened after listening to a sutta or a jataka and then became enlightened after hearing the four noble truths when their mind became ready due to hearing the sutta or jataka.
At the very least, studying the Dhamma can increase our faith and wisdom and encourages us to practice sila and dana or to even go forth as a renunciate.