A discourse of the Buddha regarding the way in which the mind of ordinary people works - from object to perception, concept, conceiving of related ideas and finding pleasure in it - in contrast to the direct knowledge and abandoning of cravings of the Tathagata (Truth-finder).

A discourse of the Buddha on the way to get rid of the asavas - by scrutiny of mental states, by restraint of the senses, by proper use of food, clothing, lodging etc., by endurance of painful feelings, by avoidance of dangerous places and bad friends, by removal of wrong mental states and by culture of the factors of enlightenment: self-collectedness, study of the Doctrine, strenuous effort, zest, tranquillity, concentration and equanimity.

The Buddha instructs the bhikksus to seek to be partakers not of the world's goods, but of his Doctrine. His discourse is followed by one by Sariputta on detachment of the inner life.

This sutta records a conversation between the Buddha and a brahmin called Janussoni about the courage a recluse needs for living a solitary life in the depths of the forest. "It is hard, Gotama, to brave life in the wilds and depths of the forest, far from the haunts of men; solitude is hard to endure; to live alone is joyless; and methinks forests are killing to the mind of an Almsman who does not attain to rapt concentration" says Janussoni. The Buddha agrees and tells him it was the consciousness of purity within that braced him with confidence to live in the wilds. He goes on to explain how he sought, on the special nights of each fortnight, haunted shrines in the forest with the purpose of overcoming fear and dread. Then he describes to the brahmin how, through strenuous effort, mindfulness that knew no distraction, perfect tranquillity of body and stedfastness of mind, divested of pleasures of senses, he entered the four Jhanas (Ecstasies) and attained his Deliverance. The sutta is concluded with the explanation why he still lives the solitary life.

This sutta records a discussion between Sariputta and Maha-Moggallana, in front of the bhikksus, about the four types of individuals in the world: the blemished man who does not realize the blemish within him, the blemished man who does realize it, the unblemished man who does not realize that he is unblemished within, and the unblemished man who does realize it. According to Maha-Moggallana, Sariputta's exposition has the purpose of "shaping allright" some of the bhikksus, namely "those persons who, not for their belief but for a livelihood and without believing, go forth from home to homelessness as Pilgrims, — cunning and deceitful tricksters, vain and puffed-up, raucous babblers who keep no watch over the portals of sense, intemperate in their eating, devoid of vigilance, taking no thought of their vocation nor keen for its discipline, foremost in backsliding and intolerant of Renunciation's yoke, indolent and slack, bewildered and flustered, unstable and wandering, witless and drivelling."

A discourse of the Buddha to the bhikksus, urging them to be scrupulous in observing the precepts of conduct seeing peril even in small offendings, calm their hearts, cultivate the Ecstasies, foster Insight and perfect themselves in inward detachment.

The Buddha expounds his views about virtue, purity and meditation, when a brahmin called Sundarika-Bharadvaja asks whether the Lord went to the river Bahuka to bathe. "What boots the river Bahuka, brahmin? What can it do?" asks Gotama. "It is reputed to cleanse and give merit; many have their burthen of evil borne away in its waters" answers the brahmin. The Buddha replies: "In Bahuka at Adhikakkas ghat, Gaya, Sundarika, Sarassati, Bahumati, Payaga — there the fool may bathe and bathe, yet never Cleanse his Heart! Of what avail are all these ghats and streams? They cleanse not heart or hand of guilt. So hither, brahmin come and Bathe as I: Love all that lives, speak truth, slay not nor steal, no niggard be but dwell in faith, and then — why seek Gaya? Your well at home's Gaya!"

Maha-Cunda asks the Buddha if, in order to get rid of the various false views about self and the universe, a Bhikkhu should start by taking thought of them. The Buddha answers that the way to get rid of those views is by seeing that there is no 'mine,' no 'this is I,' no 'this is my self', and then he explains the right resolves and the importance of the development of the will.

This is a rather scholastic discourse of Sariputta addressed to the bhikkhus, about the way by which the disciple of the Noble becomes right in his ideas.

This sutta is a recording of a discourse of the Buddha in the land of the Kurus about the "fourfold mustering of mindfulness". There is an almost identical sutta in the Digha Nikaya, that one being known as the "maha-sati-patthana-sutta".

The Buddha explains some differences between the creeds and rules of the wanderers (paribbajaka) of other sects and his Doctrine, his different position regarding the two speculative ideas (of eternalism and of annihilationism) and the origin of the four attachments (to sensuous pleasure, to speculative ideas, to works, and to soul-theories).

This sutta, also known as the Lion's Roar Sutta or the Grisly Discourse, starts with Sariputta telling the Buddha what Sunakkhatta the Licchavi, who had recently left the Order of Bhikkhus, was saying about him in Vesali. "Sunakkhatta" — replies the Buddha — "is a man of wrath and folly; wrath prompted his remarks; yet, though dispraise is his object, the foolish person is actually singing the Truth-finder's praises." The sutta continues with a discourse of the Buddha about the ten powers of a Truth-finder, his four assurances and the fourfold higher life he had lived.