The Majjhima NikÃÂya ("Collection of Middle-length Discourses") is a Buddhist scripture collection, the second of the five nikÃÂyas, or collections, in the Sutta Piá¹Âaka, which is one of the "three baskets" that compose the PÃÂli Tipiá¹Âaka (lit. "Three Baskets") of TheravÃÂda Buddhism. It was composed between 3rd century BCE and 2nd century CE. This nikÃÂya consists of 152 discourses attributed to the Buddha and his chief disciples.
Bhikkhu Bodhi in the introduction to his translation describes the collection as follows:<blockquote>If the Majjhima NikÃÂya were to be characterised by a single phrase to distinguish it from among the other books of the Pali Canon, this might be done by describing it as the collection that combines the richest variety of contextual settings with the deepest and most comprehensive assortment of teachings.</blockquote>The 152 discourses come in three parts each with five divisions. All divisions save the penultimate contain 10 discourses.
The Majjhima NikÃÂya corresponds to the Madhyama ÃÂgama found in the Sutra Piá¹Âakas of various Sanskritic early Buddhist schools, fragments of which survive in Sanskrit and in Tibetan translation. A complete Chinese translation from the SarvÃÂstivÃÂdin recension appears in the Chinese Buddhist canon, where it is known as the Zhà Âng Ahánjëng (ä¸Âé¿å«ç¶Â). The Madhyama ÃÂgama of the SarvÃÂstivÃÂda school contains 222 sà «tras, in contrast to the 152 suttas in the PÃÂli Majjhima NikÃÂya.