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The Udana & The Itivuttaka: Inspired Utterances of the Buddha & The Buddha's Sayings
This book includes two small classics of the Pali Canon in one volume. The Udana, or Inspired Utterances of the Buddha, consists of eighty discourses, mostly short, divided into eight sections or chapters (vagga). Udana refers to the pronouncement, usually in verse, made at the end of each discourse and prefaced by the "Then, on realizing its significance, the Lord uttered on that occasion this inspired utterance." Thus udana means an inspired or solemn utterance spontaneously evoked by the understanding or realization of the significance of the situation that occasioned it. The Itivuttaka is a collection of 112 inspiring texts in mixed prose and verse. According to the commentarial tradition, The Itivuttaka suttas were collected by the woman lay disciple Khujjuttara. She was a servant who went regularly to listen to the Buddha and then later repeated what she had heard to the other women of the palace. She had become a stream-enterer after meeting the Buddha and subsequently converted the women of the palace to the teaching. The collection of these sayings became The Itivuttaka. ( This title was previously published under ISBN 9781681721125. Due to technical issues a new ISBN had to be assigned. Rest assured that both versions of this title are exactly the same.)
- GenresBuddhism
248 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 28, 2020
17 people are currently reading
29 people want to read
About the author
John Ireland
182 books6 followersLibrarian Note: There is more than one author in the Goodreads database with this name.
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
September 16, 2025
#Binge Reviewing my previous Reads # Buddhism, Foundational Texts & Scriptures
Reading The Udāna & The Itivuttaka in John Ireland’s translation is like opening a small but potent window into the Buddha’s voice. These texts are part of the Khuddaka Nikāya, the “Minor Collection,” and differ from systematic discourses or expansive sutras: they are brief, pithy, often poetic, and intentionally provocative.
The Udāna — “inspired utterances” — collects moments when the Buddha spontaneously exclaimed profound insights in response to particular events, experiences, or questions. The Itivuttaka — “thus it was said” — presents short sayings, sometimes aphoristic, sometimes narrative, always sharply focused. Together, they offer a concentrated taste of the Buddha’s teaching style: incisive, poetic, and immediate.
John Ireland’s translation is particularly effective in preserving both clarity and rhythm. Unlike some earlier renderings that feel stiff or overly literal, Ireland balances fidelity with readability, giving English readers a sense of the Buddha’s cadence.
Each utterance has its own emotional resonance: some are gentle, meditative, and reflective; others are striking, startling, or even paradoxical. The texts invite the reader to pause, to reflect, and sometimes to wrestle with ambiguity — much as a student of the Dharma might in the presence of a living teacher.
The Udāna’s charm lies in its spontaneity. Often the Buddha’s words arise from observation of the world: seeing suffering, witnessing generosity, or responding to a disciple’s question. One sees the immediacy of insight — a sudden illumination, an inspired expression. In contrast to systematic discourses like the Saṃyutta Nikāya or Majjhima Nikāya, these utterances feel intimate, almost conversational, giving the sense of overhearing a dialogue between the Buddha and the world. They are moments frozen in time yet charged with timeless significance.
The Itivuttaka complements this by offering compact teachings, often framed as dialogues or brief episodes, highlighting the ethical and philosophical core of the Buddha’s thought. Key themes — impermanence, non-self, karma, mindfulness, compassion — recur, but in concentrated form. The Itivuttaka’s brevity enhances its memorability; these sayings were intended to be easily learned and repeated, functioning as tools for reflection and moral cultivation. Reading it alongside the Udāna, one appreciates how the Buddha’s teaching could be both extemporaneous and carefully structured, poetic inspiration and precise guidance coexisting.
Compared to longer biographies or poetic retellings — Thich Nhat Hanh’s Old Path White Clouds or Sir Edwin Arnold’s Light of Asia — these texts are less about narrative arc or literary flourish and more about distilled insight. Yet, unlike purely doctrinal treatises, they are not dry. Ireland’s translations convey subtle tonal shifts: moments of awe, humour, urgency, or calm, giving each passage a unique flavour. It’s a reminder that the historical Buddha was not just a philosopher but a living teacher whose words responded to life as it unfolded.
For modern readers, the appeal of these texts is both contemplative and practical. One can read a few passages in a morning and meditate on them; one can return repeatedly and discover new nuances. Their concision also makes them a perfect complement to larger, more systematic studies: the Udāna and Itivuttaka allow the mind to rest in pithy wisdom, bridging meditation, ethics, and insight.
Ireland’s translation stands out as a concentrated, intimate encounter with the Buddha’s voice. It offers immediacy and inspiration where larger texts offer context and explication. For anyone seeking to feel the living presence of the Buddha in brief but luminous moments, these works are indispensable.
They show how insight can arise in the everyday, how wisdom can emerge spontaneously, and how the Dharma can be at once personal, ethical, and universal.
Reading The Udāna & The Itivuttaka in John Ireland’s translation is like opening a small but potent window into the Buddha’s voice. These texts are part of the Khuddaka Nikāya, the “Minor Collection,” and differ from systematic discourses or expansive sutras: they are brief, pithy, often poetic, and intentionally provocative.
The Udāna — “inspired utterances” — collects moments when the Buddha spontaneously exclaimed profound insights in response to particular events, experiences, or questions. The Itivuttaka — “thus it was said” — presents short sayings, sometimes aphoristic, sometimes narrative, always sharply focused. Together, they offer a concentrated taste of the Buddha’s teaching style: incisive, poetic, and immediate.
John Ireland’s translation is particularly effective in preserving both clarity and rhythm. Unlike some earlier renderings that feel stiff or overly literal, Ireland balances fidelity with readability, giving English readers a sense of the Buddha’s cadence.
Each utterance has its own emotional resonance: some are gentle, meditative, and reflective; others are striking, startling, or even paradoxical. The texts invite the reader to pause, to reflect, and sometimes to wrestle with ambiguity — much as a student of the Dharma might in the presence of a living teacher.
The Udāna’s charm lies in its spontaneity. Often the Buddha’s words arise from observation of the world: seeing suffering, witnessing generosity, or responding to a disciple’s question. One sees the immediacy of insight — a sudden illumination, an inspired expression. In contrast to systematic discourses like the Saṃyutta Nikāya or Majjhima Nikāya, these utterances feel intimate, almost conversational, giving the sense of overhearing a dialogue between the Buddha and the world. They are moments frozen in time yet charged with timeless significance.
The Itivuttaka complements this by offering compact teachings, often framed as dialogues or brief episodes, highlighting the ethical and philosophical core of the Buddha’s thought. Key themes — impermanence, non-self, karma, mindfulness, compassion — recur, but in concentrated form. The Itivuttaka’s brevity enhances its memorability; these sayings were intended to be easily learned and repeated, functioning as tools for reflection and moral cultivation. Reading it alongside the Udāna, one appreciates how the Buddha’s teaching could be both extemporaneous and carefully structured, poetic inspiration and precise guidance coexisting.
Compared to longer biographies or poetic retellings — Thich Nhat Hanh’s Old Path White Clouds or Sir Edwin Arnold’s Light of Asia — these texts are less about narrative arc or literary flourish and more about distilled insight. Yet, unlike purely doctrinal treatises, they are not dry. Ireland’s translations convey subtle tonal shifts: moments of awe, humour, urgency, or calm, giving each passage a unique flavour. It’s a reminder that the historical Buddha was not just a philosopher but a living teacher whose words responded to life as it unfolded.
For modern readers, the appeal of these texts is both contemplative and practical. One can read a few passages in a morning and meditate on them; one can return repeatedly and discover new nuances. Their concision also makes them a perfect complement to larger, more systematic studies: the Udāna and Itivuttaka allow the mind to rest in pithy wisdom, bridging meditation, ethics, and insight.
Ireland’s translation stands out as a concentrated, intimate encounter with the Buddha’s voice. It offers immediacy and inspiration where larger texts offer context and explication. For anyone seeking to feel the living presence of the Buddha in brief but luminous moments, these works are indispensable.
They show how insight can arise in the everyday, how wisdom can emerge spontaneously, and how the Dharma can be at once personal, ethical, and universal.
November 12, 2021
"Ah, what bliss! Ah, what bliss!"*
Good book. Such a pleasant layout page-to-page; the selections of fonts create a very lucid design, makes for unobstructed reading and turns reading almost into smooth absorption.. The inspired utterances themselves are succinct and sometimes serene, at other times poetic, but always direct and clear, simple enough to for one to ponder on after each sutta––or again and again at some later time of mindfulness. Shiver me attention! Sincerely though..
The endnotes alone would be worth the read. Learned a good amount of Pāli and terminology real naturally, somewhat surprised by how much. Anyway, it's all helpful for a daily practitioner, and nightly too. Useful for cultivating dat 'imperturbable concentration', ardent and resolute and whatnot.
*"As a deer, living in a forest where men do not travel, stands, sits, and sleeps confidently, and goes wherever it wants unimpeded in its movements, so do I live." –Bhaddiya*
Good book. Such a pleasant layout page-to-page; the selections of fonts create a very lucid design, makes for unobstructed reading and turns reading almost into smooth absorption.. The inspired utterances themselves are succinct and sometimes serene, at other times poetic, but always direct and clear, simple enough to for one to ponder on after each sutta––or again and again at some later time of mindfulness. Shiver me attention! Sincerely though..
The endnotes alone would be worth the read. Learned a good amount of Pāli and terminology real naturally, somewhat surprised by how much. Anyway, it's all helpful for a daily practitioner, and nightly too. Useful for cultivating dat 'imperturbable concentration', ardent and resolute and whatnot.
*"As a deer, living in a forest where men do not travel, stands, sits, and sleeps confidently, and goes wherever it wants unimpeded in its movements, so do I live." –Bhaddiya*
March 22, 2022
"Ah, what bliss! Ah, what bliss!"*
Good book. Such a pleasant layout page-to-page; the selections of fonts create a very lucid design, makes for unobstructed reading and turns reading almost into smooth absorption.. The inspired utterances themselves are succinct and sometimes serene, at other times poetic, but always direct and clear, simple enough to for one to ponder on after each sutta––or again and again at some later time of mindfulness. Shiver me attention! Sincerely though..
The endnotes alone would be worth the read. Learned a good amount of Pāli and terminology real naturally, somewhat surprised by how much. Anyway, it's all helpful for a daily practitioner, and nightly too. Useful for cultivating dat 'imperturbable concentration', ardent and resolute and whatnot.
*"As a deer, living in a forest where men do not travel, stands, sits, and sleeps confidently, and goes wherever it wants unimpeded in its movements, so do I live." –Bhaddiya*
Good book. Such a pleasant layout page-to-page; the selections of fonts create a very lucid design, makes for unobstructed reading and turns reading almost into smooth absorption.. The inspired utterances themselves are succinct and sometimes serene, at other times poetic, but always direct and clear, simple enough to for one to ponder on after each sutta––or again and again at some later time of mindfulness. Shiver me attention! Sincerely though..
The endnotes alone would be worth the read. Learned a good amount of Pāli and terminology real naturally, somewhat surprised by how much. Anyway, it's all helpful for a daily practitioner, and nightly too. Useful for cultivating dat 'imperturbable concentration', ardent and resolute and whatnot.
*"As a deer, living in a forest where men do not travel, stands, sits, and sleeps confidently, and goes wherever it wants unimpeded in its movements, so do I live." –Bhaddiya*
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews