Anguttara Nikaya, or «Numerical Teachings of the Buddha», — is the fourth of the four great collections of the Sutta Pitaka of the Pali Canon. It consists of 11 nipatas, or books, which in total contain almost ten thousand short suttas. However, most of them are repetitions with minor changes, so the number of unique texts is about four thousand. The basis of the Anguttara Nikaya lies in a numerical scheme, in which suttas containing a certain number of discussed points are included in the corresponding book related to that number. This facilitated easier memorization and mastery of the material in ancient times, when writing was just beginning to emerge, and all teachings were transmitted orally.
This edition of AN is divided into four volumes. The second volume contains the Book of Four and the Book of Five. The themes of the suttas cover various aspects of Buddhist teachings.
