Anguttara Nikaya, or "Numerical Instructions of the Buddha", is the fourth of the four major collections of the Sutta Pitaka of the Pali Canon. It consists of 11 nipatas, or books, that contain nearly ten thousand short suttas in total. However, most of them are repetitions with minor changes, so the number of unique texts is about four thousand. The Anguttara Nikaya is based on a numerical scheme, in which suttas containing a specific number of discussed points are included in the corresponding book of 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 the AN is divided into four volumes. The third volume contains the Book of Six, the Book of Seven, and the Book of Eight. The themes of the suttas cover a wide range of aspects of Buddhist teaching.
