Within the Thai Forest Tradition, a relatively small constellation of Pāli texts serves as the living backbone of both meditation and monastic life. Foremost among these are the Satipaṭṭhāna Sutta (MN 10) and the Mahāsatipaṭṭhāna Sutta (DN 22), which lay out the four foundations of mindfulness in detail and function as practical manuals for contemplation of body, feeling, mind, and dhammas. Closely allied is the Ānāpānasati Sutta (MN 118), the principal canonical source for mindfulness of breathing, a method that many forest masters take as the heart of their meditative discipline. Together with the Kāyagatāsati Sutta (MN 119), these texts provide a coherent framework for cultivating steady awareness rooted in the body and breath.

Alongside these explicit meditation instructions, the tradition draws deeply on suttas that articulate the broader structure of the path and its goal. Passages on the Four Noble Truths and the Noble Eightfold Path, such as those found in the Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta (SN 56.11) and related discourses, give doctrinal orientation to the experiential work done on the cushion and in daily conduct. Collections like the Sutta Nipāta, Udāna, and Dhammapada are treasured for their concise, often poetic distillation of renunciation, heedfulness, and wisdom, and are frequently used for reflection and teaching. In this way, the more systematic expositions of practice are complemented by texts that speak directly to the heart in simple, memorable language.

Equally central is the Vinaya, especially the Pātimokkha and the major Vinaya sections such as the Mahākhandhaka and Cullavagga, which regulate monastic procedures and conduct. For forest renunciants, these are not merely legalistic codes but essential supports for seclusion, simplicity, and unbroken mindfulness, creating the external conditions in which deep samādhi and insight can mature. The emphasis on strict discipline and fewness of wishes, so characteristic of the Thai Forest lineage, finds clear canonical grounding in these texts. Taken together, this scriptural constellation reflects a consistent orientation: ethical restraint, rigorous mindfulness, and contemplative seclusion are woven into a single path aimed at direct realization rather than extensive scholastic analysis.