Picture a treasure trove of bite-sized teachings, timeless verses, folk tales, monks’ memoirs and the Buddha’s life story—all rolled into one. That’s the Khuddaka Nikāya, the “Minor Collection” of the Sutta Piṭaka. Its fifteen distinct works range from poetic gems to moral fables:

1. Khuddakapāṭha (“Short Passages”): A handy primer of essential chants and reflections.
2. Dhammapada (“Verses on the Dhamma”): Social-media-friendly couplets that keep popping up in inspirational posts.
3. Udāna (“The Inspired Utterances”): Sudden exclamations capturing the Buddha’s aha-moments.
4. Itivuttaka (“Thus It Was Said”): Brief suttas beginning with that classic formula, “Thus it was said…”
5. Sutta Nipāta (“Selection of Discourses”): Soul-stirring poetry, including the famed Rhinoceros Sutta.
6. Vimanavatthu (“Stories of Celestial Mansions”): Tales of meritorious beings rewarded in heavenly realms.
7. Petavatthu (“Stories of Ghosts”): Chilling reminders of karmic consequences.
8. Theragāthā (“Verses of the Elder Monks”): First-person poems from senior monks reflecting on insight and struggles.
9. Therīgāthā (“Verses of the Elder Nuns”): Equally powerful verses penned by pioneering nuns.
10. Jātaka (“Birth Stories”): Adventurous animal and human births of the Bodhisatta, a medieval bestseller in its day.
11. Niddesa (“Exposition”): Two commentarial treatises on passages in the Sutta Nipāta.
12. Patisambhidāmagga (“Path of Discrimination”): An analytical handbook on insight.
13. Apadāna (“Chronicles”): Hagiographies spotlighting monks and nuns’ previous lives.
14. Buddhavaṃsa (“Lineage of Buddhas”): A poetic pedigree tracing twenty-four past Buddhas before Gotama.
15. Cariyāpiṭaka (“Basket of Conduct”): Stories illustrating the Bodhisatta’s perfect practice across lifetimes.

This eclectic lineup feels like scrolling through a century-spanning playlist—every track a different genre, yet woven together by the same spirit of awakening.