The Art of Listening

**An accessible introduction to the teachings of the Buddha told through the oral tradition of the *Dīghanikāya* the preeminent text of the Pali canon.** The *Dīghanikāya* or *Long Discourses of the Buddha* is one of the four major collections of teachings from the early period of Buddhism. Its thirty-four suttas (in Sanskrit, sutras) demonstrate remarkable breadth in both content and style, forming a comprehensive collection. *The Art of Listening* gives an introduction to the *Dīghanikāya* and demonstrates the historical, cultural, and spiritual insights that emerge when we view the Buddhist suttas as oral literature. Each sutta of the *Dīghanikāya* is a paced, rhythmic composition that evolved and passed intergenerationally through chanting. For hundreds of years, these timeless teachings were never written down. Examining twelve suttas of the *Dīghanikāya* , scholar Sarah Shaw combines a literary approach and a personal one, based on her experiences carefully studying, hearing, and chanting the texts. At once sophisticated and companionable, *The Art of Listening* will introduce you to the diversity and beauty of the early Buddhist suttas.