Dhammapada — The most beloved scripture of Theravāda Buddhism — 423 verses attributed to the Buddha on ethics, mind, and the path to liberation.
Mahaparinibbana Sutta — The Buddha's last days, final teachings, and death — the longest sutta in the Digha Nikaya, covering his final journey from Rajagaha to Kusinara, his last meal, his instructions to Ananda, and the distribution of his relics.
Nidanakatha — The Introduction to the Jataka — a sweeping chronicle from the Bodhisatta's first vow under Buddha Dipankara through twenty-four Buddhas to the historical life of Gotama, encompassing the entire arc of Buddhist cosmic history.
Sasa Jataka — A Jataka tale of the Buddha's past life as a selfless hare who offered his own body to a hungry brahmin — the origin of the hare in the moon.
Sutta Nipata — The oldest collection of Buddhist poetry in the Pali Canon — seventy-two suttas across five books, including the ancient Atthakavagga and Parayanavagga.
Udana — Eighty short suttas of the Buddha's spontaneous utterances of joy, including the famous Parable of the Blind Men and the Elephant.
Vessantara Jataka — The greatest of the Jataka tales — the story of Prince Vessantara, whose boundless generosity cost him his kingdom, his children, and his wife, yet earned him the merit to become the Buddha.