The Four Primary Nikāyas
DNDīgha Nikāya — the long discourses (34 suttas)
MNMajjhima Nikāya — the middle-length discourses (152)
SNSaṃyutta Nikāya — connected discourses, grouped by theme (2,889)
ANAṅguttara Nikāya — numbered discourses, grouped by count (2,344)
Khuddaka Nikāya — the "Minor Collection" (early strata)
DhpDhammapada — 423 verses on the path; the most beloved
UdUdāna — 80 "inspired utterances" of the Buddha
ItiItivuttaka — 112 short "thus it was said" teachings
SnpSutta Nipāta — among the oldest texts; includes the Aṭṭhaka & Pārāyana
ThagTheragāthā — verses of the elder monks
ThigTherīgāthā — verses of the elder nuns; earliest women's spiritual poetry
KpKhuddakapāṭha — short passages for recitation
Khuddaka Nikāya — narrative & later material
JaJātaka — past-life stories of the Buddha
VvVimānavatthu — stories of heavenly rebirths
PvPetavatthu — stories of ghost (peta) rebirths
PaṭisPaṭisambhidāmagga — analytical treatise
NettNettippakaraṇa — guide to interpretation
For a practitioner, the four Nikāyas together with the Sutta Nipāta, Udāna, Itivuttaka, and Dhammapada
sit closest to the Buddha's direct teaching. The narrative collections (Jātaka, Vimāna, Peta) are
later and more devotional in character.