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[ xi ] A B uddhist term meaning ‘collection’ or ‘group’ which is commonly used with reference to the classification of scriptures. Ancient versions of the S utta - pitaka (see T ipitaka ) arranged the discourses of the B uddha into four or five collections according in the first place to their length. The digha (Pali; Sanskrit: dirgha ) collection comprised the long discourses [55; 76], while the majjhima (Sanskrit: madhyama ) comprised those of medium length [59]. The shorter discourses were divided into two collections: the samyutta (Sanskrit: samyukta ), which arranged discourses by topic, and the anguttara (Sanskrit: ekottara ), which arranged them according to the number of items listed in the discourse. Finally there was a miscellaneous khuddaka (Sanskrit: kshudraka ) collection. The use of the term nikaya in this context is characteristic of the P ali Tipitaka of the T heravada school. An alternative and probably later term is agama. This latter term is now used primarily with reference to the Chinese Agamas, which are translations of the same basic material contained in the Pali Nikayas, but from versions handed down by other ancient Indian schools of Buddhism. The term nikaya is also used with reference to a particular ordination lineage of the Buddhist S angha (cf. B hikkhu ). [65: 30–95; 29: 111–12] ... log in or subscribe to read full text