The Pali Canon is the oldest record of Buddha's words. It is unreservedly recognized by Buddhist schools of all times and peoples, providing us with an amazing opportunity to hear the words of the Buddha as they were heard by ordinary people in India 2,500 years ago. For the critical mind of modern man, direct acquaintance with what the Buddha himself said, and not the later interpreters of his teachings, is the best way to touch the essence, the spirit of the Buddhist way of thinking. Pali canon preserves the oldest records of Buddha's words. It is revered by Buddhist schools of all times and peoples, and presents us with an amazing opportunity to hear the words of the Buddha as they were heard by ordinary people in India 2,500 years ago. The Pali sutras in Russian are almost unknown, and a selection of fragments of the Pali Canon, covering all the basic teachings of the Buddha, is offered in Russian for the first time. The texts translated from the Pali were selected from five large collections of sutras forming the Sutta Pitaka. They were grouped and commented upon in such a way as to form one interconnected whole. Therefore, this collection, compiled under the personal guidance of the author from many voluminous volumes of Sutta Pitaka, will prove to be a reliable guide for the student of Buddhism. He will save him from having to work through the many Pali scriptures in order to get a clear and exhaustive overall picture.