The Khuddaka Nikaya is the fifth part of the Sutta Pitaka, the first division of the Tipitaka, the sacred scriptures of Buddhism. The word khuddaka means ‘miscellaneous’ and this part contains all the books that could not be conveniently fitted into the other four nikàyas. There are fifteen books in the Khuddaka Nikàya, the most important being the Dhammapada, the Udana, the Itivuttaka, the Sutta Nipata, the Theragatha, the Therigatha, and the Jataka. The other eight books are late and of little significance for a deeper understanding of the Buddha’s teachings.