user-1: My preference would be a Theravada based answer to the following question:

Which texts are the most important to read in the Khuddaka Nikaya and
why?

Thank you. :)

user471: The Khuddaka Nikaya ("minor collection") is the minor collection of texts within the Pali Canon.
It contains 15 - 18 texts within it.
In my opinion, the four most important texts within KN are:

Sutta Nipata ("section of the discourses")
Dhammapada ("path of the Dhamma / true teachings")
Itivuttaka ("as it was said")
Udana ("inspired utterances")

The reason for this is that these texts contain the teachings of the Buddha himself, compared to other texts which only contain other things like biographies, stories, sayings of other monks and nuns, chants etc.
I listed Sutta Nipata on top as it is said to be one of the earliest texts of the Pali Canon, but the linguistic style of Sutta Nipata makes it harder to understand compared to the other three on the list. So, you're better off starting with the other three.
The Dhammapada is the easiest to read as it contains many chapters filled with short verses.
From the Dhammapada:


Better than a thousand useless words is one useful word, hearing which one attains peace.

Better than a thousand useless verses is one useful verse, hearing which one attains peace.

Better than reciting a hundred meaningless verses is the reciting of one verse of Dhamma, hearing which one attains peace.




user8157: The Khuddaka Nikaya ("minor collection") is the minor collection of texts within the Pali Canon.
It contains 15 - 18 texts within it.
In my opinion, the five most important texts within KN are:

Dhammapada ("path of the Dhamma / true teachings")
Itivuttaka ("as it was said")
Udana ("inspired utterances")
Theragata & Therigata
Sutta Nipata ("section of the discourses")

The Dhammapada is hardcore and to the point.
The Itivuttaka is easy to read, heartwood and contains some important explanatory teachings that appear not found elsewhere (eg. Iti 44, Iti 49, Iti 96); even though these teachings are related to the core teachings of the suttas.
The Udana is fun but appears to contain some probably belated, miraculous yet amusing texts (such as new born children talking dhamma). It also contains lots of hardcore illuminating wisdom teachings.
The Theragata & Therigata are mature.
I listed Sutta Nipata on the bottom because, due to its nature of often being in "verse" (vs "prose"), the language is often more archaic thus vague. Also, it contains what appear to be belated texts, such as Metta & Maha-Mangala Sutta.
The other texts are best avoided, appearing to be belated texts loaded with superstition & wrong views, such as Jataka, other past lives books & Milindapanha. These texts do show however how quickly the Buddha-Dhamma degenerated. The Paṭisambhidāmagga commentary was obviously not composed by Venerable Sariputta and is often inaccurate.

user43: Questions of King Milinda (the original ancient text only, i.e. parts 1 and 2, not the later additions) is by far my favorite text in KN. Unfortunately a good English translation of this text is hard to get by, as internet is full of abridged and approximately-translated (adapted) versions.
I like it because it provides excellent description of core Dhamma topics without using the same standard formulas that are copied word by word  all over the Pali Canon.

-1: <p>My preference would be a <em>Theravada</em> based answer to the following question:</p>
<ul>
<li><strong>Which texts are the most important to read in the Khuddaka Nikaya and
why?</strong></li>
</ul>
<p>Thank you. :)</p>
 471: <p>The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khuddaka_Nik%C4%81ya" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Khuddaka Nikaya</a> (&quot;minor collection&quot;) is the minor collection of texts within the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tripi%E1%B9%ADaka" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Pali Canon</a>.</p>
<p>It contains 15 - 18 texts within it.</p>
<p>In my opinion, the four most important texts within KN are:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sutta_Nipata" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Sutta Nipata</a> (&quot;section of the discourses&quot;)</li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dhammapada" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Dhammapada</a> (&quot;path of the Dhamma / true teachings&quot;)</li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Itivuttaka" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Itivuttaka</a> (&quot;as it was said&quot;)</li>
<li><a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ud%C4%81na" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Udana</a> (&quot;inspired utterances&quot;)</li>
</ul>
<p>The reason for this is that these texts contain the teachings of the Buddha himself, compared to other texts which only contain other things like biographies, stories, sayings of other monks and nuns, chants etc.</p>
<p>I listed Sutta Nipata on top as it is said to be one of the earliest texts of the Pali Canon, but the linguistic style of Sutta Nipata makes it harder to understand compared to the other three on the list. So, you're better off starting with the other three.</p>
<p>The Dhammapada is the easiest to read as it contains many chapters filled with short verses.</p>
<p>From the <a href="https://www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/dhp/dhp.08.budd.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Dhammapada</a>:</p>
<blockquote>
<ol start="100">
<li><p>Better than a thousand useless words is one useful word, hearing which one attains peace.</p>
</li>
<li><p>Better than a thousand useless verses is one useful verse, hearing which one attains peace.</p>
</li>
<li><p>Better than reciting a hundred meaningless verses is the reciting of one verse of Dhamma, hearing which one attains peace.</p>
</li>
</ol>
</blockquote>
 8157: <p>The <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Khuddaka_Nik%C4%81ya" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Khuddaka Nikaya</a> (&quot;minor collection&quot;) is the minor collection of texts within the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tripi%E1%B9%ADaka" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Pali Canon</a>.</p>
<p>It contains 15 - 18 texts within it.</p>
<p>In my opinion, the five most important texts within KN are:</p>
<ul>
<li><a href="https://accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka/kn/dhp/dhp.intro.budd.html" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Dhammapada</a> (&quot;path of the Dhamma / true teachings&quot;)</li>
<li><a href="https://suttacentral.net/iti" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Itivuttaka</a> (&quot;as it was said&quot;)</li>
<li><a href="https://suttacentral.net/ud" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Udana</a> (&quot;inspired utterances&quot;)</li>
<li><a href="https://suttacentral.net/thag" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Theragata</a> &amp; <a href="https://suttacentral.net/thig" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Therigata</a></li>
<li><a href="https://suttacentral.net/snp" rel="nofollow noreferrer">Sutta Nipata</a> (&quot;section of the discourses&quot;)</li>
</ul>
<p>The Dhammapada is hardcore and to the point.</p>
<p>The Itivuttaka is easy to read, heartwood and contains some important explanatory teachings that appear not found elsewhere (eg. Iti 44, Iti 49, Iti 96); even though these teachings are related to the core teachings of the suttas.</p>
<p>The Udana is fun but appears to contain some probably belated, miraculous yet amusing texts (such as new born children talking dhamma). It also contains lots of hardcore illuminating wisdom teachings.</p>
<p>The Theragata &amp; Therigata are mature.</p>
<p>I listed Sutta Nipata on the bottom because, due to its nature of often being in &quot;verse&quot; (vs &quot;prose&quot;), <a href="https://www.dhammawheel.com/viewtopic.php?p=545697#p545697" rel="nofollow noreferrer">the language</a> is often more archaic thus vague. Also, it contains what appear to be belated texts, such as Metta &amp; Maha-Mangala Sutta.</p>
<p>The other texts are best avoided, appearing to be belated texts loaded with superstition &amp; wrong views, such as Jataka, other past lives books &amp; Milindapanha. These texts do show however how quickly the Buddha-Dhamma degenerated. The Paṭisambhidāmagga commentary was obviously not composed by Venerable Sariputta and is often inaccurate.</p>
 43: <p>Questions of King Milinda (the original ancient text only, i.e. parts 1 and 2, not the later additions) is by far my favorite text in KN. Unfortunately a good English translation of this text is hard to get by, as internet is full of abridged and approximately-translated (adapted) versions.</p>
<p>I like it because it provides excellent description of core Dhamma topics without using the same standard formulas that are copied word by word  all over the Pali Canon.</p>
