Ancient Pali Nikayas (circa 450B.C.E.)

Theoria Apophasis:

If you cannot paraphrase the entire core of something in a few passages, then you definitely don’t understand it. These translations are copyright 2021 by myself, but free to use by anyone. In these 13 passages from the ancient Pali Nikayas (circa 450B.C.E.) you have the entire core of original “Buddhism” (no such word existed until recently, a few hundred years ago). The only time these teachings were called anything was in SN 5.4 and deemed “Brahmayana” (path to the Absolute).  This is an ancient, dead, and mostly lost language, the oldest parts of which (Udana, Sutta Nipata, Itivutaka) are painfully near-impossible to translate by anyone on this earth (rather literally). I like to keep things simple!  Hugs! The citations are Roman indexing (PTS).

[Tathagatassa hetam, adhivacanam brahmabhuto itipi]
“The Tathagata means 'the body of Brahman', 'become Brahman'” [DN 3.84]

[brahmabhutam tathagata]
“Become-Brahman is the meaning of Tathagata” [It 57].

[Parinibbuto thitatto]
"Parinirvana is to be fixed in the Soul" [Sutta Nipata 372]

[Thitam cittam ajjhattam susanthitam suvimuttam ]
“With the spirit (citta [spirit/nous]) steadfast (upon itself) [this is] the very-Soul; this is to be supremely-steadfast, is to be thoroughly liberated.”[SN 5.74]

[ekaggacittassa  ajjhattam susamahito]
“With a Sovereign-spirit (citta [spirit/nous]) one is established in the very Soul.” [AN 2.29]

"That which goes against the stream of the world is subtle, unfathomably hard to discern. Those dyed in lustfulness and the darkness of the aggregates (corporeal) will never discern it. " [MN 1.168]

"The Tathagata, the Buddha, is a designation for (means) 'become-Brahman'."[DN 2.84]

"The well-centered spirit (citta [spirit/nous]) is the path for attainment of Brahman." [SN 4.118]

“This is immortality, that being the liberated spirit (citta [spirit/nous]) which does not cling (after anything)” [MN 2.265]

“Whatever form, feelings, perceptions, experiences, or consciousness there is (the five aggregates), these he sees to be without permanence, as suffering, as ill, as a plague, a boil, a sting, a pain, an affliction, as foreign, as otherness, as empty (suññato), as Selfless (anattato). So he turns his spirit (citta, the incorporeal, i.e. a non-aggregate) away from these; therein he gathers his spirit within the realm of Immortality (amataya dhatuya). This is tranquility; this is that which is most excellent!” [MN 1.436]

"There is, an unborn, an unoriginated, an unmade, and an unformed (i.e. the Soul/Brahman). If there were not, O'followers, this unborn, unoriginated, unmade and unformed, there would be no way out for the born, the originated, the made and the formed." [Udana 81]

 “What, followers, is a being who has a diamond-citta [spirit/nous] (vajirupamacitto)? That one who has destroyed the taints (asavas) and has both a liberated citta [spirit/nous] and is liberated by wisdom. Just as there is nothing which a diamond cannot cut, be it stone or gem; so to is one with a diamond-mind who has destroyed the taints and has both a liberated citta [spirit/nous] and is liberated by wisdom. This is one who possesses a diamond-citta.” [AN 1.124]

"I do not have, followers, insight into anything or any dharma which, when made to become and made to expand that brings greater bliss than the citta [spirit/nous]. The citta [spirit/nous], followers, when made to become and made to expand, brings the greatest bliss." [AN 1.6] 🥰