|
| |
Tipitaka
The Pali Canon
The Tipitaka (Pali ti, "three," + pitaka, "baskets"), or
Pali Canon, is the collection of primary Pali language texts which form the
doctrinal foundation of Theravada Buddhism. The Tipitaka and the
post-canonical texts (commentaries,
chronicles, etc.) together constitute the complete body of classical
Theravada texts.
The Pali Canon is a vast body of literature: in English translation the texts
add up to thousands of printed pages. Most (but not all) of the Canon has
already been published in English over the years. Although only a small fraction
of these texts are available on this website, this collection can be a good
place to start.
The three divisions of the Tipitaka are:
-
Vinaya Pitaka
- The collection of texts concerning the rules of conduct governing the
daily affairs within the Sangha — the community of bhikkhus (ordained
monks) and bhikkhunis (ordained nuns). Far more than merely a list of
rules, the Vinaya Pitaka also includes the stories behind the origin of each
rule, providing a detailed account of the Buddha's solution to the question of
how to maintain communal harmony within a large and diverse spiritual
community.
-
Sutta Pitaka
- The collection of suttas, or discourses, attributed to the Buddha and a
few of his closest disciples, containing all the central teachings of
Theravada Buddhism. (More than nine hundred sutta translations are available
on this website.) The suttas are divided among five nikayas
(collections):
Abhidhamma Pitaka
The collection of texts in which the underlying doctrinal principles
presented in the Sutta Pitaka are reworked and reorganized into a systematic
framework that can be applied to an investigation into the nature of mind and
matter.
For further reading
 | Where can
I find a copy of the complete Pali Canon (Tipitaka)? (Frequently Asked
Question) |
|
Beyond the Tipitaka: A Field Guide to Post-canonical Pali Literature
|
| A Guide to
Learning the Pali Language offers some suggestions for people interested
in learning the language. |
|
Handbook of Pali Literature, by Somapala Jayawardhana (Colombo:
Karunaratne & Sons, Ltd., 1994). A guide, in dictionary form, through the
Pali Canon, with detailed descriptions of the major landmarks in the Canon.
|
|
An Analysis of the Pali Canon, Russell Webb, ed. (Kandy: Buddhist
Publication Society, 1975). An indispensable "roadmap" and outline of the
Pali Canon. Contains an excellent index listing suttas by name. |
|
Guide to Tipitaka, U Ko Lay, ed. (Delhi: Sri Satguru
Publications, 1990). Another excellent outline of the Tipitaka, containing
summaries of many important suttas. |
|
Buddhist Dictionary, by Nyanatiloka Mahathera (Kandy: Buddhist
Publication Society, 1980). A classic handbook of important terms and
concepts in Theravada Buddhism.
|
                                  
|
