Sūttanipāta
The Sūttanipāta is a significant early Buddhist text that forms part of the Tipiṭaka, a larger collection of sacred writings. Composed mainly in verse, it includes dialogues, discourses, narratives, proverbs, and ballads that encapsulate the teachings of Siddhārtha Gautama, the historical Buddha. This work is particularly noted for its emphasis on the life of hermits or renouncers, indicating that its teachings predate the formal organization of Buddhist monastic orders. The Sūttanipāta is divided into five nikāyas, or subcollections, each addressing different aspects of Buddhist doctrine. Key themes include the nature of sorrow, the importance of shedding unwholesome habits, the drawbacks of attachments, and the cultivation of loving-kindness towards all beings. The text is regarded as one of the earliest written records of Buddhist thought and provides insights into the contemplative practices valued in early Buddhism. Its teachings continue to resonate with practitioners and scholars interested in the foundational aspects of Buddhist philosophy and lifestyle.
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Sūttanipāta
Related civilization: Early India.
Date: sixth-fifth centuries b.c.e.
Locale: North India
Authorship: The Buddha (Siddhārtha Gautama) and his followers
Sūttanipāta
The Suttanipāta (SEW-tah-nee-PAW-tah; English translation in Sacred Books of the Buddhists, 1948) is part of a larger body of early Buddhist writings called the Tipiṭaka (collected c. 250 b.c.e.; English translation in Buddhist Scriptures, 1913), or “Three Baskets.” Composed largely in verse, the Suttanipāta consists of dialogues, discourses, narratives, proverbs, and ballads based on the teachings of the historical Buddha, Siddhārtha Gautama. The various components presumably were collected and preserved by the immediate followers of the Buddha, and undoubtedly the canonical collection represents the earliest Buddhist writing. Written in Pāli, the work relates the doctrine of the Buddha and is believed to contain many discourses and speeches delivered by the enlightened master himself. The information is organized into five nikāyas, or subcollections: the Snake Chapter, the Lesser Chapter, the Greater Chapter, the Octet Chapter, and the Chapter on the Way to the Far Shore. The instructions are concerned with the hermit’s or renouncer’s way of life as opposed to monastic living, an indication that the materials predate the organization of Buddhist monastic orders. Throughout, the teachings stress the nature of sorrow, the shedding of unwholesome habits and states of mind, the conceits that come from holding onto practices or views, living the solitary contemplative life, the drawbacks of all attachments, abandonment of all attachments, directing loving and kindness toward all beings, and the method for reaching the highest level of spiritual attainment.
Bibliography
Hare, E. M., trans. Woven Cadences of Early Buddhists. London: Oxford University Press, 1944.
Saddhatissa, H. The Sutta Nipata. London: Curzon Press, 1994.