Tripiṭaka (Pali Canon)

Tripiṭaka is the name of the Buddhist holy texts. They are also known as the Theravada scriptures or the Pali Canon. In the Pali language, they are referred to as Tipitaka, while in Sanskrit, they are referred to as Tripiṭaka.

Buddhists believe that the Tripiṭaka contains the words of Buddha along with his teachings. While other sacred texts are used by Buddhist practitioners in different countries and regions, the texts that have received the greatest level of agreement are considered to be the Tripiṭaka.

Background

Tripiṭaka means "three baskets" in Sanskrit and refers to the three "baskets of wisdom," or the three parts into which it is divided. The original Tripiṭaka was written in Pali, an Indian language similar to that which Buddha spoke. The teachings of Buddha contained in the Tripiṭaka are vast; it takes almost forty books to translate the entire text into English.

Buddhism began in India about 500 Before the Common Era (BCE). Buddha was a prince named Siddhartha Gautama who was born between 560 and 580 BCE. He never left his palace or life of comfort until he was an adult. When he finally ventured outside the palace walls and saw death and suffering for the first time, he resolved to give up his privileged life and help the poor. He also began to seek a way to find new meaning in life. He gave up his wealth and status, became a monk, and devoted himself to contemplation. Eventually, while seated beneath a tree in meditation, he reached a stage known as enlightenment. Over a period of about forty-five years, Buddha shared his teachings to help others find their own way to enlightenment.

The Buddhist way of reaching enlightenment involves meditation and following the lessons of Buddha as contained in the Tripiṭaka. For several centuries, the teachings were passed down by word of mouth. They were finally written down in about the first century BCE. Because two schools of monks originally committed them to writing, the teachings have been passed down in two versions. One was recorded by the Mahayana school of monks; these are the sutras. The other was written down by the Theravada school and became the Tripiṭaka. The original texts of the Tripiṭaka were written in Pali and Sanskrit, depending on who was writing them. Full original texts in Pali by the Theravadas exist, but no complete Tripiṭaka texts in Sanskrit are known to have survived.

Before the modern versions of the Tripiṭaka were agreed upon and written down, the monks and holy leaders of Buddhism met in several councils to discuss the teachings as they remembered them and decide on the official canon. The first council at Rajgir was held shortly after Buddha's death and focused on reciting all the teachings, especially those related to monastic life. About a century would go by before the monks met again at Vaishali. Disagreements had arisen in various areas about how monks should conduct themselves with regard to issues such as having and spending money. The second council attempted to decide how to apply the teachings in the Tripiṭaka to these issues. The resulting disagreements led to the formation of eighteen sects of Buddhism, only one of which—Theravada—survives in the modern era. A third council, which was held in the third century BCE in Patna, dealt with a number of accusations of false beliefs and teachings. The teachings were disproved, and those who held them were expelled. The majority of the canon of the Tripiṭaka was resolved at this council.

The three parts of the Tripiṭaka were established at the first council. The first is the Vinaya Pitaka, or Discipline Basket. This section contains the rules to govern the lives and behavior of monks and nuns, along with stories illustrating the importance of each rule. The rules number in the hundreds. The second section, the Sutta Pitaka, or Teaching Basket, is the account of the life and experiences of Buddha. It includes five different types of texts. These include four sections of texts grouped by their length and subject, along with a fifth section of miscellaneous texts. This section includes some of the most popular and best-known parts of the Tripiṭaka, including the Dhammapada, which includes Buddha's teachings on moral behavior and disciplining the mind, and the Jatakas, a collection of stories about the previous incarnations or past lives of the Buddha. The final section, the Abhidhamma Pitaka, or Higher Doctrine Basket, includes explanations about the things Buddha said and did. These texts include philosophical and theological teachings and are considered so important that Theravada monks often memorize large sections of this third collection of text.

Overview

Buddhists see the sacred texts of the Tripiṭaka in a different light than people of other faith traditions see their holy scriptures. For example, the Christian, Hebrew, and Islamic texts are all seen as divinely inspired and believed to contain revelations from the deity. The Buddhists, however, do not worship a creator or all-powerful god. Instead, they believe in lesser gods with limited powers.

Instead of striving to do the will of a divine being, Buddhists strive for personal enlightenment or awakening. They believe this must be achieved without the assistance of any divine beings. The way to attain enlightenment includes reading and studying the words and works of Buddha because he was able to attain enlightenment and can guide those who follow the path. The Tripiṭaka is meant as a tool to help those who follow Buddha see and follow the path to enlightenment.

Sources estimate that the Tripiṭaka contains more than eighty thousand individual teachings. While all Buddhists use the Tripiṭaka as a foundation of their belief system, some use additional texts as well. For example, the Mahayana Buddhists use as many as five thousand sacred texts in addition to the Tripiṭaka.

Bibliography

“The English Tripitaka.” BDK America, www.bdkamerica.org/tripitaka-list. Accessed 19 Nov. 2024.

"Philosophy of Religion: Buddhism." Queensborough Community College, www.qcc.cuny.edu/SocialSciences/ppecorino/PHIL‗of‗RELIGION‗TEXT/CHAPTER‗2‗RELIGIONS/Buddhism.htm. Accessed 19 Nov. 2024.

"Theravada Buddhism." BBC, 2 Oct. 2002, www.bbc.co.uk/religion/religions/buddhism/subdivisions/theravada‗1.shtml. Accessed 19 Nov. 2024.

“Tipitaka: The Pali Canon.” Access to Insight, www.accesstoinsight.org/tipitaka. Accessed 19 Nov. 2024.

"The Tripitaka Master Shan-wu-wei." Nichiren Buddhism Library, www.nichirenlibrary.org/en/wnd-1/Content/17. Accessed 19 Nov. 2024.

Velez, Abraham. "Buddha." Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy, www.iep.utm.edu/buddha. Accessed 19 Nov. 2024.