Buddhist Literature

Buddhism’s rapid growth across India and beyond was supported by a strong textual tradition. Unlike the Vedic tradition, which remained oral for centuries, Buddhist monks preserved and systematised the Buddha’s teachings soon after his death.

🧱 Tripitaka – The Three Baskets of Wisdom

The core scriptures of Theravada Buddhism are called the Tripitaka (Pali: Tipitaka), meaning Three Baskets:

Pitaka	Content Type	Compilation Context
Sutta Pitaka	Teachings and discourses of Buddha	1st Council (Rajgir, 483 BCE), led by Ananda
Vinaya Pitaka	Monastic rules and discipline	1st Council (Rajgir), led by Upali
Abhidhamma Pitaka	Philosophical and psychological analysis	3rd Council (Pataliputra, 250 BCE), led by Moggaliputta Tissa

🔹 Language: Originally composed in Pali, the language of the people.

🔹 Nature: The Tripitaka forms the canonical base for the Theravada school of Buddhism.

📖 Detailed View of the Tripitaka

1. 🗣️ Sutta Pitaka

• Contains Buddha’s discourses with kings, disciples, ascetics, women, and laypersons.
• Structured into Five Nikayas:

Nikaya	Description
Digha Nikaya	Long discourses
Majjhima Nikaya	Middle-length discourses — covers varna, morality, asceticism, monastic life
Samyutta Nikaya	Thematically grouped discourses
Anguttara Nikaya	Discourses grouped by numbers (e.g., four truths)
Khuddaka Nikaya	‘Minor’ works — includes Dhammapada, Jataka, etc.

2. 📜 Vinaya Pitaka

• Contains rules of conduct for monks and nuns
• Basis for the organisation of the Sangha
• Also includes origin stories of certain rules

3. 🧠 Abhidhamma Pitaka

• Represents the philosophical and psychological foundation of Buddha’s teachings
• Compiled much later (3rd Council, Pataliputra, 250 BCE)
• Consists of seven books, including:
  • Dhammasangani (Classification of Dhammas)
  • Vibhanga (The Book of Analysis)
  • Kathavatthu (Points of Controversy)

➡️ Belief: Traditionally, it is believed that Buddha first taught Abhidhamma to gods in Tavatimsa Heaven, including his deceased mother. Upon return, he conveyed it to Sariputta, who compiled it.

🌿 Other Significant Pali Texts

Text	Description
Milindapanho	Philosophical dialogue between Indo-Greek King Menander (Milinda) and Nagasena
Dhammapada	Verses on ethics, compassion, and morality — often memorised by students
Jataka Tales	Stories of Buddha’s previous lives — depicted in stupas (e.g., Bharhut, Sanchi, Ajanta)
Therigatha	Poems by Theris (liberated nuns) — oldest Indian text authored by women
Theragatha	Poems by senior monks
Buddhavamsa	Biographies of 24 previous Buddhas; mentions Dipankara and Sumedha
Khuddaka Nikaya	Minor collection — includes many of the above texts

🧠 Key Excerpt: Debate on Caste in Majjhima Nikaya

An important example of Buddha’s anti-caste stance:

• King Avantiputta questioned Buddha’s disciple Kachchana about Brahmana supremacy.
• Kachchana replied with reason and logic: If a Shudra has wealth, he is treated with respect — caste distinctions collapse before economic power.
• Conclusion: Varna system is socially constructed, not inherently divine.

➡️ Importance: Reflects Buddha’s egalitarian worldview, opposing varna jati rigidity.

🇱🇰 Sri Lankan Buddhist Chronicles: Dipavamsa and Mahavamsa

With Buddhism’s spread to Sri Lanka (via Mahinda, Ashoka’s son), historical chronicles were composed in Pali:

Chronicle	Details
Dipavamsa	4th century CE, oldest Sri Lankan Buddhist chronicle
	Describes arrival of Mahinda, rise of Sangha, spread of Buddhism
Mahavamsa	5th-6th century CE, written by monk Mahanama
	Chronicles Buddha’s life, Ashoka, and Sri Lankan royal dynasties
	Style: Epic poem in Pali
	Covers history till 1815 CE
	Included in UNESCO Memory of the World Register (2023)

🔁 Transmission of Buddhist Texts to Other Regions

• As Buddhism spread to Sri Lanka, China, Tibet, and Southeast Asia, its texts were translated into:
  • Sanskrit (e.g., Mahayana texts)
  • Chinese (by Fa Xian, Xuan Zang, etc.)
  • Tibetan

Modern Buddhist studies now involve parallel study of these four traditions: Pali, Sanskrit, Chinese, and Tibetan.