What
Buddhists Believe
Venerable K. Sri Dhammananda Maha Thera
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Chapter 5 - Basic
Doctrines
Tri-Pitaka
(or Tipitaka)
Tripitaka is the collection of the
teachings of the Buddha over 45 years in the Pali language, and it
consists of Sutta - conventional teaching, Vinaya - disciplinary code,
and Abhidhamma - moral psychology.
The
Tripitaka was compiled and arranged in its present form by those Arahants
who had immediate contact with the Master Himself.
The Buddha has passed
away, but the sublime Dhamma which He unreservedly bequeathed to humanity
still exists in its pristine purity.
Although the Master has
left no written records of His Teachings, His distinguished disciples
preserved them by committing to memory and transmitting them orally from
generation to generation.
Immediately after the
final passing away of the Buddha, 500 distinguished Arahants held a
convention known as the First Buddhist Council to rehearse the Doctrine
taught by the Buddha. Venerable Ananda, the faithful attendant of the
Buddha who had the special privilege of hearing all the discourses the
Buddha ever uttered, recited the Dhamma, whilst the Venerable Upali
recited the Vinaya, the rules of conduct for the Sangha.
One hundred years after
the First Buddhist Council, during King Kalasoka, some disciples saw the
need to change certain minor rules. The orthodox monk said that nothing
should be changed while the others insisted on modifying some disciplinary
rules (Vinaya). Finally, the formation of different schools of
Buddhism germinated after this council. And in the Second Council, only
matters pertaining to the Vinaya were discussed and no controversy about
the Dhamma was reported.
In the 3rd
Century B.C. during the time of Emperor Asoka, the Third Council was held
to discuss the differences of opinion held by the Sangha community. At
this Council the differences were not confined to the Vinaya but were also
connected with the Dhamma. At the end of this Council, the President of
the Council, Ven. Moggaliputta Tissa, compiled a book called Kathavatthu
refuting the heretical, false views and theories held by some disciples.
The teaching approved and accepted by this Council was known as Theravada.
The Abhidhamma Pitaka was held in Sri Lanka in 80 B.C. is
known as the 4th Council under the patronage of the pious King
Vattagamini Abbaya. It was at this time in Sri Lanka that the Tripitaka
was first committed to writing.
The Tripitaka
consists of three sections of the Buddha's Teachings. They are the
Discipline (Vinaya Pitaka), the Discourse (Sutta Pitaka),
and Ultimate Doctrine (Abhidhamma Pitaka).
I. Vinaya Pitaka
The Vinaya Pitaka
mainly deals with the rules and regulations of the Order of monks
(Bhikkhus) and nuns (Bhikkhunis). It describes in detail the gradual
development of the Sasana (Dispensation). It also gives an account
of the life and ministry of the Buddha. Indirectly it reveals some useful
information about ancient history, Indian customs, arts, sciences, etc.
For nearly twenty years
since His Enlightenment, the Buddha did not lay down rules for the control
of the Sangha. Later, as the occasion arose, the Buddha promulgated rules
for the future discipline of the Sangha.
This Pitaka consists of
the five following books:
Parajika Pali (Major
Offences)
Pacittiya Pali (Minor Offences)
Mahavagga Pali (Greater Section)
Cullavagga Pali (Smaller Section)
Parivara Pali (Epitome of the Vinaya)
II. Sutta
Pitaka
The Sutta Pitaka consists
chiefly of discourses delivered by the Buddha Himself on various
occasions. There are also a few discourses delivered by some of His
distinguished disciples, such as the Venerable Sariputta, Ananda,
Moggallana, etc., included in it. It is like a book of prescriptions, as
the sermons embodied therein were expounded to suit the different
occasions and the temperaments of various persons. There may be seemingly
contradictory statements, but they should not be misconstrued as they were
opportunely uttered by the Buddha to suit a particular purpose.
This Pitaka is
divided into five Nikayas or collections, viz:--
Digha Nikaya
(Collection of Long Discourses)
Majjhima Nikaya (Collection of Middle-length Discourses)
Samyutta Nikaya (Collection of Kindred Sayings)
Anguttara Nikaya (Collection of Discourses arranged in
accordance with number)
Khuddaka Nikaya (Smaller Collection)
The fifth is subdivided
into fifteen books:
Khuddaka Patha
(Shorter Texts)
Dhammapada (The Way of Truth)
Udana (Heartfelt sayings or Paeons of Joy)
Iti Vuttaka ('Thus said" Discourses)
Sutta Nipata (Collected Discourses)
Vimana Vatthu (Stories of Celestial Mansions)
Peta Vatthu (Stories of Petas)
Theragatha (Psalms of the Brethren)
Therigatha (Psalms of the Sisters)
Jataka (Birth Stories)
Niddesa (Expositions)
Patisambhida (Analytical Knowledge)
Apadana (Lives of Saints)
Buddhavamsa (The History of Buddha)
Cariya Pitaka (Modes of Conduct)
III. Abhidhamma
Pitaka
The Abhidhamma
is, to a deep thinker, the most important and interesting, as it contains
the profound philosophy of the Buddha's teaching in contrast to the
illuminating but simpler discourses in the Sutta Pitaka.
In the Sutta Pitaka one
often finds references to individual, being, etc., but in the Abhidhamma,
instead of such conventional terms, we meet with ultimate terms, such as
aggregates, mind, matter, etc.
In the Sutta is found the
Vohara Desana (Conventional Teaching), whilst in the Abhidhamma is
found the Paramattha Desana (Ultimate Doctrine).
In the Abhidhamma
everything is analysed and explained in detail, and as such it is called analytical
doctrine (Vibhajja Vada).
Four ultimate things (Paramattha)
are enumerated in the Abhidhamma. They are Citta, (Consciousness), Cetasika
(Mental concomitants), Rupa (Matter) and Nibbana.
The so-called being is
microscopically analysed and its component parts are minutely described.
Finally the ultimate goal and the method to achieve it is explained with
all necessary details.
The Abhidhamma Pitaka is
composed of the following works:--
Dhamma-Sangani
(Enumeration of Phenomena)
Vibhanga (The Book of the Treatises)
Katha Vatthu (Point of Controversy)
Puggala Pannatti (Description of Individuals)
Dhatu Katha (Discussion with reference to Elements)
Yamaka (The Book of Pairs)
Patthana (The Book of Relations)
* * *
According to another
classification, mentioned by the Buddha Himself, the whole Teachings is
ninefold, namely: 1. Sutta, 2. Geyya, 3. Veyyakarama, 4. Gatha, 5. Udana,
6. Itivuttaka, 7. Jataka, 8. Abbhutadhamma, 9. Vedalla.
Sutta
- These are the short, medium, and long discourses expounded by
the Buddha on various occasions, such as Mangala Sutta (Discourse
on Blessings), Ratana Sutta (The Jewel Discourse) Metta
Sutta(Discourse on Goodwill), etc. According to the Commentary the
whole Vinaya Pitaka is also included in this division.
Geyya - These
are discourses mixed with Gathas or verses, such as the Sagathavagga
of the Samyutta Nikaya.
Veyyakarana -
Lit. exposition. The whole Abhidhamma Pitaka, discourses without
verses, and everything that is not included in the remaining eight
divisions belong to this class.
Gatha - These
include verses found in the Dhammapada (Way of Truth), Theragatha
(Psalms of the Brethren). Therigatha (Psalms of the
Sisters), and those isolated verses which are not classed amongst the Sutta.
Udana - These
are the 'Paeons of Joy' found in the Udana, one of the
divisions of the Khuddaka Nikaya.
Itivuttaka -
These are the 112 discourses which commence with the phrases _ 'Thus
the Blessed One has Said'. Itivuttaka is one of the fifteen
books that comprise the Khuddaka Nikaya.
Jataka - These
are the 547 birth-stories related by the Buddha in connection with His
previous births.
Abbhutadhamma -
These are the few discourses that deal with wonderful and marvelous
things, as for example the Accariya-Abbhutadhamma Sutta of the Majjhima
Nikaya (No. 123).
Vedalla - These
are the pleasurable discourses, such as Chulla Vedalla, Maha
Vedalla (M.N. Nos 43,44), Samma Ditthi Sutta (M.N.No.9),
etc. In some of these discourses, the answers give to certain
questions were put with a feeling of joy.
-ooOoo-
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Source: Buddhist
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Update : 01-11-2002
