These are, in some way or other, texts associated with Gautama, the historical Buddha. Different schools, however, are not always in agreement about which texts are canonical, and the various recensions of the Buddhist Canon contain widely varying numbers and types of texts. Broadly speaking, the texts come in three types: sutras (i.e. discourses), vinaya (relating to the rules of monastic discipline), and abhidharma (analytical texts). Together these three make up what is known in Sanskrit as the Tripitaka and in Pali as the Tipitaka. Both ...

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Buddhist texts, Buddhist texts - Canonical texts, Buddhist texts - Non-canonical texts, Buddhist texts - Texts of the Nikaya Schools, Buddhist texts - Vinaya, Buddhist texts - Sutta, Buddhist texts - Abhidharma, Buddhist texts - Non-canonical texts, Buddhist texts - Mahayana texts, Buddhist texts - Perfection of Wisdom Texts, Buddhist texts - Saddharma-pundarika, Buddhist texts - Pure Land Sutras, Buddhist texts - The Vimalakirti Nirdesha Sutra, Buddhist texts - Samadhi Sutras, Buddhist texts - Confession Sutras, Buddhist texts - The Avatamsaka Sutra, Buddhist texts - Third Turning Sutras, Buddhist texts - Tathagatagarbha class sutras, Buddhist texts - Collected Sutras, Buddhist texts - Transmigration Sutras, Buddhist texts - Discipline Sutras, Buddhist texts - Sutras Devoted to Individual Figures, Buddhist texts - Proto-Mahayana Sutras, Buddhist texts - Non-canonical texts, Buddhist texts - References, Buddhist texts - Vajrayana Texts, Buddhist texts - Buddhist tantras, Buddhist texts - Other products of the Vajrayana literature

Read more here: » Buddhist texts: Encyclopedia II - Buddhist texts - Canonical texts

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Buddhist texts, Buddhist texts - Canonical texts, Buddhist texts - Non-canonical texts, Buddhist texts - Texts of the Nikaya Schools, Buddhist texts - Vinaya, Buddhist texts - Sutta, Buddhist texts - Abhidharma, Buddhist texts - Non-canonical texts, Buddhist texts - Mahayana texts, Buddhist texts - Perfection of Wisdom Texts, Buddhist texts - Saddharma-pundarika, Buddhist texts - Pure Land Sutras, Buddhist texts - The Vimalakirti Nirdesha Sutra, Buddhist texts - Samadhi Sutras, Buddhist texts - Confession Sutras, Buddhist texts - The Avatamsaka Sutra, Buddhist texts - Third Turning Sutras, Buddhist texts - Tathagatagarbha class sutras, Buddhist texts - Collected Sutras, Buddhist texts - Transmigration Sutras, Buddhist texts - Discipline Sutras, Buddhist texts - Sutras Devoted to Individual Figures, Buddhist texts - Proto-Mahayana Sutras, Buddhist texts - Non-canonical texts, Buddhist texts - References, Buddhist texts - Vajrayana Texts, Buddhist texts - Buddhist tantras, Buddhist texts - Other products of the Vajrayana literature

Read more here: » Buddhist texts: Encyclopedia II - Buddhist texts - Non-canonical texts

Buddhist texts - Buddhist tantras. The canon of the Vajrayana schools includes a number of Nikaya-related texts from a number of the schools, as well as Mahayana sutras. However it is the specifically Vajrayana texts that most strongly characterise it. They are considered to be the word of the Buddha, and the Tibetan Canon contains translations of almost 500 tantras and over 2000 commentaries to them. The texts are typically concerned with elaborate rituals and meditations. A late Tibetan t ...

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Buddhist texts, Buddhist texts - Canonical texts, Buddhist texts - Non-canonical texts, Buddhist texts - Texts of the Nikaya Schools, Buddhist texts - Vinaya, Buddhist texts - Sutta, Buddhist texts - Abhidharma, Buddhist texts - Non-canonical texts, Buddhist texts - Mahayana texts, Buddhist texts - Perfection of Wisdom Texts, Buddhist texts - Saddharma-pundarika, Buddhist texts - Pure Land Sutras, Buddhist texts - The Vimalakirti Nirdesha Sutra, Buddhist texts - Samadhi Sutras, Buddhist texts - Confession Sutras, Buddhist texts - The Avatamsaka Sutra, Buddhist texts - Third Turning Sutras, Buddhist texts - Tathagatagarbha class sutras, Buddhist texts - Collected Sutras, Buddhist texts - Transmigration Sutras, Buddhist texts - Discipline Sutras, Buddhist texts - Sutras Devoted to Individual Figures, Buddhist texts - Proto-Mahayana Sutras, Buddhist texts - Non-canonical texts, Buddhist texts - References, Buddhist texts - Vajrayana Texts, Buddhist texts - Buddhist tantras, Buddhist texts - Other products of the Vajrayana literature

Read more here: » Buddhist texts: Encyclopedia II - Buddhist texts - Vajrayana Texts

There are a great variety of Buddhist texts. Buddhists place varying value on them: attitudes range from worship of the text itself, to dismissal of some texts as falsification of the ineffable truth. They therefore cannot be called "scripture" in the sense of other religions. The texts can be categorized in a number of ways, but the most fundamental division is that between canonical and non-canonical texts. The former, also called the Sutras (Sanskrit) or Suttas (Pali), are held to be, literally or metaphoricall ...

Including:

• Buddhist texts - Canonical texts
• Buddhist texts - Non-canonical texts
• Buddhist texts - Texts of the Nikaya Schools
• Buddhist texts - Vinaya
• Buddhist texts - Sutta
• Buddhist texts - Abhidharma
• Buddhist texts - Non-canonical texts
• Buddhist texts - Mahayana texts
• Buddhist texts - Perfection of Wisdom Texts
• Buddhist texts - Saddharma-pundarika
• Buddhist texts - Pure Land Sutras
• Buddhist texts - The Vimalakirti Nirdesha Sutra
• Buddhist texts - Samadhi Sutras
• Buddhist texts - Confession Sutras
• Buddhist texts - The Avatamsaka Sutra
• Buddhist texts - Third Turning Sutras
• Buddhist texts - Tathagatagarbha class sutras
• Buddhist texts - Collected Sutras
• Buddhist texts - Transmigration Sutras
• Buddhist texts - Discipline Sutras
• Buddhist texts - Sutras Devoted to Individual Figures
• Buddhist texts - Proto-Mahayana Sutras
• Buddhist texts - Non-canonical texts
• Buddhist texts - References
• Buddhist texts - Vajrayana Texts
• Buddhist texts - Buddhist tantras
• Buddhist texts - Other products of the Vajrayana literature

Read more here: » Buddhist texts: Encyclopedia - Buddhist texts

There are a great variety of Buddhist texts. Buddhists place varying value on them: attitudes range from worship of the text itself, to dismissal of some texts as falsification of the ineffable truth. They therefore cannot be called "scripture" in the sense of other religions. The texts can be categorized in a number of ways, but the most fundamental division is that between canonical and non-canonical texts. The former, also called the Sutras (Sanskrit) or Suttas (Pali), are held to be, literally or metaphoricall ...

Including:

• Buddhist texts - Canonical texts
• Buddhist texts - Non-canonical texts
• Buddhist texts - Texts of the Nikaya Schools
• Buddhist texts - Sutta
• Buddhist texts - Abhidharma
• Buddhist texts - Non-canonical texts
• Buddhist texts - Mahayana texts
• Buddhist texts - Perfection of Wisdom Texts
• Buddhist texts - Saddharma-pundarika
• Buddhist texts - Pure Land Sutras
• Buddhist texts - The Vimalakirti Nirdesha Sutra
• Buddhist texts - Samadhi Sutras
• Buddhist texts - Confession Sutras
• Buddhist texts - The Avatamsaka Sutra
• Buddhist texts - Third Turning Sutras
• Buddhist texts - Tathagatagarbha class sutras
• Buddhist texts - Collected Sutras
• Buddhist texts - Transmigration Sutras
• Buddhist texts - Discipline Sutras
• Buddhist texts - Sutras Devoted to Individual Figures
• Buddhist texts - Proto-Mahayana Sutras
• Buddhist texts - Non-canonical texts
• Buddhist texts - References
• Buddhist texts - Vajrayana Texts
• Buddhist texts - Buddhist tantras
• Buddhist texts - Other products of the Vajrayana literature

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Buddhism: Buddhist Scriptures

The Buddhist canon of scripture is known in Sanskrit as the Tripitaka and in Pali as the Tipitaka. These terms literally mean "three baskets" and refers to the three main divisions of the canon, which are:

1.    The Vinaya Piaaka, containing disciplinary rules for the Sangha of Buddhist monks and nuns, as well as a range of other texts which explain why and how rules were instituted, supporting material, and doctrinal clarification.

2.    The Sutta Pitaka (Pali; Sanskrit: Sutra Pitaka), containing discourses of the Buddha.

3.    The Abhidhamma or commentary Pitaka, containing a philosophical systematization of the Buddha's teaching, including a detailed analysis of Buddhist psychology.

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The Pali Canon is one the earliest existing scripture collections of the Buddhist tradition. These scriptures were recited orally from the time of the Buddha and were put into writing in Sri Lanka around 30 BC. Written in the Pali language, these texts form the scriptures of the Theravada school of Buddhism. Versions of many Pali canon scriptures also form the basis of the canon of many non-Theravada schools. These schools canons typically contain an incomplete selection of scriptures from the Pali canon, often with minor additions or alterations, and are usually recorded in Sanskr ...

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The Vinaya Pitaka is the first of three divisions of the Tripitaka, the canon of Buddhism. It mainly concerns the vinaya, or code of conduct for Buddhist monks and nuns. See also. Abhidhamma Pitaka Buddhist texts Sutta Pitaka ...

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The Tripitaka (Sanskrit, lit. three baskets), Tipitaka (Pali), or 三藏 (Chinese: Sānzàng; Japanese: Sanzo; Khmer: Traipětâk ត្រៃបិតក; Korean: Samjang 삼장; Thai: Traipidok ไตรปิฎก; Vietnamese: Tam tạng) is the formal term for a Buddhist canon of scriptures. Many different versions of the canon exist throughout the Buddhist world, containing an enormous variety of texts. The most widely-known ve ...

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The Udanavarga is a Sanskrit Buddhist text which is similar to the Dhammapada, containing many of the same verses. The Tibetan Buddhist canon contains two recensions of it, which are traditionally said to have been compiled by Dharmatrata. The Udanavarga has around nine hundred and fifty verses in thirty-three chapters, whereas the most common version of the Dhammapada, the Pali, has only four hundred and twenty-three verses. Other related archivesBuddhist, Dhammapada, Pali, Sa

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Nirvana Sutra or Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra (Chinese: Niepan Jing (涅槃經); Japanese: Nehankyō (涅槃経)) is one of the major texts of Mahāyāna Buddhism. Note that this is one of two Buddhist texts having approximately the same title, the other being part of the Pali Canon. However, both for historical reasons and for the sake of clarity, the former is generally referred to by its Sanskrit title, Mahāparinirvāṇa Sūtra (or simply "Nirvana Sutra"), and the latter by its Pali title, Mahaparinib ...

Including:

• Nirvana Sutra - Overview
• Nirvana Sutra - Versions
• Nirvana Sutra - Quotations from the Nirvana Sutra
• Nirvana Sutra - Textual history
• Nirvana Sutra - English edition

Read more here: » Nirvana Sutra: Encyclopedia - Nirvana Sutra

The Daozang (Daoist Canon) consists of almost 5000 individual texts that were collected circa C.E. 400 (quite some time after the Dao De Jing and Zhuang Zi which are the core Daoist texts). They were collected by Daoist monks of the period in an attempt to bring together all of the teachings of Daoism, including all the commentaries and expositions of the various masters from the original teachings found in the Dao De Jing and Zhuang Zi. It was split into Three Grottoes, which mirrors the Buddhist Tripitaka (three baskets) division. These three divisions were based on the main focus of Daoism in Southern China during the time it was m ...

Including:

• Daozang - Timeline
• Daozang - Constituent Parts
• Daozang - Three Grottoes sandong C.E. 400
• Daozang - Four Supplements C.E. 500

Read more here: » Daozang: Encyclopedia - Daozang

The Visuddhimagga ("The path to purity") is a Theravada Buddhist commentary written by Buddhaghosa approximately in 430 CE in Sri Lanka. It is considered the most important Theravada text outside of the Tipitaka canon of scriptures. The Visuddhimagga is based on the Rathavinitasutta, which describes the progression from the purity of discipline to the nibbana, considering seven steps. Visuddhimagga - Summary. It is composed of four parts, which discuss: 1) Sila (discipline); Samadhi (meditativ ...

Including:

• Visuddhimagga - Summary
• Visuddhimagga - Seven steps

Read more here: » Visuddhimagga: Encyclopedia - Visuddhimagga

Tibetan Buddhist canon - Organisation of Tantric texts. Tibetan Buddhism typically divides the Tantras into four hierarchical categories, namely, Kriyayoga Charyayoga Yogatantra Anuttarayogatantra further divided into "mother", "father" and "non-dual" tantras. An alternate division is used by the Nyingma school: Three Outer Tantras: Kriyayoga Charyayoga Yogatantra Three Inner Tan ...

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Tibetan Buddhist canon, Tibetan Buddhist canon - Exoteric tradition, Tibetan Buddhist canon - Important Indian scholars, Tibetan Buddhist canon - Five traditional topics of study, Tibetan Buddhist canon - Five treatises of Maitreya, Tibetan Buddhist canon - Esoteric tradition, Tibetan Buddhist canon - Organisation of Tantric texts

Read more here: » Tibetan Buddhist canon: Encyclopedia II - Tibetan Buddhist canon - Esoteric tradition

In the Tibetan tradition, some collections of teachings and practices are held in greater secrecy than others. The sutra tradition is comprised of works said to be derived from the public teachings of the Buddha, and is taught widely and publicly. The esoteric tradition of tantra (below) is generally only shared in more intimate settings with those students who the teacher feels have the capacity to utilize it well. Tibet ...

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Tibetan Buddhist canon, Tibetan Buddhist canon - Exoteric tradition, Tibetan Buddhist canon - Important Indian scholars, Tibetan Buddhist canon - Five traditional topics of study, Tibetan Buddhist canon - Five treatises of Maitreya, Tibetan Buddhist canon - Esoteric tradition, Tibetan Buddhist canon - Organisation of Tantric texts

Read more here: » Tibetan Buddhist canon: Encyclopedia II - Tibetan Buddhist canon - Exoteric tradition

Emperor Ashoka convened the third Buddhist council around 250 BCE at Pataliputra (today's Patna). It was held by the monk Moggaliputta. The Pali canon (Tipitaka, or Tripitaka in Sanskrit, lit. the "Three Baskets"), which are the texts of reference of traditional Buddhism and considered to be directly transmitted from the Buddha, was formalized at that time. They consist of the doctrine (the Sutra Pitaka), the monastic discipline (Vinaya Pitaka) and an addition ...

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Greco-Buddhist monasticism, Greco-Buddhist monasticism - Background, Greco-Buddhist monasticism - Greeks monks under Ashoka, Greco-Buddhist monasticism - Dharmaraksita, Greco-Buddhist monasticism - Mahyantika, Greco-Buddhist monasticism - Maharaksita, Greco-Buddhist monasticism - Greek monks under Menander, Greco-Buddhist monasticism - Mahadharmaraksita, Greco-Buddhist monasticism - Reference, Greco-Buddhist monasticism - External link:

Read more here: » Greco-Buddhist monasticism: Encyclopedia II - Greco-Buddhist monasticism - Background

The Theravāda School of Sri Lanka, Burma, and Thailand is descended from the Sthaviravādin School. Some remnants of other early schools do still exist: the schools of Tibetan Buddhism still use a Sarvāstivāda vinaya, and Chinese schools use one from the Dharmagupta school. Fragments of the canon of texts from these schools also survive such as the Mahavastu of the Mahāsānghika School. ...

See also:

Early Buddhist schools, Early Buddhist schools - The first division, Early Buddhist schools - Further development, Early Buddhist schools - Number, Early Buddhist schools - Legacy

Read more here: » Early Buddhist schools: Encyclopedia II - Early Buddhist schools - Legacy

Main article: Physical characteristics of the Buddha Although the Buddha was not represented in human form until around the 1st century CE (see Buddhist art), the Physical characteristics of the Buddha are described in one of the central texts of the traditional Pali canon, the Digha Nikaya, in the discourse titled "Sutra of the Marks" (Pali: Lakkhana Sutta) (D.iii.142ff.). These characteristics comprise 32 signs, "The 32 signs of a Great Man" (Pali: Lakkhana Mahapurisa 32), and were supplemented by a ...

See also:

Buddhist symbolism, Buddhist symbolism - Early aniconic symbols, Buddhist symbolism - The 32 signs of a Great Man and 80 Secondary Characteristics, Buddhist symbolism - The Mudras, Buddhist symbolism - The eight auspicious symbols of Tibetan & Nepali Buddhism, Buddhist symbolism - International symbols of the World Fellowship of Buddhists

Read more here: » Buddhist symbolism: Encyclopedia II - Buddhist symbolism - The 32 signs of a Great Man and 80 Secondary Characteristics

Main article: Physical characteristics of the Buddha Although the Buddha was not represented in human form until around the 1st century CE (see Buddhist art), the Physical characteristics of the Buddha are described in one of the central texts of the traditional Pali canon, the Digha Nikaya, in the discourse titled "Sutra of the Marks" (Pali: Lakkhana Sutta) (D.iii.142ff.). These characteristics comprise 32 signs, "The 32 signs of a Great Man" (Pali: Lakkhana Mahapurisa 32), and were supplemented by a ...

See also:

Buddhist symbolism, Buddhist symbolism - Early aniconic symbols, Buddhist symbolism - The 32 signs of a Great Man, and 80 Secondary Characteristics, Buddhist symbolism - The Mudras, Buddhist symbolism - The eight auspicious symbols of Tibetan & Nepali Buddhism, Buddhist symbolism - International symbols of the World Fellowship of Buddhists

Read more here: » Buddhist symbolism: Encyclopedia II - Buddhist symbolism - The 32 signs of a Great Man, and 80 Secondary Characteristics

The Milinda Panha is another famous non-canonical Pali Buddhist text that describes the religious dialogues between the famous Indo-Greek king Menander, whose kingdom was in Sagala in today's Punjab, and a Buddhist monk called Nagasena, around 160 BCE. It is today one of the texts of reference of Theravada Buddhism. According to the Milinda Panha (I 32-35), the monk Nagasena, before his encounter with Menander, was once a student of Dharmaraksita and learnt Buddhism and reached enlightenment as an arhat under his guidance in Pa ...

See also:

Dharmaraksita, Dharmaraksita - A Greek Buddhist missionary, Dharmaraksita - Dharmaraksita and Punabbasukutumbikaputta Tissa Thera, Dharmaraksita - Dharmaraksita and the Milinda Panha, Dharmaraksita - Reference

Read more here: » Dharmaraksita: Encyclopedia II - Dharmaraksita - Dharmaraksita and the Milinda Panha