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A Summary of the Major Text Divisions:
The Vinaya Pitaka: is concerned with the rules
of discipline governing the order of monks and nuns.
It is divided into three sections:
• 1)
Suttavibhanga: detailing the 227 rules for monks and the equivalent
rules for nuns.
• 2) Khandhaka: rules of community
adjudication.
• 3)Parivara: a summary of rules
as a catechism (added later).
The Sutta-pitaka: A vast collection, containing
many of the Buddha’s discourses, and teachings in general.
It is divided into five major sections
called ‘nikaya'.
• 1)
Digha-nikaya - divided into three sub-sections called 'vagga'
1. silakkhandha vagga (13 suttas)-
deals extensively with various types of morality.
2. mahavagga (10 suttas) - deals
largely with historical and biographical aspects. Contains the Mahaparinibbana-sutta
and the Mahasatipatthana-sutta.
3. Pathika vagga ( 11 suttas)
- a miscellaneous collection.
• 2)
Majjhima-nikaya - fifteen vagga, 152 suttas. This section is felt
to contain the core teachings. Shows the social, economic & political
life of those days.
• 3)
Samyutta-nikaya - five vaggas, sub-divided into 56 samyuttas. About
3000 suttas in total.
1. sagatha vagga - grouped according
to the characters appearing in them, e.g. the king of the devas, Brahma,
Mara, King of Kosala.
2. nidana vagga - deals with
fundamental aspects of the doctrine, notably 'paticcasamuppada', (dependant
origination).
3. khandha vagga - on the 5 aggregates.
There is also important discussion on 'atta' and 'anatta', the teaching
on the impersonality of all existance.
4. salayatana vagga - ayatana
= 'base' or 'source' on which the mental processes depend. 12 in all
(i.e. five physical senses and mind with their respective objects).
5. maha vagga - The titles of
the12 samyuttas clearly indicate the subject. E.g. the eightfold path,
7 factors of enlightenment, 4 foundations of mindfulness, 5 spiritual
faculties, 4 roads to power, 5 powers, 4 noble truths, etc.
• 4)
Anguttara-nikaya - Eleven major groupings called 'nipatas', sub-divided
into vagga, and again sub-divided into suttas. A total of 2,308 suttas
in all. A progressive numerical collection, one's up to eleven's.
• 5)
Khuddaka-nikaya - this nikaya appears to have grown up gradually after
the older nikayas were closed, and was probably incorporated into
the canon later.
The Abhidhamma-pitaka: A philosophical, psychological
treatment of the dhamma consisting of seven works which are a systematic
exposition of the whole of the works found in the Sutta-pitaka. During
the third council at Pataliputta (Patna) in 253 BC under the patronage
of Emperor Asoka much scholastic work was added and in the course
of the next two centuries this led to what we now call the Abhidhamma.
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