Pali Canon
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Buddhists call the Pali Canon the ‘Tipitaka’ –
this means ‘3 baskets’ (pitaka = basket). This is because it was originally
recorded on palm leaves and kept in separate baskets. However, it was not
instantly written down at the time of the Buddha, as the Ancient Indian climate
made it impossible to preserve writings for a long time.
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The Pali Canon was composed in North
India and was preserved orally until it was committed to writing during
the Fourth Buddhist Council in Sri Lanka in 29 BCE,
approximately 454 years after the death of Gautama Buddha. It was complied
by members of the monastic Sangha. The memorization was enforced by regular
communal recitations.
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The Vinaya Pitaka - Tells monastic members of the Sangha (Buddhist Community) what counts as
offensive behaviour. 227 rules –
4 rules that if broken equal expulsion from the Sangha (sexual intercourse,
theft, murder, falsely claiming supernatural powers). There are more rules for
women as the conduct of nuns is stricter. It explains how monks should organise their community: e.g. they must
meet every fortnight for the Uposatha ceremony, where they recite all 227 rules
(add to glossary). It explains how people should enter the order of monks.
Guide for monastic life: how they
should dress, what they should eat/drink, what objects they are allowed to own.
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Sutta Pitaka - The Sutta Pitaka is a collection of the Buddha’s sermons and the
teachings provided by later Buddhist monks who were highly respected. It is a guide of morality and ethics and is
concerned with how Buddhists should behave – teaches on key beliefs like
vegetarianism, peacefulness. It
gives practical advice for practises like meditation (includes teachings that
the Buddha gave to Rahula, his son). Gives information about the Buddha’s experiences: e.g. his experience of
gaining enlightenment which people can apply to their own lives.
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Adhidharma
Pitaka - Mostly used to formally educate monks in Buddhist teaching. Its main
role is to protect Buddhist doctrine and help Buddhists to avoid heresy (belief or
opinion contrary to orthodox religious doctrine). It tried to explain complicated Buddhist
concepts more clearly: e.g. the nature of anatta. It guides Buddhist teachers on the different
types of human personality, this is useful for teaching meditation techniques
(e.g. people motivated by love, hatred, intellect, tanha, etc.) It explains the
different views of Buddhist doctrine and asserts that the Theravada
(traditional Indian sangha/oldest branch of Buddhism) hold the correct view.
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There is debate as to whether the Pali Canon is
an authority for Buddhists. It is certainly not the only authority for Mahayana
Buddhists who also believe in the Lotus Sutra and other Sutras that the Buddha
delivered after his death. However M.D. Eckel argues that Buddhists texts such
as the Pali Canon are authoritative for Buddhists like the Theravada sect “not
only because it provides a record of the Buddha's teaching but because it
provides access, in a certain sense, to the Buddha himself”. Eckel, 'Understanding
Buddhism‘.
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The accuracy of the Pali Canon is subject to
debate: Some argue that it is not accurate as the Pali Canon was not written down until at least 5 centuries after the
death of the Buddha, it is impossible to know if the teachings were changed by
the oral tradition or if mistakes were make in the recording. It is difficult
to accurately date the episodes mentioned in the Pali Canon because the dates
of the Buddha’s life remain unknown by scholars – this makes it historically
inaccurate. Others argue that it is accurate because the key teachings of the
Buddha were memorised by monks and transmitted orally before being written
down: the content can therefore be traced back to the Buddha himself. It
contains some of the oldest written episodes of the Buddha’s life: for example
the Vinaya Pitaka contains the Mahavastu, which records lots of biographical episodes
and connects presents them together (examples include the seeing of the 4
sights, gaining enlightement), this gives it historical credibility. Theravada
Buddhists may argue that Mahayana Buddhists believe that the ‘higher teaching’
of the Buddha was delivered in secret by supernatural beings when he had
entered pari-nirvana, so the teachings in their text do not always come from
Gautama himself.
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Many would argue that the argument about the
accuracy of the Pali Canon is irrelevant to Buddhists today because Buddhism is
a personal experience, and the most important thing is how an individual
understands the concepts of Buddhism, regardless of whether the text that is
helping them to do that is completely accurate or not. The Buddha himself said
that “he who sees me sees the dharma.” This shows that Buddhist teachings can
be understood in an individual way.
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The Pali Canon is used by Buddhists in their
daily life in many ways – monks may dedicate their whole lives to copying out
the Pali Canon meticulously, or to preaching from the Pali Canon to the laity. Most lay followers are unlikely to sit and
read the Pali Canon in its entirety. Some may never read the text in their
lives. Laypeople mostly learn
the teachings through them being passed on by monks who have studied it.
Some parts are well known by everyone,
e.g. stories of the Buddha’s life. Children’s stories: Jataka tales of the
Buddha’s past life. Theravada Buddhists believe that reciting certain passages
in times of trouble will offer them protection – e.g. the Angulimala Sutta is
recited to protect women in childbirth. Reciting the Pali Canon takes place in
worship for monks and lay people (Uposaka for monks, taking refuge/making a
commitment for laity). Old
copies are treated with reverence: e.g. were buried in stupas (ancient Buddhist
monuments) which are places of Buddhist worship.
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