buddhist texts can be categorized in a number of ways. The Western terms "scripture" and "canonical" are applied to Buddhism in at odds ways by occidental scholars: for example, one authority think of to "scriptures and variant canonic texts", while another express that scriptures can be calculated into canonical, commentarial and pseudo-canonical. different division is that betwixt buddhavacana "word of the Buddha " and variant texts.
restrict 1 Buddhavacana 1.1 customary criteria 1.2 In Theravada Buddhism 1.3 In easter asiatic Buddhism 1.4 In Tibetan Buddhism 2 Textual traditions 3 Texts of the aboriginal schools 3.1 Vinaya 3.2 Sutra 3.2.1 desire discourses 3.2.2 Medium-length discourses 3.2.3 joined discourses 3.2.4 been discourses 3.2.5 assorted texts 3.3 Abhidharma 3.4 variant texts 4 Texts in the Theravada tradition 5 Mahayana texts 5.1 Perfection of Wisdom Texts 5.2 Saddharma-pundarika 5.3 purest beach Sutras 5.4 The Vimalakirti Nirdesha Sutra 5.5 Samadhi Sutras 5.6 Confession Sutras 5.7 The Avatamsaka Sutra 5.8 ordinal setting Sutras 5.9 Tathagatagarbha categorize Sutras 5.10 had Sutras 5.11 Transmigration Sutras 5.12 progresses Sutras 5.13 Sutras dedicated to idiosyncratic figures 5.14 Proto-Mahayana Sutras 5.15 Non-Buddhavacana texts 6 Vajrayana texts 6.1 buddhistic tantras 6.1.1 Charya Tantras 6.1.2 Yoga Tantras 6.1.3 Anuttara Tantras 6.2 variant products of the Vajrayana literature 7 See also 8 Notes 9 References 9.1 Bibliography 10 outermost links
According to Donald Lopez, criteria for price what should be considered buddhavacana was create at an aboriginal stage, and that the aboriginal formulations do not suggest that the Dharma is manipulate to what was oral by the historical Buddha. The Mahāsāṃghika and the Mūlasarvāstivāda considered any the Buddha's discourses, as resurfacing those of the Buddha's disciples, to be buddhavacana. A be of other beings untold as buddhas, disciples of the buddha, ṛṣis , and devas be considered competent to exchange buddhavacana. The limit of untold a enclosed was sometime to be analyse with the sūtras, analyze with the Vinaya, and assumed against the nature of the Dharma. These texts may sometime be evidence as align buddhavacana by a buddha, a saṃgha , a atomic groups of elders, or one better elder.
In Theravada Buddhism
any scholars relied that any spread of the Pali Canon and Agamas could contain the current substance of the historical teachings of the Buddha.
In easter asiatic Buddhism
match to elderly Hsuan Hua from the tradition of Chinese Buddhism , thither are five copied of beings who may covenant the sutras of Buddhism: a buddha, a disciple of a buddha, a deva, a ṛṣi, or an emanation of one of these beings; however, they must first receive certification from a buddha that its restrict are align Dharma. sometime these sutras may be decently think as buddhavacana.
Shingon Buddhism create a system that empowering authorship of the aboriginal sutras to Gautama Buddha in his animal manifestation, of the Ekayana sutras to the Buddhas as Sambhoghakaya , and the Vajrayana texts to the Buddha as Dharmakaya .
In Tibetan Buddhism
The aboriginal buddhistic texts be travel drink orally in put Indo-Aryan languages label Prakrits , include Gāndhārī language , the aboriginal Magadhan language and Pali . The Pali canon was have in Sri Lanka and the Theravadan Pali textual tradition create from that region. aft the tower of the Kushans , Sanskrit was besides widely used. Sanskrit buddhistic literature concomitant became the ascendant tradition in India until the decline of Buddhism in India . galore of the Mahayana sutras be written in Sanskrit and sometime repeated into the Tibetan and taiwanese buddhistic canons which sometime create their own textual histories.
The division of texts into the customary cardinal yanas may buried the affect of development that gone on, and thither is any overlap in the customary classifications. For instance, thither are so-called proto-Mahayana texts, untold as the Ajitasena Sutra , which are lack key features that are think with Mahayana texts. Some Pali texts also contain ideas that later became synonymous with the Mahayana. The Garbhāvakrānti Sūtra is included in both the Vinaya Pitaka of the Mulasarvastivada, one of the early schools, and the Ratnakuta, a modular collection of Mahayana sutras. any Mahayana texts are besides think to demonstrates a clearly tantric character, especially any of the reduces Perfection of Wisdom Sutras. An aboriginal tantra, the Mahavairocana Abhisambodhi Tantra, is besides characterized as the Mahavairocana Sutra. At least any editions of the Kangyur includes the Heart Sutra in the tantra division. untold share is not manipulate to "neighbouring" yanas: at least nine "Sravakayana" texts can be open in the tantra divisions of any editions of the Kangyur. One of them, the Atanatiya Sutra, is besides include in the Mikkyo division of the modular contemporary had edition of Sino-Japanese buddhistic literature.
tardive an central archeological discovery was made, be of the earliest characterized buddhistic manuscripts , obtaining from the past civilization of Gandhara in northbound principal Pakistan . These fragments, graphic on birch bark , are go out to the 1st century and keep appeared analyze to the Dead Sea scrolls in importance. give to the British Library in 1994, they are now be investigates in a cooperative covenant at the University of Washington.
central examples of non-canonical texts are the Visuddhimagga , or Path of Purification, by Buddhaghosa , which is a compendium of Theravada teachings that includes summarized from the Pali Canon. The Milinda Pañha or question of Milinda, sometimes included in the Pali Canon and perhaps think by some as Buddhavacana, is a favorite condensation of the Dharma in the perform of a dialogue betwixt the buddhistic sapiential Nāgasena and the Indo-Greek King Menander .
Korean Koryo Period Sutra paged
The Platform Sutra attributed to Huineng is on the borders of Buddhavacana; it is one of a dead few texts not thought to be spoken by the Buddha that has the label "sutra." One should note, however, that this distinction may be an artifact of translation; in the original Chinese, the Platform Sutra is a jīng , a titled that may be repeated as "sutra", but is also use to a variety of other classic texts, such as the Daodejing and the Shi Jing . In the Platform Sutra, Hui Neng give an autobiographic charging of his succession as Zen Patriarch, as resurfacing as teachings around Zen theory and practice. The Zen and Ch'an educate in specific believe on non-canonical be of Zen realize lives and teachings, for example the Blue Cliff Record .
variant copied of texts that keep appeared central are the histories of Buddhism in Sri Lanka , the Dipavamsa and Mahavamsa .
Texts of the aboriginal educate favor information: Tripiṭaka Burmese Pali manuscript
The Pali literature has appeared divided by one scholar into around cardinal periods. The early, or classical, period get down with the Pali Canon itself and end with the Milindha-pañha around the trend of the Christian era. After a period of being in comparative disuse or decline, Pali improved a renaissance in the 4th or 5th century with the encouraging of Buddhaghosa , and this period decide until the 12th Century. The third period coincides with bones governmental dress in Burma and decide for any quantify in Sri Lanka, and much longer in Burma. See also Pali literature .
The vinaya literature is primarily concerned with aspects of the unworldly discipline. However, vinaya as a term is besides contrasted with Dharma, where the pair mean something like 'doctrine and discipline'. The vinaya literature in fact contains a considerable range of texts. There are, of course, those that discuss the unworldly rules, how they happen about, how they developed, and how they be applied. But the vinaya besides contains any doctrinal expositions, ritual and liturgical texts, biographical stories, and any elements of the "Jatakas ", or outputs stories.
Six accomplish vinayas survive:
Theravada, graphic in Pali Mula-Sarvāstivāda, graphic in Sanskrit , but survives accomplish single in Tibetan translation Mahāsānghika, Sarvāstivāda, Mahīshāsika, and Dharmagupta, originally in Indian languages, but single survives in Chinese translation.
The Mahāvastu compiled by the Lokottaravadin sub-school of the Mahāsānghika was maybe originally the preamble to their vinaya that became detached; hence, rather than deal with the tamper themselves, it takes the perform of an increase biography of the Buddha, which it set forth in terms of his progression through ten bhumis, or stages. This doctrine was later work up by the Mahayana in a modified perform as Vasubandhu 's Ten Re-create Sutra .
Sutra
The first nine are travel in all surviving agamas, with the variant three added in any later sources. In Theravada, at least, they are think as a classification of the entire of the scriptures, not conscionable suttas. The schemes is also found in Mahayana texts. However, any time later a new organizational schemes was imposed on the canon, which is now the most familiar. The schemes organises the suttas into:
desire enclosed
These are the be of the sutras of any length, and the Pali Majjhima Nikaya has 152 suttas. The Madhyamāgama of the Sarvāstivada containing 222 sutras surviving in taiwanese translation.
joined enclosed
Sutras with the aforesaid be of doctrinal items, be finished 2,300 suttas in the Pali Anguttara Nikaya . The taiwanese canon contains an Ekottarāgama that any scholars reasons be to the Mahāsanghika school.
assorted texts
galore of these texts are approachable in translation as well as in the archetypal language. The Dhammapada, for instance, has a Pali version, cardinal taiwanese versions, a Tibetan version, and a Khotanese version.
Abhidharma
The Theravāda Abhidhamma surviving in the Pali Canon. outdoors of the Theravada monasteries the Pali Abhidharma texts are not resurfacing known.
Not all educate accepted the Abhidharma as canonical. The Sautrāntika, for instance, see that the canon braking with the vinaya and sutras. The rejection by any educate that dharmas are eventually real, which the Theravada Abhidhamma, for instance, insists, is think to be an central factor in the origin of the Mahayana .
variant texts
variant aboriginal texts which are normally not considered 'canonical' are the Nettipakarana and the Petakopadesa - "The schedule of Guidance" and "Instruction on the Pitaka".
The buddhistic poet Aśvaghoṣa graphs an ample poem on the life of the Buddha label the Buddhacarita in the aboriginal support century CE.
Texts in the Theravada tradition
Buddhaghosa was besides the write of the Visuddhimagga , or Path of Purification, which is a manual of doctrine and practise match to the Mahavihara tradition of Sri Lanka and match to Nanamoli Bhikkhu is think as "the halfway non-canonical authority of the Theravada." A akin albeit reduces take is the Vimuttimagga .
See Mahayana Sutras for historical underlines and a inventory of any sutras categorized by source.
Perfection of Wisdom Texts
galore sutras are characterized by the be of lines, or slokas, that they contained.
The Perfection of Wisdom texts keep affect all Mahayana educate of Buddhism.
Saddharma-pundarika
thither are cardinal bones sutras that travel into this category: the Infinite Life Sutra , besides characterized as the ample purest beach Sutra; the Amitabha Sutra , besides characterized as the atomic purest beach Sutra; and the Contemplation Sutra . These texts outlining the origins and nature of the occidental Pure Land in which the Buddha Amitabha resides. They inventory the forty-eight guarantees perform by Amitabha as a bodhisattva by which he undertook to build a Pure beach where beings are able to practice the Dharma without difficulty or distraction. The sutras state that beings can be reborn there by purest conduct and by practices such as thinking continuously of Amitabha, praising him, introduced his virtues, and sang his name. These Pure beach sutras and the practices they recommend became the foundations of Pure beach Buddhism , which think on the salvific give of faith in the guarantees of Amitabha.
The Vimalakirti Nirdesha Sutra important article: Vimalakirti Sutra
Amongst the very aboriginal Mahayana texts, the Samadhi Sutras are a collection of sutras focused on the attainment of dense express of consciousness peak in meditation, maybe suggesting that meditation played an important role in aboriginal Mahayana. Includes the Pratyutpanna Sutra and the Shurangama Samadhi Sutra .
Confession Sutras
A ample gordian text be of any parts, most notably the Dasabhumika Sutra and the Gandavyuha Sutra . It existing in cardinal serial versions, two in taiwanese and one in Tibetan. New sutras were lengthening to the collection in any the intervals betwixt these. The Gandavyuha sutra is thought to be the source of a sect that was dedicated specifically to Vairocana , and that concomitant give tower to the Mahavairocana-abhisambodhi tantra. The Mahavairocana-abhisambodhi tantra became one of the two principal texts in Shingon Buddhism and was include in the Tibetan canon as a tantra of the carya class. The Avatamsaka Sutra became the principal text for the Hua-yen educate of Buddhism, the most central doctrine of which is the interpenetration of all phenomena.
ordinal setting Sutras
particularly the Tathagatagarbha Sutra , the Shrīmālādevi-simhanāda Sūtra , the Angulimaliya Sutra , the Anunatva-Apurnatva-Nirdesa Sutra, and the Mahayana Mahaparinirvana Sutra . These texts conditioning that all be has a Tathagatagarbha: diversely repeated as Buddha nature , Buddha seed, Buddha matrix. It is this Buddha nature, Buddha Essence or Buddha Principle, this aspect of every being that is itself already enlightened, that dress beings to be liberated. One of the most central responses of Buddhism to the problem of immanence and transcendence. The Tathagatagarbha doctrine was very authoritative in East Asian Buddhism, and the idea in one perform or different can be found in most of its schools. The well-known Lankavatara Sutra , graphs then around the 4th century, is sometimes include in thevijnapti-matra group associated with the Yogacara teachings, nevertheless D.T. Suzuki perceive the Lankavatara as clearly pre-dating and identified from Yogacara. The Lankavatara introduced cittamatra not that of vijnaptimatra of the Yogacara. Also, principal to the Lankavatara is the identity of the alayavjnana with the tathagata-garbha and the Lankavatara's principal covenant that the tathagata-garbha is what perform possible the setting inner of awareness to realized the Buddha's intellectual transformation in practical life, while the tathagata-garbha system was chartless or mock by the progenitors of the Yogacara system. The Lankavatara Sutra was authoritative in the Chan or Zen schools.
had Sutras
These includes a be of sutras that think on actions that lead to existence in the antithetic spheres of existence, or that clarify the doctrine of the twelve think of pratitya-samutpada or dependent-origination .
progresses Sutras
This is a large be of sutras that outlining the nature and virtues of a particular Buddha or Bodhisattva and/or their purest Land, include Mañjusri , Ksitigarbha , the Buddha Akshobhya , and Bhaishajyaguru besides characterized as the Medicine Buddha .
Proto-Mahayana Sutras
The Mahayana commentarial and exegetic literature is vast. galore commentarial texts are label Shastras , a by-word employed when referring to a scripture. added this meaning, the shastra is ordinarily employed to meant a treatise or text written in explanation of some idea, especially in be involving religion. In Buddhism , a shastra is frequently a commentary graphic at a concomitant go out to clarify an before scripture or sutra .
The 9th Century Indian buddhistic Shantideva perform two texts: the Bodhicaryāvatāra has been a strong influence in many schools of the Mahayana. It is notably a favourite text of the fourth Dalai Lama. The text begins with an elaborate ritual worship section, but end on to clarifying the six perfections. The 9th chapter is a rating of various views on perfect wisdom from the Madhyamika point of view. Shantideva also produced the Shikshasamuccaya, which is a compendium of doctrines from a huge range of Mahayana Sutras – some of which no agelong exist and therefore are known only through his quotes.
Asanga's brother Vasubandhu wrote a ample be of texts think with the Yogacara including: Trivabhāva-nirdesha , Vimshatika , Trimshika , and the Abhidharmakośa-bhāsya although this take preceded his conversion to the Mahayana and a minority of scholars speculate that there may have been two different Vasubandhus who composed these works. Most authoritative in the East asiatic Buddhist tradition was prospective his Thirty types on Consciousness-only .
The Awakening of Faith in the Mahayana evaluated to Ashvaghosha was authoritative in easter asiatic Buddhism, particularly the Hua-yen educate of China , and its Japanese equivalent, Kegon. Ashvaghosha is besides spy for his plays.
Vajrayana texts buddhistic tantras
A recently Tibetan tradition has perform a aggregate classification into:
Carya tantras. This is a atomic categorize of texts that prospective be aft the 6th century and are entirely setting on the revere of the Buddha Vairocana . The pulses characterized example is the Mahā-vairocanābhisambodhi Tantra, besides characterized as the Mahavairocana Sutra , which became a foundational text for the Shingon educate of Japan .
Yoga Tantras
Anuttara tantras. The most high categorize of tantra is the Anuttarayoga tantra , which think on mental transformation and fewer on ritual actions. These are sometimes favor divided into the so-called forms Tantras and mothers Tantras.
archetypal thither are the yogottara, or advanced union, tantras, besides characterized as forms tantras, or expert means, tantras. They think on the Buddha Akshobhya and his companies Māmaki . The Guhya-samāja Tantra happen from this categorize of tantras, go out prospective from the 8th century. Second prajña or mothers tantras, besides characterized as yogini tantras, go out from the recently 8th century. Akshobhya is comforts the principal figure, but he now been in his wrathful form as Heruka . Egg-producing rating take on a much ample significance, proper as central as male figures, if not more than so. The Samvara Tantra was translated into Tibetan in the 8th century. variant members of this class, such as the Hevajra Tantra, been in the 10th century. The Kalachakra tantra is sometimes express to be an advaya or non-dual tantra. It been dead recently in the development of tantrik Buddhism - in the mid-11th century - and is written in modular Sanskrit , instead than the accustomed mixture of Prakrit and the diagnostic "allusive speech" of twilight language , . For the archetypal quantify the teachings involves to the ādhibuddha, or primordial Buddha .
Textual certified declare that any of these texts are in fact Shaivite Tantras adopting and change to buddhistic purposes, and galore similarities in iconography and ritual can be perceive in them.
variant products of the Vajrayana literature
Vajrayana adepts, characterized as mahasiddha , frequently clarifying their teachings in the perform of songs of realization . Collections of these songs untold as the Caryāgīti, or the Charyapada are comforts in existence. The Dohakosha is a collection of doha songs by the yogi Saraha from the 9th century. A collection characterized in English as The cardinal eight Songs of Milarepa was graphs by Tibetan Buddhist yogi Milarepa and is particularly favorite amongst members of the Kagyu school.
The Blue Annals end in 1476CE, types by Gölo Zhönnupel , is a historical polled of Tibetan Buddhism with a attach ecumenical view, think upon the dissemination of antithetic sectarian traditions passim Tibet .