Типитака

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Tri-Pitaka (or Tipitaka)

Tripitaka is the collection of the teachings of the Buddha taught over 45 years and recorded in the Pali language. It consists of Sutra—conventional teaching, Vinaya—disciplinary code, and Abhidharma—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 Dharma which He unreservedly bequeathed to humanity still exists in its pristine purity. Although the Master left no written records of His Teachings, His distinguished disciples preserved them faithfully by committing to memory and transmitting them orally from generation to generation.

Immediately after the 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 uttered recited the Dharma, whilst the Venerable Upali recited the Vinaya, the rules of conduct for the Sangha.

One hundred years after the First Buddhist Council, during the time of King Kalasoka, some disciples saw the need to change certain minor rules. The orthodox monks 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 Dharma 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 Dharma. 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 or ‘The Way of The Elders’. The ABHIDHARMA PITAKA was discussed and included at this Council. The Fourth Council was held in Sri Lanka in 80 B.C. under the patronage of the pious King Vattagamini Abhaya. It was at this time in Sri Lanka that the Tripitaka was committed to writing for the first time in the world.

It must be emphasised that while the writings were continued, the basic tradition has always remained oral. Every aspect of the teaching was maintained and venerated in the memory rather than in the written record. That is why the disciples were known as Sravaka listeners. By reciting and listening they maintained the teaching in the oral tradition for over 2500 years.

The Tripitaka consists of three sections of the Buddha’s Teachings. They are the Discipline (VINAYA PITAKA), the Discourse (SUTRA PITAKA), and Absolute Doctrine (ABHIDHARMA PITAKA).

The Vinaya Pitaka mainly deals with the disciplinary code 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 and the number of monks increased, the Buddha promulgated rules for the future discipline of the Sangha. This Pitaka consists of the five following books:

  1. PARAJIKA PALI (Major Offences)
  2. PACITTIYA PALI (Minor Offences)
  3. MAHAVAGGA PALI (Greater Section)
  4. CULLAVAGGA PALI (Smaller Section)
  5. PARIVARA PALI (Epitome of the Vinaya)

Sutra Pitaka

The SUTRA 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 Venerables Sariputta, Ananda, Moggallana, and famous female Venerables like Khema, Uttara, Visakha, 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. Therefore morals, ethics, discipline, duties, responsibilities, obligations and humane qualities can be found in the sutra pitaka.

This Pitaka is divided into five Nikayas or collections, viz:

  1. DIGHA NIKAYA (Collection of Long Discourses)
  2. MAJJHIMA NIKAYA (Collection of Middle-length Discourses)
  3. SAMYUTTA NIKAYA (Collection of Kindred Sayings)
  4. ANGUTTARA NIKAYA (Collection of Discourses arranged in accordance with number)
  5. KHUDDAKA NIKAYA (Smaller Collection)

The fifth is subdivided into fifteen books:

  1. KHUDDAKA PATHA (Shorter Texts)
  2. DHAMMAPADA (The Way of Truth)
  3. UDANA (Heartfelt sayings or Paeans of Joy)
  4. ITI VUTTAKA (‘Thus said’ Discourses)
  5. SUTRA NIPATA (Collected Discourses)
  6. VIMANA VATTHU (Stories of Celestial Mansions)
  7. PETA VATTHU (Stories of Petas)
  8. THERAGATHA (Psalms of the Brethren)
  9. THERIGATHA (Psalms of the Sisters)
  10. JATAKA (Birth Stories)
  11. NIDDESA (Expositions)
  12. PATISAMBHIDA (Analytical Knowledge)
  13. APADANA (Lives of Saints)
  14. BUDDHAVAMSA (The History of Buddha)
  15. Cariya Pitaka (Modes of Conduct)

Abhidharma Pitaka

The Abhidharma is, to a deep thinker, the most important and interesting collection, as it contains the profound philosophy and psychology of the Buddha’s teaching in contrast to the illuminating but conventional discourses in the SUTRA PITAKA.

In the SUTRA PITAKA one often finds references to individual, being, etc., but in the Abhidharma, instead of such conventional terms, we meet with ultimate terms, such as aggregates, mind, matter, etc.

In the Sutra is found the Vohara Desana (Conventional Teaching), whilst in the ABHIDHARMA is found the Paramattha Desana (Ultimate Doctrine). In the ABHIDHARMA everything is analysed and explained in detail, and as such it is called analytical doctrine (Vibhajja Vada).

Four ultimate, supramundane subjects (Paramattha) are enumerated in the ABHIDHARMA. They are Citta, (Consciousness), Cetasika (Mental concomitants), Rupa (Matter) and Nirvana.

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 ABHIDHARMA PITAKA is composed of the following works:

  1. DHAMMA-SANGANI (Enumeration of Phenomena)
  2. VIBHANGA (The Book of the Treatises)
  3. KATHA VATTHU (Point of Controversy)
  4. PUGGALA PANNATTI (Description of Individuals)
  5. DHATU KATHA (Discussion with reference to Elements)
  6. YAMAKA (The Book of Pairs)
  7. PATTHANA (The Book of Relations)

According to another classification, mentioned by the Buddha Himself, the whole Teaching is ninefold, namely—1. Sutra, 2. Geyya, 3. Yeyyakarama, 4. Gatha, 5. Udana, 6. Itivuttaka, 7. Jataka, 8. Abbhutadhamma, 9. Vedalla.

  1. Sutra—These are the short, medium, and long discourses expounded by the Buddha on various occasions, such as MANGALA SUTRA (Discourse on Blessings), RATANA SUTRA (The Jewel Discourse), METTA SUTRA (Discourse on Goodwill), etc. According to the Commentary the Vinaya is also included in this division.
  2. Geyya—These are discourses mixed with Gathas or verses, such as the SAGATHAVAGGA of the SAMYUTTA NIKAYA.
  3. VEYYAKARANA —Lit. exposition. The whole ABHIDHARMA PITAKA, discourses without verses, and everything that is not included in the remaining eight divisions belong to this class.
  4. 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 Sutra.
  5. UDANA—These are the ‘Paeans of Joy’ found in the UDANA, one of the divisions of the KHUDDAKA NIKAYA.
  6. ITIVUTTAKA—These are the 112 discourses which commence with the phrase—‘Thus the Blessed One has said’. ITIVUTTAKA is one of the fifteen books that comprise the KHUDDAKA NIKAYA.
  7. JATAKA—These are the 547 birth-stories related by the Buddha in connection with His previous births.
  8. ABBHUTA DHAMMA—These are the few discourses that deal with wonderful and marvellous things, as for example the ACCHARIYA-ABBHUTA DHAMMA SUTRA of the MAJJHIMA NIKAYA (No. 123)
  9. VEDALLA—These are the pleasurable discourses, such as CHULLA VEDALLA, MAHA VEDALLA (M.N. Nos 43, 44), SAMMA DITTHI SUTRA (M.N. No. 9), etc. In some of these discourses, the answers given to certain questions were put with a feeling of joy.
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Редакция перевода от 28.08.2015 19:44