Buddhist Literature: Tripitaka: Tripitaka or Three Baskets | UPSC Civil Services (IAS)

Buddhist Literature:

Tripitaka: Tripitaka or Three Baskets is a traditional term used for various Buddhist scriptures. It is known as pali Canon in English. The three pitakas are Sutta Pitaka, Vinaya Pitaka and Abhidhamma Pitaka.
Sutta Pitaka: It contains over 10 thousand suttas or sutras related to Buddha and his close companions.This also deals with the first Buddhist council which was held shortly after Buddha’s death, dated by the majority of recent scholars around 400 BC, under the patronage of king Ajatasatru with the monk Mahakasyapa presiding, at Rajgir.
Vinaya Pitaka: The subject matter of Vinay Pitaka is the monastic rules for monks and nuns. It can also be called as Book of Discipline.
Abhidhammapitaka: It deals with the philosophy and doctrine of Buddhism appearing in the suttas.However, it does not contain the systematic philosophical treatises. There are 7 works of Abhidhamma Pitaka which most scholars agree that don’t represent the words of Buddha himself.

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