1. Dr. Jutamas Vareesangthip

2.  'Suppose a monk were to say: "Friends, I heard and
received this from the Lord's own lips: this is the
Dhamma, this is the discipline, this is the Master's
teaching", then, monks, you should neither approve nor
disapprove his words. Then, without approving or
disapproving, his words and expressions should be
carefully noted and compared with the Suttas and
reviewed in the light of the discipline. If they, on such
comparison and review, are found not to conform to the
Suttas or the discipline, the conclusion must be:
"Assuredly this is not the word of the Buddha, it has been
wrongly understood by this monk",

3.  and the matter is to be
rejected. But where on
such comparison and
review they are found to
conform to the Suttas or
the discipline, the
conclusion must be:
"Assuredly this is the word
of the Buddha, it has been
rightly understood by this
monk.“
 - DN 16 Mahāparinibbāna Sutta
- The Great Passing, The
Buddha's Last Days

4.  Before going to explain what the definition of Tipitika
is, we ought to cast a look at the language in which the
Tipitaka (Theravada) was compiled for its preservation
and language in which the Buddha bestowed the
Dhamma and the composition of Tipitika was done is
an ancient dialect called Pali or Magadhi. The word Pali
signifies only “text,” “Sacred text” and should be
regarded as a form of Magadhi, the language in which
the Buddha himself had preached.
 (Wilhelm Geiger, Pali Literature and Language)

5.  Pali was a very popularly spoken among the
Indians. In the opinion of James
Alwies, Sanskrit was no longer the vernacular
speech of the people when Buddhism arose.
Pali was one of the dialects in current use in
India. (B. C. Law, A History of Pali
Literature, P. xiii)

6.  TheBuddhist scripture or Tipitaka of
Theravada School(Hinayana) was written
on this old dialect of coinage named Pali.

7.  The Buddhist term, Tipitaka in Pali; Tripitaka in
Sanskrit while etymologically defined comes
‘Ti’, ‘Tri’ - three, ‘Pitaka’- basket containing
manuscript or traditional handing on. So together
in combination the whole word literally means
three baskets of the doctrine or the separate
divisions of Buddha’s teachings handed down from
generation to generation. The teachings of the
Buddha here symbolize the Dhamma and Vinaya
(Discipline).

8.  Of twofold teachings Dhamma and
Vinaya, Dhamma indicates to two types of
doctrine, Suttanta which is the conventional
discourses (Vohara Desana) whereas
Abhidhamma that is the discourse on ultimate
realities(Paramattha Desana). Vinaya points out to
the rules and regulation of Buddha’s monastic
Order for the sake of a holly life.

9.  Tipitaka, the three baskets; is the name for the
3 main divisions of Pali canon:
◦ the basket of discipline (vinaya Pitaka),
◦ the basket of discourses(suttanta Pitaka), and
◦ the basket of philosophy (Abhidhamma
Pitaka).(Nyanatiloka, Buddhist Dictionary, Manual of
Buddhist Terms and Doctrines, P. 333)
All the subject matter or contents of Buddha’s
teachings is available in this huge body of
Canonical Pali literature.

10.  Among these Pitakas( baskets)
of Pali canon,
◦ The first basket Vinaya Pitaka
deals with the discipline of the
Order.
◦ The Second is the Sutta-Pitaka
which is said to be a
compilation of the utterances
of the Master himself.
◦ The third is the Abhidhamma
Pitaka which deals with
philosophical discussions.
 (Dr. Chandradhar Sharma, A Critical Survey
of Indian Philosophy, P. 71)

11.  According to another classification, mentioned
by the Buddha Himself, the whole teaching is
ninefold in terms of components, namely-
 1. Sutta(Discourse) 2. Geyya (Poem) 3.
Veyyakarana (Explanation) 4. Gatha(Stanza) 5.
Udana (Emotional Utterance) 6. Itivittaka (Thus-
said discourses) 7. Jataka (Birth story) 8.
Abhutadhamma (Wonder, marvel) 9.Vedalla
(Catechism).
 (.Dr. K Sri. Dhammananda, What Buddhist Believe, P. 103)

12.  The authentic teachings of Gotama the Buddha
have been preserved and handed down to us and
are to be found in the Tipiṭaka. The Pāli word,
'Tipiṭaka', literally means 'the three baskets'
(ti=three + piṭaka=collections of scriptures). All of
the Buddha's teachings were divided into three
parts.

13.  1. The first part is known as the Vinaya Piṭaka and it
contains all the rules which Buddha laid down for
monks and nuns.
2. The second part is called the Suttaṅta Piṭaka and
it contains the Discourses.
3. The third part is known as the Abhidhamma
Piṭaka and comprises the psycho-ethical teachings
of the Buddha.

15.  It is known, that whenever the Buddha gave a
discourse to his ordained disciples or lay-followers
or prescribed a monastic rule in the course of his
forty-five year ministry, those of his devoted and
learned monks, then present would immediately
commit his teachings word for word to memory.
Thus the Buddha's words were preserved
accurately and were in due course passed down
orally from teacher to pupil.

16.  Some of the monks who had heard the Buddha
preach in person were Arahants, and so by
definition, 'pure ones' free from passion, ill-will and
delusion and therefore, was without doubt capable
of retaining, perfectly the Buddha's words. Thus
they ensured that the Buddha's teachings would be
preserved faithfully for posterity.

17.  Even those devoted monks who had not yet
attained Arahantahood but had reached the first
three stages of sainthood and had
powerful, retentive memories could also call to
mind word for word what the Buddha had
preached and so could be worthy custodians of the
Buddha's teachings. One such monk was
Ānanda, the chosen attendant and constant
companion of the Buddha during the last twenty-
five years of the his life.

18.  Ānanda was highly intelligent and gifted with the
ability to remember whatever he had heard.
Indeed, it was his express wish that the Buddha
always relate all of his discourses to him and
although he was not yet an Arahanta he
deliberately committed to memory word for word
all the Buddha's sermons with which he exhorted
monks, nuns and his lay followers.

19.  The combined efforts
of these gifted and
devoted monks
made it possible for
the Dhamma and
Vinaya, as taught by
the Buddha to be
preserved in its
original state.

20.  The Buddha had said to his disciples that when he
was no longer amongst them, that it was essential
that the Saṅgha should come together for the
purpose of collectively reciting the Dhamma,
precisely as he had taught it. In compliance with
this instruction the first Elders duly called a council
and systematically ordered all the Buddha's
discourses and monastic rules and then faithfully
recited them word for word in concert.

21.  The Pāli Tipiṭaka and its allied literature exists as a
result of the Buddha's discovery of the noble and
liberating path of the pure Dhamma. This path
enables all those who follow it to lead a peaceful
and happy life. Indeed, in this day and age we are
fortunate to have the authentic teachings of the
Buddha preserved for future generations through
the conscientious and concerted efforts of his
ordained disciples down through the ages.

22.  The teachings contained in the Tipiṭaka are also
known as the Doctrine of the Elders [Theravāda].
These discourses number several hundred and have
always been recited word for word ever since the
First Council was convened.

23.  Subsequently, more Councils have been
called for a number of reasons but at
every one of them the entire body of the
Buddha's teaching has always been
recited by the Saṅgha participants, in
concert and word for word.

24.  Perfectly Enlightened One soon after His
attainment of the Samma sambodhi under
the Bo-tree of Gaya and having been humbly
implored by the King of Devas Sakkha,
delivered the fundamental discourses of His
invaluable teachings such as Four Noble
Truth, Eight fold Noble path (middle
way),avoidance of two extremes and Non-
Substantiality.

25.  1 Dukkha - "uneasy";
"unsteady, disquieted";
unsatisfactoriness.
 2 Dukkha Samudaya -
"arising", "coming to existence"; the
origination of Dukkha.
 3 Dukkha Nirodha - to confine, release;
"control or restraint"; the cessation of
Dukkha.
 4 Dukkha Nirodha Gamini Patipada -
Gamini: leading to, making for -
Patipada: road, path, way; the means of
reaching a goal or destination - The way
of practice leading to the cessation of

26. 1. Right View(sammā-diṭṭhi) Wisdom
(Sanskrit: prajñā,
2. Right Intention (sammā sankappa) Pāli: paññā)
3. Right Speech (sammā-vācā)
Ethical Conduct
4. Right Action( sammā-kammanta)
(Sanskrit: śīla, Pāli: sīla)
5. Right Livelihood(sammā-ājīva)
6. Right Effort(sammā-vāyāma)
Mental Development
7. Right Mindfulness ( sammā-sati)
(Sanskrit and Pāli: samādhi)
8. Right Concentration( sammā-
samādhi)

27.  And throughout His Noble life after the
enlightenment, the Buddha in various ways
preached and propagated His doctrine (Dhamma) of
completely unique character for the emancipation
( freedom) from inevitable suffering of life. Thus he
was obviously successful in making people
understand the truth of life and helped many to be
liberated and to attain the Supreme Bliss of
Nibbana eradicating the so-called defilements.

28.  There could be several significant reasons for
the teachings of Buddha to be compiled into
collections (Pitaka) in order to prevent true
doctrine from being submerged into false
doctrines(A. K Warder, Indian Buddhism, P.195)
both during the life time and after the Great
Demise (Mahaparinibbana) of the Awakened
One.

29.  During His life time of Forty-five- year of
noble dispensation, many Brahmins rebuked
the Buddha not realizing the essence of His
teachings and even some of his foolish
disciples (Mogha purisa) misinterpreted his
doctrines not being able to precisely
understand its nature.

30.  Two of the more
prominent of these
instances are recorded in
Majjhima Nikaya. The
first was the statement
by a monk named
Arittha that the
pleasures of the
sense, according to the
Buddha, are not
‘stumbling blocks’
(antarayika Dhamma).

31.  The other was the case of the monk Sati who insisted that
in the Buddha’s teachings, it is the consciousness that
transmigrates and not something else.(Davia J.
kalupahana, Buddhist Philosophy, A Historical Analysis, P. 93) So the Buddha
seeing danger in it to the authenticity of his doctrine
immediately took steps to instruct them proper way and
exterminated such wrong beliefs in them.

32.  Soon after the Final Extinction of Buddha, an
old monk named Subhadda addressed the
monks saying ‘Enough, your reverences, do
not grieve, do not lament (Grief or sorrow ), we are
well rid of this great recluse.

33.  We were worried
when he said: “This
is allowable to you;
this is not allowable
to you.” But now we
will be able to do as
we like and we
won’t do what we
do not like.’

34.  “Come, let us, your reverences, chant dhamma
and discipline before what is not Dhamma shines
out and Dhamma is withheld, before what is not
discipline shines out and discipline is withheld,
before those who speak what is not-Dhamma
become strong and those who speak Dhamma
become feeble, before those who speak what is
not discipline become strong and those who
speak discipline become feeble.”(. I. B. Horner.
MA,(Trns) The book of The Discipline (Cullavagga), Vol.5, P. 394)

35.  The Enlightened One knew that some kind of
disagreement might happen after His passing
away as he witnessed the schism(division or
separation among Buddhist monks) and conflict
took place among the followers of the Jain
leader Nigantha Nataputta following his
death. So He, on certain occasion, as
mentioned in Pasadika Sutta, advised novice
Cunda how to deal with schism in his
dispensation in a peaceful manner declaring:

36.  “Wherefore, Cunda, do you, to whom I have
made known the truths that I have perceived,
come together in company and rehearse all of
you together those doctrines and quarrel not over
them, but compare the meaning with meaning,
phrase with phrase, in order that this true
doctrine may last long and be perpetuated
(continued, prolong), in order that it may continue to
be for the good and happiness of great multitude;
out of love for the world, to the good and gain
and weal of goods and men.”(T.W.Rhys Davids &
J.E.Carpenter, Digha Nikaya, Vol 3,PTS, P. 127)

37.  On his death-bed the
Awakened One, as
mentioned in
Mahapari nibbana
Sutta, gave guideline
to venerable
Ananda, if they would
require any teacher
after his passing
away, who that would
be. He manifestly
made it clear in his

38.  “Now, Ananda, if it occurs to any of you
– The teaching has lost his authority; we
are without a teacher – do not view it in
that way. Whatever Dhamma and
Vinaya I have pointed out and
formulated for you, that will be your
Teacher when I am gone.”(Maurice Walshe,
Digha Nikaya, S.16)

39.  These certainly would have induced the monks to
collect all the discourses preached by the Buddha
even during his life time. But the necessity for
doing this was felt even more strongly after the
Buddha’s death, and for this reason the task of
collecting the discourses delivered by him to
various people at different times at different places
was carried out with unabated enthusiasm.(David J.
kalupahana, Buddhist Philosophy, P. 94)

40.  Thus venerable Mahakassapa the Great was
the one who first took steps to summon all the
monks in a friendly manner and to convene
(gather) in an assembly to compile the
discourses given by Buddha for the
conservation of its pristine (original) purity. The
Tipitaka for the first three councils was actually
compiled in an oral tradition of memorization
as there was no writing system at that time.