Scripture

• how are scriptures viewed in Buddhism

  - no requirement as a householder to red scriptures as the religion is more about living the teachings and leading an ethical life

  - scriptures are more important to monastics

  - there's no emphasis on scriptures in Buddhism, no religious experience coming from them etc. like in Abrahamic traditions

  - Buddhists are encouraged to critically assess the scriptures and not accept anything blindly or as absolute truths

  - however scriptures have authority as they preserve the word and wisdom of the Buddha; could be considered as revealed as through them the Dharma can be seen through the teachings of the Buddha
• what is the Pali-Cannon


  - written in Pali in Sri Lanka on palm leaves due to fears that Buddhist teachings would be lost due to famine/war etc.

  - also known as the Tipitaka, meaning 3 baskets which was the way the scriptures were originally stored and organised into 3 collections of texts
• how did the Pali-Cannon originate

  - not considered to be revealed by a higher being but expresses the life and teachings of the Buddha and monastic rules. no divine revelation so can continue eternally

  - early monks met regularly to recite Buddha's teachings, vinyana rules and stories which were memorized

  - Buddhist scriptures weren't written down until 1st century (oral tradition)

  - after Buddha's death 500 monks gathered to recite teachings, now considered the first Buddhist council
• what is the Vinyana Pitaka

  - code of discipline for monastics; 227 for monks and 311 for nuns, made of 5 books

  - purpose is to make sure that monastics maintain a cohesive society and uphold their status as moral examples of the Buddhist community (relevant to taking refuge in the Sangha/3 refuges)

  - deals with the 8 types of behaviour for monastics, the overall organisation of the Sangha as well as disciplinary sections, e.g. expulsionary conduct and minor offences. mostly deals with interactions

  - recited as a meditational practice

  - also discusses why these rules arose and the situations which led to them being made

  - rules were initially developed during the time of the Buddha when the Sangha grew, especially in the rainy seasons when monks would come together and discuss their experiences

  - the rules were a process developed over time although most believe they were completed before the Buddha's death

  - updated or gotten rid of over time if outdated, so in Therevada some rules are no longer adhered to although they try to maintain as many as possible
• what is the Sutta Pitaka

  - known as the basket of discourses and is an account of the teachings and conversations of the Buddha during his life and necessary references to his life, e.g. Kisogotami, Fire Sermon, Deer Park Sermon

  - made of 5 collections and 19 books

  - helps take refuge in the Buddha and provides inspiration towards enlightenment

  - householders are more likely to read this section; Dhammapada and Questions of King Melinda is particularly favoured by householders as it lays out inspirational sayings of the Buddha

  - no chronology of the life of the Buddha just sporadic references to it where relevant
• what is the Abhidharma Pitaka

  - contains key teachings of Buddhist philosophy, e.g. Four Truths, Karma, Rebirth, 3 Marks of Existence, Ethics etc.

  - coincides with taking refuge in the Dharma and helps gain understanding into the Dharma

  - philosophical analysis of Buddhist teaching; underlying doctrinal principles of Suttas organised into a systematic framework

  - addresses topics such as human psychology

  - some believe that the Buddha himself presented this analysis, giving it authority but others believe it was written by later Buddhist scholars

  - one of the latest parts to be developed
• how may a Buddhist use the Pali-Cannon


  - scriptures are seen to be a record of the words and teachings of the Buddha and not the 'word' of the Buddha; based on teachings and not entirely literal

  - no denomination insists on reading scriptures unless you're a monastic (as Buddhism is a practical religion), in which case you should familiarize yourself with them to help understand the historical developments and key teachings in Buddhism

  - many points in the Pali-Cannon emphasized and repeated many times

  - not many literate at the time of Buddha so scriptures not emphasized

  - western Buddhists may want to learn Pali/Sanskrit as they're now dead and this allows them to avoid issues of translation (as seen in lots of religions)
• what is the Lotus Sutra
• what themes does the Lotus Sutra contain
• what are the similarities between the Pali-Cannon and the Bible

  - complex makeup

  - complex history of formation

  - issues of translation (various different interpretations)
• what are the differences between the Pali-Cannon and the Bible

  - Bible = divinely inspired, Pali-Cannon isn't

  - Bible regarded as sacred/dynamic

  - a lot more controversy in Bible (due to bigger element of faith claims) as thousands of years worth of books coming together whereas Pali-Cannon is less problematic

  - Pali-Cannon only contains advice, but no regulations on issues, e.g. marriage, abortion and divorce (except euthanasia) unlike the Bible