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24 September 2017

Scripture in Theravadin Compared with Mahayana Buddhism

The Tripitaka forms the foundation for scripture in all branches of Buddhism. It in itself is the oldest Buddhist scripture, being the first one to be written after the death of the Buddha. Originally, it was recorded in Pali on three palm leaves which were then folded into baskets, granting it the names of “Pali Canon” and “Tripitaka” (the Threefold Baskets). Each basket comprised one section of the text: the Vinaya Pitaka, the Discipline Basket, consisted of the rules and guidelines for monastic life; the Sutta Pitaka, the Discourse Basket, consisted of the dharma, or Buddha’s teachings; the Abhidhamma Pitaka, the Further Teaching Basket, consisted of elaboration of and supplements to the basic teachings in Buddhism. The Abhidhamma Pitaka is where most differences in scripture between the branches are found (Matthews). The book remains the center of Buddhist scripture, but varies between branches.

Theravadin Buddhism is the oldest, most orthodox branch of Buddhism as it was formed only a few decades after the Buddha’s death. This means that the original teachings of the Buddha, having been recently spread, were strongly rooted within this branch (Wiedner). When the Tripitaka is discussed without any added name specification, it usually references the Theravadin Pali Canon, which is the original version of this scripture. The Teravadin Tripitaka is written and read in the original Pali in which the book was authored (Irons). It is composed of 17 books in total, with 5 belonging to the Vinaya Pitaka and Sutta Pitaka each, and 7 belonging to the Abhidhamma Pitaka (Eng). The 5 bodies of the Sutra Pitaka are known as nikaya and contain over 5,000 suttas in total while the 7 foundational texts of the Abhidhamma Pitaka each have their own titles (Irons). Little if anything has been altered from the original Tripitaka in this tradition, displaying how dedicated the Theravadin are to the original teachings of the Buddha. According to them, no new doctrine has been or will be revealed and the original teachings of the Buddha are the sole dogma of the religion. They base all of their teachings and practices solely on the original Tripitaka (Alles).

In comparison, the Mahayana Canon is much larger and has many different versions in many different languages based on the location of the sect to which it belongs. The Tibetan and Chinese translations of the Pali Tripitaka form the center of this scripture, but much has been added (Irons). It is typically organized into 12 sections based on topics and contains many sutras that the former lacks (Eng). In addition to the original teachings of the Buddha, this text contains many new revelations that were said to have been hidden for time, only to be revealed when the world was ready to receive them. These doctrines include the Lotus Sutra, the Heart Sutra, the Diamond Sutra, and the Garland Sutra (Alles). The Mahayana’s acceptance of such new revelation into their religion indicates how they have expanded upon the traditional Buddhism that the Theravadin practice. Most of the teachings included in these new books are distinctively Mahayanan, and are not accepted in the Theravadin sect. The ongoing process of revelation means that the Mahayana’s Tripitaka is not a closed scripture, but open to additions as opposed to the Theravadin Scripture, which is officially closed (Alles). This also means that a Mahayanan monk or nun will never fully know all of the teachings of their religion, since more are constantly being added.

Word Count: 574

Works Cited

Alles, Gregory D., and Robert S. Ellwood. “Buddhist Scriptures.” The Encyclopedia of World Religions, rev. ed., Facts on File, 2006, online.infobase.com/HRC/Search/Details/248093?q=Buddhist%20Scripture. Accessed 23 Sept. 2017.

—. “Mahayana Buddhism.” The Encyclopedia of World Religions, rev. ed., Facts on File, 2006, online.infobase.com/HRC/Search/Details/248784?q=Mahayana%20Buddhist%20Canon. Accessed 23 Sept. 2017.

Eng, Tan Swee. “Differences between Theravada and Mahayana Buddhism.” BuddhaNet, Buddha Dharma Education Association, 2017, http://www.buddhanet.net/e-learning/snapshot02.htm. Accessed 23 Sept. 2017.

Irons, Edward A. “Tripitaka.” Encyclopedia of Buddhism, 2nd ed., Facts on File, 2016, online.infobase.com/HRC/Search/Details/241500?q=Mahayana%20Buddhist%20Canon. Accessed 23 Sept. 2017.

Matthews, Warren. “Buddhism.” World Religions. 6th ed. Belmont, CA: Thomson/Wadsworth, 2008. 103-142. Print.

Weidner, Margaret. “Buddhism.” IB World Religions Course, 21 Sept. 2017, Our Lady of Good Counsel High School, Olney. Lecture.