Some things never change – like experiencing butterflies in one’s stomach, unrest and fear of not being able to finish an exam/ submission on time. I’d experienced this right from school through engineering and had the same feelings now!
On concluding a two-month long course at Bhandarkar Institute on ‘Ancient India & Medieval India’, Hrishikesh of Aranyavaak wanted a report and five-minute presentation on a topic of our choice.
The list of topics was long and interesting, and like everybody else, we were spoilt for choice. Each subject was so vast and deep that it seemed impossible to demark boundaries. Aimlessly we discussed a couple of topics and even decided a so-called outline for our presentation.
As usual, our session got over at eight thirty p.m. and it struck me that I hadn’t looked at the watch even once. Our teacher that day was magical; her voice, her passion, her knowledge and the desire to share enraptured us all. Suddenly there was no more confusion! Something struck us all at the same time. Wasn’t it strange? We had found the subject for our report - ‘Tipitaka – The Buddhist Canon’.
This was a very ambitious decision, so we discussed it for a couple of days. Do we choose one of the Pitakas (or Teachings) or Buddhist philosophy? Should we write about the role of Bhikuni the Buddhist missionary? The contemplation went on and on. Time was running out, so we resorted to asking Dr. Sucheta Paranjpe - the lady who introduced us to this topic, to help us get on track. Like the true teacher she was, she guided us to sources, talked us through our confusion and gave us direction. What emerged from that 15 days exercise is – ‘Tipitaka: an introduction to Buddhist literature ’.
With due permission from our fellow team members: Anna, Vaibhav, Shrikant and Vijay, I am sharing our insights with you all. This is an effort to take you through various eras and their contribution to Buddhist literature; an introduction to parts of a whole; a view from the populist side of the literature and some data as stated in reliable references.
Vandana
Namô Tassa Bhagavatô Arahatô Sammâ-Sambuddhassa (3x)
Buddham Saranam Gacchâmi.
Dhammam Saranam Gacchâmi.
Sangham Saranam Gacchâmi.
Dutiyampi Buddham Saranam Gacchâmi.
Dutiyampi Dhammam Saranam Gacchâmi.
Dutiyampi Sangham Saranam Gacchâmi.
Tatiyampi Buddham Saranam Gacchâmi.
Tatiyampi Dhammam Saranam Gacchâmi.
Tatiyampi Sangham Saranam Gacchâmi.
Pânâtipâtâ Veramani Sikkhâpadam Samâdiyâmi.
Adinnâdânâ Veramani Sikkhâpadam Samâdiyâmi.
Kâmesu Micchâcârâ Veramani Sikkhâpadam Samâdiyâmi.
Musâvâdâ Veramani Sikkhâpadam Samâdiyâmi.
Surâ Mêraya Majja Pamâdatthânâ Veramani Sikkhâpadam Samâdiyâmi
Imâni Panca Sikkhâpadam Samâdiyâmi (3x)
Tipitaka: an introduction to Buddhist literature
Definitions
- Tipitaka :Three Pitakas (baskets)
- Canon: Body of Religious Writings
- Dhamma:Dharma/Way of life
- Sutta: Prose
- Bhiku/Bhikuni: Buddhist Monk
- Nikayas : Body of text
- Angas : Part
- Geyya :Verse
- Veyyakarana : Explanations
- Gaiha : Stanzas
- Udana : Epigram
- Itivuttaka : Thus spoke Buddha
- Jataka Stories : about the previous births
- Abbhutadhamma : Miracles
- Khandhakas : Parts
- Vibhanga : Analysis
- Parivara : Family
- Vedalla : Teachings in the form of questions and answers
Background
The time between 525 B.C and 480 B.C could be considered as the period of activity of Buddha, the founding and propagating of the Indian religion. The Ganges region in north-eastern India was the place of his activity, in the kingdoms of Magadha (Bihar) and Kosala (Oudh).
Gautama Buddha’s transition to an ascetic after denouncing his worldly prince status at the age of 29 was the beginning of his journey to find the real meaning of life. It is believed that he lived for 80 years.
Gautama Buddha left behind him no written works. Though writing was known at the time when he lived, the art of writing books was not known in the Ganges Valley. Buddhists believe that he composed works which his immediate disciples learned by heart in his lifetime,and which were handed down by memory in their original state until they were committed to writing. But from internal evidence it is quite clear that this cannot have been the case as yet Buddhists books known to us written in Sanskrit or those parts of Pitakas which relate to the life of Gautama. The orthodox Buddhist belief therefore falls to the ground.
It may be stated generally that some of the Sanskrit books are known to have been translated into Chinese shortly after the commencement of our era, and that there is every reason to believe that the Pitakas now extant in Ceylon are substantially identical with the books of the Orthodox Canon as settled at the Council of Patna in about 250. B.C. This Canon is written in Pali.
Pali Canon of the Buddhists most of the speeches and addresses are attributed to Buddha in much detail stating where and which occasion master delivered the message.
Gautama Buddha himself, left behind very little in writing. The ‘Yajnavalkya’, ‘Sandilya’, and ‘Saunaka’ are some of the rules and prescriptions. The Ten Commandments for community of beggar-monks (Dasasilam) and Confessional Litany (Patimokkha) may be traced back to Buddha and forms part of the Tipitaka.
Many of Buddha’s early disciples were possibly the authors of a few of the speeches, sayings and poems found among the collections. Almost whole of Early Buddhist literature consists almost entirely of collections of speeches, dialogues, sayings, songs, stories and rules of holy order. A hundred years after Buddha’s Mahanirvana at ‘Vesali’, a second council was held which lasted for 8 months and the claim is that a revision of doctrine took place while removing ten false teachings concerning the orderly discipline. During the course of the first century after Buddha, a basic stock of text came into existence.
A real canon of sacred texts was probably compiled during the third council, which took place at the time of King ‘Asoka’ the great patron and follower of Buddhist philosophy. The oldest literary testimony for the existence of the trinity of Pitakas (Pitakattayam) and of Nikayas is only found in ‘Milindapanha’ a work whose first part was written during the beginning of the 1st century A.D.
The rest of Buddhist literature consists of genuine testimonials of the original teachings of Buddha and Buddhism compiled in the first two centuries after Buddha’s death. The canon of sacred literature of the Buddhists was composed in Pali, Magadhi and other dialects. Of these the Pali version alone has survived in its entirety. The propagation of Buddhist religion was done at a missionary level, the monks travelled across the world and the Buddhist text was translated in different local languages. For instance, the ‘Lalit Vistara’ - the standard Sanskrit work of the Indian Buddhists. It is part prose and part verse; the poetical passage being the older of the two. It is not known when this was written. The Tibetan translation of the afore-mentioned is to have existed 6th century A.D. The ‘Mahabhnishkramana Sutra’ is the ‘Book of the Great Renunciation’ and refers to Gautama having renounced his home in order to become an ascetic. Though the date of the Sanskrit work is unknown, the translation into Chinese was made in the 6th century A.D.
The Pali Canon
The Pali canon consists of three Pitakas (baskets) and is therefore known as the Tipitaka (Tripitaka in Sanskrit). These are the Vinaya, Sutta and Abhidhamma Pitakas. The first deals with the rules of the monastic order. The second deals with ethical principles of Buddha’s teachings. The third expounds the metaphysical principles underlying the doctrine. There is yet another division of the canon into nine Angas mentioned in several places in the Tipitaka. They are: sermons in prose (Sutta), sermons in prose and verse (Geyya); explanations (Veyyakarana); stanzas (Gaiha); epigrams (Udana), short sayings beginning with “Thus spoke the Buddha” (Itivuttaka); stories of the previous incarnations (Jataka); miracles (Abbhutadhamma), and teachings in the form of questions and answers (Vedalla). This list of the Angas is a classification of the various texts comprising the canon according to their forms and contents. It clearly shows that all these diverse types of Buddhist literature were already in existence when the canon was compiled in its present form.
Parts of the whole
Vinaya Pitaka
The Vinaya Pitaka comprises the following texts: Patimokkha, Sutta Vibhanga, Khandhakas, and Parivara.
Patimokkha says repeatedly that the life of a good monk is checked by the restraints. Patimokkha originally contained only 152 rules and was later extended to 237. Sutta Vibhanga gives explanations of the Suttas. It starts with the background of the rule, followed by the rule and then a word for word commentary. It is followed by explanations. A shorter version, the “Bhikkhuni-Vibhanga “deals with a code of conduct for nuns. Transgressions are considered and divided into those which are punishable with expulsion, and those which are punishable with expiation. (Amends for doing something wrong - Prayashchitta). Khandhakas are the continuation and a supplement. They contain rules and duties, methods for settling disputes, offences, expiations and penances. Parivara is a guide to the above in questions and answer form.
Sutta Pitaka
This is the greatest literary work of Buddhism.
It consists of:
- Digha
- Majjhima
- Samyutta
- Anguttara
- Khuddaka
The first four consists of discourses, which are sermons preceded by introductions such as place and occasion. It is a mix of prose and verse. They deal with ethical questions, origin of the universe, rebirth, self control, asceticism, way to union with God, miracles, nirvana, heretical doctrines, artificiality of caste system etc.
The Sutta speaks of views of non-Buddhist teachers and founders of sects. It throws light on the life and thoughts at the time of Buddha. It indicates accounts of the later part of Buddha, his death and funeral ceremonies. It throws light on the life of monks, Brahmanical sacrifices, and various systems of the day, superstitions and sociopolitical systems. Rhys-Davis says “In depth of philosophic insight, in the method of Socratic questioning often adopted, in the earnest and elevated tone of the whole, in the evidence they afford of the most cultured thought of the day, these dialogues constantly remind the reader of the dialogues of Plato. But not in style. The style is always dignified and rise into eloquence. “
Abhidhamma Pitaka
It deals with the same subjects as the Sutta Pitaka but in more scholastic way. It is written in question and answer form. It is an extension of earlier Pitakas. It is said that there is hardly any trace of scientific reasoning or research, but more of dogmatism. It is said that it is written during the later centuries and informs about the development of dogmatism.
An illustration of a Verse (Chapter 2 - On Earnestness, Dhamma-pada)
21 Earnestness is the path of immortality (Nirvana), thoughtlessness the path of death. Those who are in earnest do not die, those who are thoughtless are as if dead already.
22 Those who are advanced in earnestness, having understood this clearly, delight in earnestness, and rejoice in the knowledge of the Ariyas (the elect).
23 These wise people, meditative, steady, always possessed of strong powers, attain to Nirvana, the highest happiness.
24 If an earnest person has roused himself, if he is not forgetful, if his deeds are pure, if he acts with consideration, if he restrains himself, and lives according to law, then his glory will increase.
25 By rousing himself, by earnestness, by restraint and control, the wise man may make for himself an island which no flood can overwhelm.
26 Fools follow after vanity, men of evil wisdom. The wise man keeps earnestness as his best jewel.
27 Follow not after vanity, nor after the enjoyment of love and lust! He who is earnest and meditative obtains ample joy.
28 When the learned man drives away vanity by earnestness, he, the wise, climbing the terraced heights of wisdom, looks down upon the fools, serene he looks upon the toiling crowd, as one that stands on a mountain looks down upon them that stand upon the plain.
29 Earnest among the thoughtless, awake among the sleepers, the wise man advances like a racer, leaving behind the hack.
30 By earnestness did Maghavan (Indra) rise to the lordship of the Gods. People praise earnestness; thoughtlessness is always blamed.
31 A Bhikshu (mendicant) who delights in earnestness, who looks with fear on thoughtlessness, moves about like fire, burning all his fetters, small or large.
32 A Bhikshu (mendicant) who delights in reflection, who looks with fear on thoughtlessness, cannot fall away (from his perfect state)--he is close upon Nirvana
The Jataka Katha (populist version)
‘Jataka Katha’ is an important aspect of Buddhist Literature. These are simple stories written by Buddhist monks for common people to share the teachings of Buddha. Jatakas present to us a picture of narrative literature and the cultural conditions at the time of Buddha or at an even earlier period. These stories are of a very great importance not only to Indian literature but also for the history of world-literature. The numerous fairy tales are of animals and human beings, in which animals fare better than humans. The following short story will give you flavor.
“Once upon a time there was a king; he had a wicked son called Prince Villian. He was like a poisonous snake, spoke to no one a kind word and was to the people like a dust particle in the eye. Once as he wants to bathe during a big storm, the people bring him out into the river to drown him. But he saves himself together with a snake, a rat and a parrot by climbing on a tree trunk. All the four are pulled out of water by an ascetic who then brings them home, where the pious man nurses at first the animals as they are the weaker ones and only then the prince. The prince is angry at this. All the three animals promise the ascetic to show their gratefulness; so also the prince, who however, inwardly swears vengeance. After a while, the ascetic wants to test the beings saved by him. The three animals show their gratefulness immediately, but the prince, who has become a king in the meanwhile, as soon as he recognizes him, orders him to be whipped and wants to get him beheaded. On being whipped each time the ascetic says the verse: “True is the proverb which says: A lump of wood, washed ashore by water, is often better than some men”. Asked by the people, what he is saying, he tells the story. Thereupon the whole folk gather, they catch hold of the tyrant, kill him and make the ascetic their king.
Legends
Often one finds that legends of Buddha are exaggerated. The following instances are samples: When his relations complained of the future Buddha, that he was remiss in martial and manly exercises, the Jataka says, that on a day fixed by him he showed his proficiency in the twelve arts, and his superiority over other archers. In a Sinhalese book they recount how he used a bow which 1,000 men could not bend, and the twang of whose string was heard for 7,000 miles. They go on to say that, “The prince also proved that he knew perfectly the eighteen arts, though he had never had a teacher, and he was equally well acquainted with many other sciences.
Though there are possibly historical bases to these legends, it is not possible to separate true from false. The narrators of these legends were not cunning forgers, but simple-minded men. Listening to their hero-worship, and religious reverence, one feels that they delighted in the physical marvels of Buddha. To us these legends may appear childish or absurd, but they are not without beauty of their own; and they have still a depth of meaning for those who strive to read between the lines. It is for us to decide what was, and what was not historically possible during the 5th century B.C. in the eastern valley of the Ganges.
Size Of Buddhist Literature
Rhys Davids in his book ‘Buddhism’ opposes the popular misconception with regard to the enormous extent of scriptures in Buddhist literature. He gives an account of some details: The number of words in the first 221 verses of Dhamma-pada, which are a fair sample of the whole, is. 3,001; the 431 verses of that book ought to be rather less than 6,000 words. The Dhamma-pada, according to Turnour’s list is written on fifteen leaves and the whole three Pitakas, exclusive of No. 10 and 11 of the Khuddaka Nikaya, whose extent is uncertain, are written on 4,328 leaves of about same size. This would mean about 1,752,800 words for the entire text.
Current Work
Sarnath, a town in Varanasi is the current ‘Mecca’ for Buddhists and academicians from all parts of the world. The texts that were destroyed during various invasions and destructive attacks by invaders during 1193 are now being restored from Tibetan to Pali. It is gratifying to learn that these texts are considered to be a universal heritage and have been spared from religious or political influences. His Holiness the 14th Dalai Lama of Tibet is personally involved in this restoration.
References
Books:
1. Buddhism: being sketch of the life and teachings of Gautama, The Buddha – Rhys Davids, T.W.
2. History of Indian Literature Volume II – Winternitz, Maurice.
3. India – a history - Keay, J.
4. The History and culture of the Indian people Vol. II - Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan
Important contributors
Dr. Sucheta Paranjpe
Col. Sanjaya Pandya
The Team
Pandurang Pawar, Vijay Patil, Vaibhav Joshi, Shrikant Dhumal and Vaishali Gadgil
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