Pali Canon

The Pali Canon is the scripture collection of Theravada Buddhism. "Pali Canon" is the usual English name; it is also known by the name "Tipiṭaka". It is in Pali, which is a language of ancient India. Mahayana Buddhism tends to regard the Tipiṭaka as a sort of "Old Testament". Most scholars recognize the Canon as the oldest source for the Buddha's teachings.

Background

The Canon is traditionally regarded by the Theravada as the Word of the Buddha (died around 400 BC), though not always literally. It is said in the Canon itself that whatever is well said is the Word of the Buddha. Modern scholars tend to regard at least large amounts of the Canon (with disagreements on how much) as the work of a number of unknown authors ([7]).

According to a tradition generally regarded quite favourably by scholars, the Canon was written down from oral tradition in Ceylon (Sri Lanka) in the last century BC, though hardly any manuscripts survive form before the 16th century.

Collected printed editions of the Canon have been appearing since about 1893, and digitized versions since 1988. It is now even available on an app.

The vast majority of commentarial literature is connected with just four names: Buddhaghosa, Dhammapala, Sariputta and Nanakitti.

Table of contents

English titles are taken from the Pali Text Society: titles of translations published by them, except for 2 books they haven't yet translated (at least 1 volume of).

• Vinaya Pitaka (Book of the discipline)
• Sutta or Suttanta Pitaka
  • Digha Nikaya (Dialogues of the Buddha)
  • Majjhima Nikaya (Middle length discourses of the Buddha)
  • Samyutta Nikaya (Connected discourses of the Buddha)
  • Anguttara Nikaya (Numerical discourses of the Buddha)
  • Khuddaka Nikaya: the contents of this section vary between editions, with some including all the following but others omitting one or more ([8]). Opinions on canonicity seem to vary even within the same country: for example, one Burmese teacher says the 6th Council included the Netti in the Pali Canon, while another describes it as post-canonical.
    • Khuddakapatha (Minor readings)
    • Dhammapada (Word of the doctrine)
    • Udana (Verses of uplift)
    • Itivuttaka (As it was said)
    • Suttanipata (Group of discourses)
    • Vimanavatthu (Stories of the mansions)
    • Petavatthu (Stories of the departed)
    • Theragatha (Poems of early Buddhist monks)
    • Therigatha (Poems of early Buddhist nuns)
    • Apadana (Legends)
    • Buddhavamsa (Chronicle of Buddhas)
    • Cariyapitaka (Basket of conduct)
    • Jataka (Stories of the Buddha's former births)
    • Niddesa (Exposition)
      • Maha Niddesa
      • Culla or Cula Niddesa
    • Patisambhidamagga (Path of discrimination)
    • Netti (The guide)
    • Petakopadesa (Piṭaka-disclosure)
    • Milindapanha (Milinda's questions)
• Abhidhamma Pitaka
  • Dhammasangani (A Buddhist manual of psychological ethics)
  • Vibhanga (Book of analysis)
  • Dhatukatha (Discourse on elements)
  • Puggalapannatti (Designation of human types)
  • Kathavatthu (Points of controversy)
  • Yamaka (Book of pairs)
  • Patthana (Conditional relations)

Where next?

• The Lion's Roar: an Anthology of the Buddha's Teachings Selected from the Pāḷi Canon, David Maurice, Rider, London, 1962; American edition, Citadel, New York, 1967: online at [9], [10]; this seems to be the only anthology including selections from all three pitakas; it also represents all five nikayas, but not all the individual books listed above; this book can give some idea of what the Canon is like
• Parallel volume-by-volume table of contents of a number of editions; see [11] for the code letters used there.
• Detailed outlines (from shortest to longest)
  • An Analysis of the Pāli Canon, edited by Russell Webb, Buddhist Publication Society, Kandy, Sri Lanka, 3rd edition, 2008; online at [12]; includes extensive bibliography
  • An Outline Of the Pāḷi Canon, compiled from various sources by Allan R. Bomhard, Charleston Buddhist Fellowship, Charleston, SC USA, 2013 (2557), updated version 2022; online at [13]
  • Guide to Tipiṭaka, compiled by U Ko Lay, Burma Piṭaka Association, Rangoon, 1986; reprinted in India, Malaysia, Taiwan and Thailand; now online at numerous websites, e.g. [14], [15], [16]
  • A History of Pali Literature by Bimala Churn Law, originally published in 2 volumes in 1933 (Volume I on the Canon), reprinted in 1 volume, online at [17]
• The Pali Text Society publishes Pali texts, translations, an Introduction to Pali, a Pali-English Dictionary, etc.; many of these, and other, books are available online, and can be found through search engines
• Complete text (in Pali)
  • Latin script
    • Chaṭṭhasaṅgītipiṭakaṁ, 40 volumes, Ministry of Religious Affairs, Yangon, 2008; also commentaries and subcommentaries (commentaries on commentaries)
    • Sri Lanka Tripitaka Project; also includes many other Pali texts
    • SuttaCentral; see [18], [19] for background on this; also includes early Buddhist literature in other languages, and many translations into English and other languages
    • Vipassana Research Institute, Igatpuri, India; also includes commentaries, subcommentaries and other Pali texts; various formats, including app
  • scripts used in Theravada countries
    • Anandajoti: more than one edition
    • Braḥ Traipiṭakapāḷi, 110 volumes, Phnom Penh, 1931-1969; includes Khmer translations on right-hand pages
    • Buddha Jayanti Tripitaka, 52 volumes [in 58], published under the patronage of the government of Ceylon / Sri Lanka, 1957-1989; includes Sinhalese translations on right-hand pages
    • Kabaaye Buddha Research Library (click on Eng to get the page in English instead of Burmese); also includes many other books in Pali, Burmese, and English
  • watch this space:
    • BUDSIR (BUDdhist Studies Information Retrieval) has carried an under construction notice for years; supposed to have a Thai edition
    • King Chulalongkorn Edition 1893 links to scans of most volumes of a Siamese edition of the Canon; maybe the others will be added sometime
    • Kuthodaw Pagoda Project