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Chapter 3

Suttantapiṭaka, Dīghanakāya, Mahāvagga

Tipiṭaka Translation Book 10
Sutta Volume 2

Introduction
In previous chapters, the significance of studying and understanding are

required by Buddhist monks, novices, and interested lay. We are realized in order to

keep the Buddhism Dhamma maintained, the Rehearsals were made to conserve the

collections of the Buddha Teachings. The collection and recollection had been

performed and the result was Tipiṭaka. All the three Piṭakas (Baskets) consisting of
Vinayapiṭaka, Suttantapiṭaka, and Abhidhammapiṭaka have been succeeded as oral

tradition. The language used is well known worldwide as Pāli. So Pāli is the language

the Buddha applied to proclaim Buddhism.
Since the first step of learning Tipiṭaka to precisely understand Dhamma-

Vinaya (The Buddha Teaching) is to know the meaning in Pāli (is known as Magadha

language). After that, the Commentary (Aṭṭhakathā) of Buddhist texts can be studied

and learnt. It happens that the Pāli study first is to be provided only for the Buddhist

monks and novices. The study is to learn through oral tradition of Tipiṭaka texts.
Later the Pāli or Pali Canon had been written down into languages spoken in the

realms of those countries having Buddhism as national religion. Some examples of

the Pāli in national scripture are Pāli with Thai letters, Romanized Pāli, Devanakri Pāli,
Chinese Pāli, Burmese Pāli, etc.

Considering the transcription and translation from Pāli Canon (Tipiṭaka) in

Thailand, the Dhamma transcribed and translated have been mostly done by the

monks and novices. The purpose of explanation the Pāli text is to teach and explain

to people, expecting after listening or reading, those people (lay) will follow the
explanation and are pertaining to morality to be good people. In general, the Pāli

text is cited by the monks following with the explanation of the Dhamma exists in the

Pāli text. However, nowadays, fewer people attend the listening and realizing the
Dhamma. Temples have less lay people practicing Dhamma. One reason is that they