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22 EASTERN HORIZON | TEACHINGS

Cūḷavaggapāli there is a mention about the five Nikāyas. authority of the Khuddhaka Nikāya. The Venerable
“In this manner, the five Nikāyas were questioned. Buddhaghosa explains that the Majjhimabhānakas
Whatever asked, the Venerable Ānanda answered” or the reciters of the Majjhima Nikāya accept all
(Eteneva upāyena pañcapi nikāye pucchi. Puṭṭho puṭṭho 15 books in the Khuddakanikāya whereas the
āyassmā ānando vissajjesi). Therefore, in early texts, Dīghabhānakas accept only 11 texts of it. They rejected
sometimes the five nikāya is mentioned. the Apadāna, Buddhavaṃsa, Khuddakapāṭha, and
the Cariyāpiṭaka. Another view of the Dīghabhānakas
There are 15 texts in the Khuddakanikāya. They are: is that the Khuddakanikāya should come under the
Abhidhammapiṭaka.
i. Khuddhakapāṭha – The Short Texts
ii. Dhammapada – The Dhammapada The Mahāvihāra tradition of Sri Lanka accepts that
iii. Udāna – The Inspired Utterances there are 15 texts in the Khuddakanikāya whereas the
iv. Itivuttaka – As It was Said Burmese tradition accepts that there are 18 texts. They
v. Suttanipāta – Groups of Discourses consider that the Theragāthā and the Therīgāthā must
vi. Vimānavatthu – Stories of the Celestial Beings be one book. And another 4 texts, the Miḷindapañha,
(Devās) Nettippakaraṇa, Peṭakopadesa, and the Suttasaṃgaha
vii. Petavatthu – Stories of Hungry Ghosts are added as new texts.
viii. TheragāthāŒ - Verses of Bhikkhūs
ix. TherīgāthāŒ - Verses of Bhikkhuṇīs Though the Khuddhanikāya is called the Smaller
x. Jātaka – Birth Stories of Bodhisattva Collection, it is the biggest collection in the Sutta
xi. Niddesa – Explanations of Suttas Piṭaka. Therefore, it is better to call it the Collection of
xii. Paṭisambhidhāmagga – Path of Discrimination the Minor Texts. M. Winternitz thinks that probably,
xiii. Apadāna – Biographies the Khudda Nikāya had been a smaller collection
xiv. Buddhavaṃsa – Chronicle of the Buddhas in the beginning but later various texts would have
xv. Cariyāpiṭaka – Stories of the Buddha been added to it, and became the largest collection.
Professor Oliver Abeynayake is on the view that there
Explaining the Khuddakanikāya, the Venerable are two strata among the texts in this collection, the
Buddhaghosa states: “Katamo khuddakanikāyo? early ones and later ones. He thinks the Sutta Nipāta,
Sakalaṃ vinayapiṭakaṃ, abhidhammapiṭakaṃ, Itivuttaka, Dhammapada, Theragāthā, Therigāthā,
khuddakapāṭhādayo ca pubbe dassitā Udāna and Jātaka belong to the early stratum whereas
pañcadasappabhedā, ṭhapetvā cattāronikāye the Khuddakapaṭha, Vimānavatthu, Petavatthu, Niddesa,
avasesaṃ buddhavacanaṃ”. “What is the Khuddaka Paṭisambhidāmagga, Apadāna, Buddhavaṃsa and
Nikāya? Except the Four Nikāyas, the whole Vinaya Cariyāpitaka belong to the later stratum. It is true that
Piṭaka, and the Abhidhamma Piṭaka, and the above- some texts of the Khuddakanikāya are old and some
mentioned 15 texts such as the Khuddakapātha, the are later. Especially, the Khuddakapāṭha is a later text.
rest of the teachings of the Buddha come under the The Suttanipāta is an early text, and the scholars think
Khuddakanikāya. The same view is explained in the that the Aṭṭhaka and Pārāyana Vaggas are more earlier
following stanza as well. than other Vaggas of it. The Apadāna was added to the
rd
Khuddaka after the 3 Buddhist council. There is a
Ṭhapetvā caturopete – nikāye dīghamādike mention of the Kathāvatthuppakaraṇa in the Apadāna.
Tadaññaṃ buddhavacanaṃ - nikāyo khuddako mato. The KVP is a work added to the Abhidhammapiṭaka
This says that the whole Vinayapiṭaka and the after the third Buddhist Council. It was written by
Abhidhammapiṭaka are also coming under the Arahant Moggalīputtatissa Thera. EH
Khuddakanikāya. There are disagreements on the