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20 EASTERN HORIZON | TEACHINGS

The teaching of the Buddha, the Dhammavinaya has for the discourses of the Buddha. The origin of this
been categorized into three sections, which are called term is non-Buddhistic, and it is an ancient usage. The
Tipiṭaka in Pāli and Tripiṭaka in Sanskrit. It is also called oldest book of Indian Vedic literature, the Ṛg Veda,
the Canon, which consists of the Sūtra, the Vinaya, used the word Sūkta to denote the teachings of sages.
and the Abhidharma. There are different versions of For instance, the Puruṣasūkta can be cited here. This
Tripiṭaka or Canon in different Buddhist traditions, term Sūkta is close to Sutta. The Jainism used the
for example, the Pāli Canon of Theravāda, the Chinese word Sūya for the teachings of Mahāvīra. For example,
Canon of Nikāyas (Āgama), and the Tibetan Canon of the Nirāvaliya Sūya and the Uttarajjhāyana Sūya can
Vajrayāna. Mahāyāna Buddhism does not have a canon be shown. In the Vedanta teaching, there is a section
consisting of Sūtra, Vinaya, and Abhidharma of its own. called Gṛhya Sūtras, or teachings dealing with domestic
Vajrayāna Canon (Kanjur and Tanjur) also consists of matters or rituals. In the Indian grammar, the word
various texts belonging to various schools. The Chinese sūtra is used as applied formulas. The Pāli word Sutta
translations of Āgama come from several Nikāyas, comes from the Prākrit language (Prākṛta) and it is
such as Sarvāstivāda, Dharmaguptaka, etc. So, it does equivalent to the term sūtra in Sanskrit.
not represent a canon of a particular Buddhist school.
Therefore, only the Theravāda School has a complete During the time of the Buddha, the term Sutta had
Buddhist canon of its own consisting of Sutta, Vinaya, been used to denote the teachings of the Buddha, but
and Abhidhamma. It has been preserved in its pristine this term was not connected with all the sūtras we are
form without contamination with other Sects or Nikāyas. having now. The Buddha had used the terms Dhamma
There had been various Buddhist schools (18 schools) in Pariyāya and pucchā instead. The term Dhamma
India, which are named as Nikāya Buddhism or Sectarian Pariyāya is found in the Brahmajāla Sutta and the
Buddhism. However, all these schools, except Theravāda, Mudhupiṇḍika Sutta. The term pucchā is found in the
subsequently disappeared from Indian soil leaving few Suttanipāta. In several places in the Sutta Piṭaka, the
texts or no text behind. word sutta has been used but not with the titles of
the suttas but to represent the whole teachings of the
The Suttapiṭaka consists of the conventional teachings Buddha. In the first Buddhist council, Saṃgīitikāraka
of the Buddha. The Vinayapiṭaka consists of the rules bhikkhūs applied the term Sutta for the teachings of the
for monks and nuns. The Abhidhammapiṭaka consists Buddha. In the Pāli commentarial literature, Venerable
of the moral psychology of the Buddha. There are five Buddhaghosa wrote that there is no teaching of the
collections of the Pāli Suttapiṭaka. They are called Nikāya Buddha which is not known as sutta (asuttanāmakaṃ
or Saṃgīti in Pāli tradition but in other traditions, for buddhavacanaṃ nāma natthi). According to this
instance, the school of Sarvāstivāda used the term Āgama. statement, all the conventional teachings of the Buddha
While there are four Āgamas in the Sūtrapiṭaka of other should come under the Sutta teaching.
schools, the Pali tradition of Theravāda has five Nikāyas.
The Dīghanikāya – The Long Discourses of the
However, the Sumaṅgalavilāsini, the commentary
Buddha
to the Dīgha Nikāya says that there are four Saṃgīti
(Collection or Nikāya) in the Sutta Pitaka. “Suttanta piṭake
catasso saṃgītiyo”. The Dīrghāgama, Majjhimāgama, According to the Sumaṅgalavilāsini, the commentary to
Saṃyuttāgama, and Ekottarāgama of other Buddhist the Dīghanikāya, there are five characteristics or special
schools are the counterparts of the Dīgha, Majjhima, features in the Dīgha Nīkaya. They are:
Saṃyutta, and Aṅguttara Nikāya of Theravāda. However,
the Theravādins added another Nikāya, which is called “Dīghassa dīgha suttankitassa, nipuṇassa āgamavarassa
Khuddaka Nikāya to their collections of the Suttapiṭaka buddhānubuddha saṃvannitassa saddhāvahaguṇassa”
and therefore, there are five collections in it.
i. With long discourses
What is Sutta or Sūtra? In Buddhism, we use this term ii. With Comprehensive teachings