Tripiaka

Tripitaka, also spelled Tipitaka, is the traditional designation for the Buddhist scriptures regarded as the doctrinal core of Buddhism. The term means “three baskets” and refers to the three divisions into which the canonical texts are organized: the Vinaya Pitaka (monastic rules and disciplinary procedures), the Sutta Pitaka (discourses attributed to the Buddha and his early followers), and the Abhidhamma Pitaka (systematic scholastic analysis of phenomena and mind states).

In Theravada Buddhism, the canonical collection is preserved primarily in the Pali language as the Pali Tipitaka. It is divided into the Vinaya, the Sutta Pitaka (which itself contains the five nikayas: Digha, Majjhima, Samyutta, Anguttara, and the Khuddaka Nikaya), and the Abhidhamma Pitaka. Other Buddhist traditions developed their own canons. In East Asia the Buddhist canon is known as the Chinese Tripitaka (Taishō Tripiṭaka), a large compilation of sutras and commentaries translated into Chinese. In Tibet, the Kangyur (translated words of the Buddha) and Tengyur (commentaries) form a comprehensive canon used by Tibetan Buddhism. Although not always grouped under the same label, these canons share core teachings found in the Tipitaka.

Historically, the contents underwent oral transmission before being written down in Sri Lanka and other regions, with the Theravada Tipitaka becoming standardized by the early centuries CE. In the modern era, standardized editions and digital editions of the Tipitaka and related canons have facilitated international study, making the Tripitaka one of the most influential and widely studied bodies of religious literature.