Texts of Buddhism

The various currents of the Bouddhisme are pressed on many texts compiled after the death of the Bouddha, this one not having written anything. The transmission of the words of the Buddha was done orally during approximately 500 years, before the suttas of the gun pāli do not start to be written.

The base of the Buddhist Canon consists of texts in pāli, Sanscrit, Chinese and Tibetan; the Bouddhisme in Japan is pressed also in an important way on made up Japanese texts. The first Buddhist texts were first of all written in Prakrit S, Indo-Aryan Langues vernacular close relations of Sanskrit, to which belonged the pāli, language of the gun Theravada. The texts of the gun Mahayana were written in a variety of prakrits, then translated later on into a hybrid form of Sanskrit. Some nevertheless were directly written in Sanskrit by philosophers of origin Brahmane like Nagarjuna, or in the great centers of studies like Nalanda.

They were translated thereafter of prakrit or Sanskrit into Chinese starting from the middle of the 2nd century, then of prakrit, Sanskrit or Chinese in Tibetan a few centuries later. Apocryphal books, comments and treaties were written in Chinese and Tibetan, like in Japanese. These texts were transmitted a long time through successive copies. With regard to the gun pāli, the climate of Southeast Asia and south of India were particularly unfavourable with the conservation of the vegetable supports (sheets, barks) on which it was lying. The founded Faded Text Society at the 19th century for the study and the translation in English of this gun did not find of specimen former to the 18th century. The fragments of the Buddhist texts oldest known to date, a Abhidhamma Sarvastivadin on birch bark, date the first two centuries of our era and would come from the Gandhara where they would have been preserved in ground earthenware jars.

Origins with the ekayana

Multiplication of the texts

The Bouddhisme theravâda makes use of the oldest texts in pāli, compiled under name Tipitaka (Sanskrit Tripitaka ). Recited regularly by generations of monks before being lying written, they would contain the authentic speeches of the Buddha (Sutta) and the monastic rules (Vinaya) by him founded, as well as comments and interpretations (Abhidhamma) later.

The Buddhism mahāyāna, of later appearance, is based on texts Sutta and Vinaya , but also on a great number of others which clean, are composed to him in majority during the first millenium of the Christian era.

Most important of them are Sûtra S. This word Sanskrit, are equivalent of the pāli sutta , is translated by jīng into Chinese, kyō in Japanese and Mdo in Tibetan. Although he were written by Masters waked up in the first centuries of the Christian era, their contents are generally considered the word of the historical Buddha secretly transmitted (sometimes by fantastic creatures like the Naga S) during several centuries fronts to be revealed in the world, or the teaching of another Bouddha or of a Bodhisattva. The Tantra S of the Vajrayana, written as from the 4th century, are also regarded as coming from the Buddha.

In addition to will sûtras and will tantras them, it exists in the mahayana texts allotted to laic philosophers, monks or practitioners. They occupy a very important place in certain currents. One finds among them many comments of will sûtras, of the comments of comments, various treaties, as well as texts expressing the experiment of ritual and of the meditation through poetic styles like the caryagitis of the vajrayana (ex: A hundred and thousand songs of Milarépa) or the koans of the Zen. Many goes back to the first centuries of the Christian era, but the works of Japanese Masters or Tibetans can date from the first centuries of the second millenium.

Three towers of the wheel of the Dharma

If the theravadin recognize only the texts of the Tipitaka , oldest thus according to them to only contain the authentic doctrines of the origins, the tradition mahayana (and vajrayana) consider, as for it, that Gautama Bouddha exempted its teaching according to various levels to adapt it to the various degrees of spiritual advance of its disciples. According to this prospect, the suttas hinayana of the Tipitaka are intended for a less advanced audience, will sûtras them mahayana with the most advanced disciples. Inside the mahayana, the vajrayana considers will tantras them as higher than will sûtras.

With the wire of the centuries new currents appeared presenting their texts of reference like the ultimate expression of the teaching of the Buddha (in its form Sambhogakaya or Dharmakaya) replacing all the precedents. Thus schools based on the Sūtra of the Lotus and the Avatamsaka , or the Kalachakra, the Dzogchen or the Mahamudra in the tradition Tibetan. These currents define sometimes their teaching as ekayana , “single track” which include all the others, hinayana, mahayana and vajrayana.

The various levels of texts are often compared with successive turns of wheel, by reference to the first sermon of the Buddha in the Park with the deer, compared to the setting in swing of the wheel of the law. This division in three turns appears first of all in the texts will yogaçara developing the doctrines of vijnapti-Matra , whose oldest remainder is the Sandhinirmocana Sūtra (2nd century): the texts of the first time (Agamas) a second wheel succeeds, will soutras them of type prajnaparamita; the third wheel is of course consisted of the texts exposing the doctrines vijnapti-Matra .

This concept will be taken again by various currents. Thus, for the currents chan and Zen, the third wheel is represented by the texts developing the concept of Tathagatagharba (natural of Buddha universal), of which the Sūtra Lankavatara ; the schools vajrayana consider that the third wheel is concretized in will tantras. According to Buddhism Shingon, the first level is consisted of will sûtras dictated by the historical Buddha Nirmanakaya; then come will sûtras them mahayana such as the Sutra of the Lotus allotted to the Sambhogakaya in the form of various Buddhas; the higher level is consisted of will tantras vajrayana, teaching perfect of the Dharmakaya.

Texts of the theravâda

The theravâdins make use of the oldest texts, written in pāli and compiled under name Tipitaka (in Sanskrit Tripitaka ), the “ three corbeilles ”, which is:

the Sutta Pitaka , in five collections, containing the speeches of the Buddha;
the Vinaya Pitaka , in five volumes, container of the rules of discipline for the Sangha of the monks and nuns Buddhist;
the Abhidhamma Pitaka , in seven volumes, containing a philosophical systematization of the teaching of the Buddha.

Sermons of the Buddha

The texts below come from Sutta Pitaka.

Sermons of the Buddha

Texts of Mahâyâna

Will sûtras mahāyāna are very numerous, six approximately hundreds. The Chinese corpora and Tibetans are most complete, the texts in Sanskrit fewer. Recently some old texts in prakrit were discovered.

Some ( Sûtra of Diamond and Sûtra of the Heart in particular), are recited daily in great Buddhist parts of the world; others are more specifically related to certain currents.

Texts coming from the Buddha

Sûtras drawn from the oldest corpus mahayana, the literature will prajnaparamitra insistent on the concept of sunyata

the Sûtra of the Heart , which is probably the Buddhist text most known
the Sûtra of Diamond

the Sûtra of the Lotus , important writing of certain Chinese schools (Tiantai) and Japanese women (Tendai, Nichiren, Soka Gakkai), regarded by these schools as the last dictated by the Buddha, height of its teaching
the Sûtra of the Flowered Ornamentation ( Avatamsaka Sûtra ), writing of reference of the schools Huayan (China) and Kegon the (Japan), which regards it as the first testimony of the Buddha right after the nirvana, therefore most invaluable; it is about a composite work whose certain sections are at the origin of the unattached texts, like the Sûtra of the Ten Grounds ( Dashabhumikasutra )
the Sûtra Mahaparinirvana , one of the texts which exposes the universal presence at the living beings of the nature of Buddha Tathagatagarbha
will sûtras Them of the Pure Ground: Large Sukhavati-vyuha Sūtra , (Sūtra of Life-Infinite), Sūtra of Amita and Sūtra Amitayurdyhana (Sūtra of contemplations)
the Sûtra Shurangama which influenced the currents Tiantai and Chan is a samadhi will sutra, sûtra of meditation
the Suvarnaprabhasa Sūtra ( Sutra of the Confession or Sutra of the gold Light) played a very important part in Japan where its recitation by the sovereign was supposed to protect the country
the Sûtra Lankavatara , of reference of the first school chan
It will sûtra Teaching of Vimalakirti (Vimalakirtinirdesasutra), in which is expressed the Buddha and Vimalakirti, a wise layman, exposes the superiority of the mahayana on the hinayana

Texts of other Masters

Mūlamadhyamika-karikā or Stanzas of the medium par excellence of Nagarjuna, important text of the school Mādhyamika.
Abhidharmasamucaya (collection of Abhidharma ) and Yogācārabhūmi-śāstra (treated will yogacara) Asanga.
thirty verses of the doctrinaire approach of Vasubandhu.
the Treated on the awakening of the faith in Mahayana of Ashvagosha, which influenced particulèrement the schools Huayan and Kegon.
To live in Bodhisattva (Bodhicharyavatara), of Shântideva
the Sûtra of the estrade of the gift of the law , allotted to Today Neng.
the Linji read or Rinzai roku , collection of the sermons of the first patriarch of Rinzai, connects Zen.
Collections of Kōan S: the Collection of blue cliff and the Barrier without Written door
Korean or Japanese Masters such as Jinul or Dogen

Texts of Vajrayâna

Tantras

The texts most representative of the Buddhism vajrayāna are the Tantra S describing meditations and ritual which are worth its other name of “Buddhism to him tantric”. The texts tantric are presented as concerning a level higher (third wheel) than the corpora of will soutras hinayana (first wheel) and mahayana (second wheel). They would have been taught by the historical Buddha, but are held secret. The gun Tibetan contains approximately 500 of them, which supplement more than 2000 comments. A part seems borrowed from the Shivaïsme.

They are the subject of a classification in four categories which follows their order of appearance more or less:

Kriyatantras (will tantras of the action): former to the 6th century, they contain many ritual practices like the rites of rain, and many dharanis, kinds of Mantra S; various Buddhas or bodhisattvas are called upon; ex: Mahāmegha Sutra , Aryamañjushrīmūlakalpa , Subhāpariprcchā Sutra , Aparimitāyurjñānahrdayadhāranī .
Caryatantras or will upayogatantras (will tantras of the representation): posterior with the Life century, the central deity is always Vairocana. The Mahāvairocanābhisambodhi Tantra ( Daïnitchi-kyô ) of the school Shingon in fact part.
Yogatantras (will tantras yoga): the principal deity is there also Vairocana; ex: Srvatathāgatatattvasamgraha Tantra , Sarvadurgatiparishodhana Tantra , Mañjusrināmasamgīti , as well as the Vajrasekhara Sutra ( Kongocho kyo ) of Shingon.
Anuttarayogatantras (will tantras higher): they are supposed to replace the preceding categories and are divided themselves into two groups:

Yogottaratantras (higher union), still called upāya will tantras (will tantras skilful means) or will tantras fathers, produced as from the 8th century. The principal deities are Akshobhya and its parèdre Māmaki, generally described in yab yum; one recommends conduits there going against conventions. An example is the Guhyasamāja Tantra .
Prajñatantra (will tantra of wisdom), will yoginitantra or will tantras mothers, produced starting from the end of VIIIe century. Akshobhya generally appears there in its courroucée form Heruka; the female deities are numerous there. Ex: Samvara Tantra (VIIIe century) and Hevajra Tantra (10th century).

In the middle of the 11th century Kālacakratantra, still called appears Advaya, which claims to replace the precedents by proposing a synthetic representation of all the deities divided into 3 systems. Written in traditional Sanskrit, it would be, contrary to the precedents, the work of a scholar rather than of U mystical. The concept of ādhibuddha, Buddha paramount (Samantabhadra then Vajradhara), appears there for the first time.

Other Indian texts and Tibetans

Sādhanamālā, collections of meditations sādhanas.
Caryāgīti, collections of the songs through which the siddhas (practitioners of the tantrism) expressed their teaching thus. Most known are the Dohakosha of siddha Saraha 9th century and a hundred and thousand songs of Milarépa (1052 - 1135).
Terma (spiritual treasures): they are regarded as having been hidden by Padmasambhava, the founder of Buddhism Tibetan, and redécouverts by Masters, the Tertön or “discoverers of treasures”. Two are particularly known:

the Dict de Padma , mythical account of the life of Padmasambhava.
the Bardo Thödol , known under the name of book Tibetan of dead (it is acted in fact, more precisely, of a section of the text terma called “the autoliberation according to Deep Dharma of the spirit of wisdom of the peaceful and courroucées deities”).

Treaties of Kūkai

The essence of its doctrines is in the ten booklets :

the Bodaishinron ( Treated bodhi )
Six treaties in nine booklets:

the Ben-kenmitsu-nikyo-ron exposes the superiority of the esotericism, direct teaching of the Dharmakaya, on the exoterism.
the Sokushin-jobutsu-gi the attack of the state of Buddha in this existence
the Shoji-jisso-gi proposes that the teaching of Vairocana is accessible through the phenomenal existence.
the Unji-gi treats mystical significance of the has Sanskrit, whose contemplation makes it possible to reach the state of Mahavairocana.
the Hizo-hoyaku discusses the ten stages of spiritual progress. (Jûjûshin-ron)
the Hannyashingyo-hiken , comment of the Sūtra of the Heart

Editions of the gun

Certain editions of the gun of the various currents constitute important references, though not-exhaustive:

Canon pāli established at the XIXe century in Burma at the time of the council of Mandalay; it was used as a basis for a printed edition (1956) in six Asian writings and Roman characters.
the founded Faded Text Society in 1881 by T.W. Rhys Davids publishes translations in English and transcriptions in Roman character of the gun pāli, from which certain accessible in line
the Chinese gun Dazangjing , written under the patronage of emperors, was preserved more completely in Korea and at Japan. The Japanese collection, Taisho Shinshu Daizokyo, constitutes the base of the Chinese gun in line
the gun Tibetan includes/understands two parts: the Kangyour (bka'' gyur), “translation of the words of the Buddhas”, bases on the edition of Narthang of 1731; the Tengyour (bstan' gyur), “translation of the treaties”, bases on the edition of Beijing of 1411; a setting on line is being studied

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