Could someone help me get my head around Buddhist literature?

[Phasmid]

Hi, I was wondering if someone could help me understand more of the background of Buddhism. I understand the basic principles from reading books by contemporary authors, but when ever I hear mention of cannonical sources I get extremely confused.

Could someone help me out with something like this format?:

Judaism --------> Torah
Christianity ----> Bible

Buddhism -------> Sect -------> Literature

Cheers.

 

[Father Heathen]

Buddhist texts - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Engyo]

Hi, I was wondering if someone could help me understand more of the background of Buddhism. I understand the basic principles from reading books by contemporary authors, but when ever I hear mention of cannonical sources I get extremely confused.

Could someone help me out with something like this format?:

Judaism --------> Torah
Christianity ----> Bible

Buddhism -------> Sect -------> Literature

Cheers.

Your diagram is somewhat inaccurate. Different traditions and schools of Buddhism tend to focus on one or a group of Sutras as their primary texts, but not to the same extent that the Abrahamic faiths focus on their writings.

 

[Twilight Hue]

Mind you text varies school to school.

Soto:

Fundamental Sutras:

1)Shobogenzo
2)Denkoroku

Daily use sutras:

3)Shushogi

4)Hannya Shingyo (Commonly referred to as The Heart Sutra)

Soto was my first choice as a school.

Bompu Zen of which I'm currently practicing, has no sutras of which is left up to the individual to decide if any for him/herself, yet the basic tenants of Zen are still practiced by way of Zazen.

 

[Tathagata]

Let me give you a clear and concise answer:

Buddhist scripture

Pali Canon/Tipitaka (Think of it as like the Old Testament)
Mahayana Sutras (Think of these as the New Testament)

Don't worry about the different sects and the fact that they choose to favor a couple of Sutras. Buddhism taken as a whole, those are the complete scriptures.


.

 

[Engyo]

Let me give you a clear and concise answer:

Buddhist scripture

Pali Canon/Tipitaka (Think of it as like the Old Testament)
Mahayana Sutras (Think of these as the New Testament)

Don't worry about the different sects and the fact that they choose to favor a couple of Sutras. Buddhism taken as a whole, those are the complete scriptures.


.

Recent scholarship has shown that this may be a somewhat simplistic way of viewing the canon; but to each his/her own.

 

[More In Common]

I agree with everything above.

I'm not sure if this will add anything that hasn't already been said. But I believe in Buddhism there is much more flexibility when it comes to literature or sacred texts.
As mentioned before, each sect (denomination or school of Buddhist thought) will likely have a different set or series of scriptures, but I think if you explore the various documents, you'll find many overlapping themes/messages.

Hope this helps a bit Phasmid!

 

[Tathagata]

Recent scholarship has shown that this may be a somewhat simplistic way of viewing the canon; but to each his/her own.

Yea, well the OP was looking for a simple answer and that there is the simple, correct answer.

Sure there's, more to know about it but theres also more to know about the Bible like the multiple authors, combination of books, omissions, and sectarian varying versions of the Bible, yet its still accurate to say its comprised of the Old Testament and the New Testament.


.
.

 

[ratikala]

Hi, I was wondering if someone could help me understand more of the background of Buddhism. I understand the basic principles from reading books by contemporary authors, but when ever I hear mention of cannonical sources I get extremely confused.





Buddhism -------> Sect -------> Literature

Cheers.

dear phasmid ,

it can appear rather confusing purely because each tradition has its own discorces on the sutras that particularly interest them ,
and very often these are often known by different names in each tradition .


the early schools ,

theravada .........use the tipitaka ........which concists of three collections of writings often known as the three baskets.the tipitaka concists of

vinaya pitaka , rules and regulations intended for the monastic comunity .
suta pitaka , teachings and sayings of the budha .
abhidharmma , later discorces on the bhuddhist doctrine .


later mahayana schools ,

tibetan mahayna ......use kanjur........a collection of 108 works giving the teachings of the buddha .

...........................and tanjur.........a collection of discources on buddhist teachings, including the abhidamma , sutra and tantra .


chinese buddhism.........has their own equivalent of kanjur and tanjur , but rely more heavily on particular sutras a colection of which are grouped together as the
...............................prajnaparamita sutras these contain many later indian mahayana sutras , (commonly known as the perfection of wisdom sutras)
these mahayana sutras appear in many traditions stretching from their original home in india through china korea japan and tibet .

korea and japan...........of the many individual traditions each have their own favorite sutras (again from the mahayana prajnaparamita sutras )


there are of course many variations and crossovers within these schools where over time each tradition taken in a little of their neiboring cultures influence , but I hope that this simplifies things a little to start with .

then of course there is tantra which occurs in some indian and tibetan mahayana traditions , but for the moment , I dont want to confuse things , < so talk about that another day .





namaskars :namaste ratikala