Paracanonical texts (Theravada Buddhism)
Encyclopedia
The term "paracanonical texts" is used by Western scholars to refer to various texts on the fringes of the Pali Canon
of Theravada
Buddhism (cf. Apocrypha
), most often to refer to the following texts sometimes regarded as included in the Pali Canon
's Khuddaka Nikaya
:
The Suttasamgaha includes selected texts primarily from the Pali Canon. The Nettipakarana and the Petakopadesa are introductions to the teachings of Buddhism; these books present methods of interpretation that lead to the knowledge of the good law (saddhamma). Milindapañhā, written in the style of the Pali suttas, contains a dialogue between the Indo-Greek king Menander
(in Pāli, Milinda) and the Thera Nāgasena, which throws a flood of light on certain important points of Buddhism.
The term is also sometimes applied to the Patimokkha
, which is not in the Canon as such, though a commentary on it is, in which much of the text is embedded.
Other terms with similar meanings include "semi-canonical" and "quasi-canonical".
, Sri Lanka.
In Burma, presumably sometime after the closing of the Abhidhamma Pitaka
(ca. 200 CE), the paracanonical texts were added to the Khuddaka Nikaya .
The Suttasamgaha was included in the 1888 Burmese Piakat samui but excluded from the 1956 Burmese Chaasagāyana edition possibly due to the Suttasamgaha's inclusion of material from the post-canonical Pali commentaries
. The Burmese Fifth Council inscriptions of the Canon include the same three works. The Burmese Phayre manuscript of the Canon, dated 1841/2, includes the Netti.
The Nettipakarana, Petakopadesa and Milindapañha appear in the Khuddaka Nikaya of the Burmese Tipitaka, while the Nettipakarana and the Petakopadesa appear in the Sinhalese printed edition.
The head of the Burmese sangha two centuries ago rearded at least the Netti and Petakopadesa as canonical. A modern Burmese teacher has described them as post-canonical.
(Pāli: -pakarana: The Guide), Nettippakarana or just Netti is a Buddhist scripture, sometimes included in the Khuddaka Nikaya
of Theravada
Buddhism's Pāli Canon
.
Translation: The Guide, tr Nanamoli, 1962, Pali Text Society
, Bristol.
The nature of the Netti is a matter of some disagreement among scholars. The translator, supported by Professor George Bond of Northwestern University
, holds that it is a guide to help those who already understand the teaching present it to others. However, A. K. Warder
, Professor Emeritus of Sanskrit at the University of Toronto
, disagrees, maintaining that it covers all aspects of interpretation, not just this.
The Netti itself says that the methods were taught by the Buddha's disciple Kaccana (also Katyayana or Kaccayana), and the colophon says he composed the book, that it was approved by the Buddha and that it was recited at the First Council. Scholars do not take this literally, but the translator admits the methods may go back to him. The translator holds that the book is a revised edition of the Petakopadesa, though this has been questioned by Professor von Hinüber. Scholars generally date it somewhere around the beginning of the common era.
The Nettipakarana presents methods of interpretation, as explained by Dhammapala, means exposition of that which leads to the knowledge of the good law. It is a Pāli work on textual and exegetical methodology. It has some similarity with the Jñānaprasthāna śāstra because they were composed with an idea to serve the same purpose. Like yāska's Nirukta to the Vedas, it has the same relation to the Pāli canon. According to Mrs. Rhys Davids, the Nettipakarana is an earlier work than the Patthana of the Abhidhamma Pitaka
. It is also called the Nettigandha or the Netti.
(petakopadesa: "Pitaka-Disclosure") is a Buddhist scripture, sometimes included in the Pāli Canon of Theravada Buddhism.
Translation: Pitaka-Disclosure, tr Nanamoli, 1964, Pali Text Society, Bristol.
The nature of this book is a matter of some disagreement among scholars. The translator, supported by Professor George Bond of Northwestern University, holds it is a guide to those who understand the teaching in presenting it to others. However, A. K. Warder, Professor Emeritus of Sanskrit in the University of Toronto, maintains that it covers all aspects of interpretation, not just that.
According to the chapter colophons, the book was composed by the Buddha's disciple Kaccana (or Kaccayana). Scholars do not take this literally, though the translator mentions that the methods may go back to him. Scholars tend to give dates around the beginning of the common era.
The text of the book as handed down in manuscript is very corrupt. This book was regarded as canonical by the head of the Burmese sangha about two centuries ago. It is included in the inscriptions of the Canon approved by the Burmese Fifth Council and in the printed edition of the Sixth Council text.
The Petakopadesa deals with the textual and the exegetical methodology. It is nothing but a different manipulation of the subject-matter discussed in the Nettipakarana. In some places there are quotations from the Tipitaka. B.C. Law says, “its importance lies also in the fact that in places it has quoted the Pāli canonical passages mentioning the sources by such names as Samyuttaka (Samyutta Nikāya) and Ekuttaraka (Ekuttara or Anguttara Nikāya)”. The Petakopadesa describes the cattāri ariyasaccāni or the Four Noble Truths as the central theme or the essence of Buddhism.
, who reigned in the second century BCE, and a monk named Nagasena, not independently known.
Rhys Davids says it is the greatest work of classical Indian prose, though Moritz Winternit says this is true only of the earlier parts, it being generally accepted by scholar that the work is composite, with additions made over some time. In support of this, it is noted that the Chinese versions of the work are substantially shorter. The book is included in the inscriptions of the Canon approved by the Burmese Fifth Council and the printed edition of the Sixth Council text
The Milindapañhā. This work is much revered throughout and is one of the most popular and authoritative works of Pāli Buddhism.
What is most interesting about the Milindapañhā is that it is the product of the encounter of two great civilizations - Hellenistic Greece and Buddhist India - and is thus of continuing relevance as the wisdom of the East meets the modern Western world. King Milinda poses questions about dilemmas raised by Buddhist philosophy that we might ask today. And Nāgasena's responses are full of wisdom, wit, and helpful analogies.
Pāli Canon
The Pāli Canon is the standard collection of scriptures in the Theravada Buddhist tradition, as preserved in the Pāli language. It is the only completely surviving early Buddhist canon, and one of the first to be written down...
of Theravada
Theravada
Theravada ; literally, "the Teaching of the Elders" or "the Ancient Teaching", is the oldest surviving Buddhist school. It was founded in India...
Buddhism (cf. Apocrypha
Apocrypha
The term apocrypha is used with various meanings, including "hidden", "esoteric", "spurious", "of questionable authenticity", ancient Chinese "revealed texts and objects" and "Christian texts that are not canonical"....
), most often to refer to the following texts sometimes regarded as included in the Pali Canon
Pāli Canon
The Pāli Canon is the standard collection of scriptures in the Theravada Buddhist tradition, as preserved in the Pāli language. It is the only completely surviving early Buddhist canon, and one of the first to be written down...
's Khuddaka Nikaya
Khuddaka Nikaya
The Khuddaka Nikaya is the last of the five nikayas, or collections, in the Sutta Pitaka, which is one of the "three baskets" that compose the Pali Tipitaka, the scriptures of Theravada Buddhism...
:
- Suttasamgaha (abbrev. "Suttas"; "SuttaSutta PitakaThe Sutta Pitaka is the second of the three divisions of the Tipitaka or Pali Canon, the Pali collection of Buddhist writings, the scriptures of Theravada Buddhism...
Compendium") - NettipakaranaNettipakaranaThe Nettipakarana is a Buddhist scripture, sometimes included in the Khuddaka Nikaya of Theravada Buddhism's Pali Canon....
(abbrev. "Nett"; "Book of Guidance") - PetakopadesaPetakopadesaThe Petakopadesa is a Buddhist scripture, sometimes included in the Khuddaka Nikaya of the Pali Canon of Theravada Buddhism.Translation: Pitaka-Disclosure, tr Nanamoli, 1964, Pali Text Society, Bristol...
(abbrev. "Pe"; "Instruction on the Tipitaka") - Milindapañha (abbrev. "Mil"; "Questions of Milinda")
The Suttasamgaha includes selected texts primarily from the Pali Canon. The Nettipakarana and the Petakopadesa are introductions to the teachings of Buddhism; these books present methods of interpretation that lead to the knowledge of the good law (saddhamma). Milindapañhā, written in the style of the Pali suttas, contains a dialogue between the Indo-Greek king Menander
Menander I
Menander I Soter "The Saviour" was one of the rulers of the Indo-Greek Kingdom from either 165 or 155 BC to 130 BC ....
(in Pāli, Milinda) and the Thera Nāgasena, which throws a flood of light on certain important points of Buddhism.
The term is also sometimes applied to the Patimokkha
Patimokkha
In Buddhism, the Patimokkha is the basic Theravada code of monastic discipline, consisting of 227 rules for fully ordained monks and 311 for nuns . It is contained in the Suttavibhanga, a division of the Vinaya Pitaka.- Parajika :...
, which is not in the Canon as such, though a commentary on it is, in which much of the text is embedded.
Other terms with similar meanings include "semi-canonical" and "quasi-canonical".
History
The Suttasamgaha is believed to have been composed in AnurādhapuraAnuradhapura
Anuradhapura, , is one of the ancient capitals of Sri Lanka, famous for its well-preserved ruins of ancient Lankan civilization.The city, now a UNESCO World Heritage Site, lies 205 km north of the current capital Colombo in Sri Lanka's North Central Province, on the banks of the historic...
, Sri Lanka.
In Burma, presumably sometime after the closing of the Abhidhamma Pitaka
Abhidhamma Pitaka
The Abhidhamma Pitaka is the last of the three pitakas constituting the Pali Canon, the scriptures of Theravāda Buddhism....
(ca. 200 CE), the paracanonical texts were added to the Khuddaka Nikaya .
The Suttasamgaha was included in the 1888 Burmese Piakat samui but excluded from the 1956 Burmese Chaasagāyana edition possibly due to the Suttasamgaha's inclusion of material from the post-canonical Pali commentaries
Atthakatha
Atthakatha refers to Pali-language Theravadin Buddhist commentaries to the canonical Theravadin Tipitaka. These commentaries give the traditional interpretations of the scriptures. The major commentaries were based on earlier ones, now lost, in Old Sinhalese, which were written down at the same...
. The Burmese Fifth Council inscriptions of the Canon include the same three works. The Burmese Phayre manuscript of the Canon, dated 1841/2, includes the Netti.
The Nettipakarana, Petakopadesa and Milindapañha appear in the Khuddaka Nikaya of the Burmese Tipitaka, while the Nettipakarana and the Petakopadesa appear in the Sinhalese printed edition.
The head of the Burmese sangha two centuries ago rearded at least the Netti and Petakopadesa as canonical. A modern Burmese teacher has described them as post-canonical.
Nettipakarana
The NettipakaranaNettipakarana
The Nettipakarana is a Buddhist scripture, sometimes included in the Khuddaka Nikaya of Theravada Buddhism's Pali Canon....
(Pāli: -pakarana: The Guide), Nettippakarana or just Netti is a Buddhist scripture, sometimes included in the Khuddaka Nikaya
Khuddaka Nikaya
The Khuddaka Nikaya is the last of the five nikayas, or collections, in the Sutta Pitaka, which is one of the "three baskets" that compose the Pali Tipitaka, the scriptures of Theravada Buddhism...
of Theravada
Theravada
Theravada ; literally, "the Teaching of the Elders" or "the Ancient Teaching", is the oldest surviving Buddhist school. It was founded in India...
Buddhism's Pāli Canon
Pāli Canon
The Pāli Canon is the standard collection of scriptures in the Theravada Buddhist tradition, as preserved in the Pāli language. It is the only completely surviving early Buddhist canon, and one of the first to be written down...
.
Translation: The Guide, tr Nanamoli, 1962, Pali Text Society
Pali Text Society
The Pali Text Society was founded in 1881 by T.W. Rhys Davids "to foster and promote the study of Pali texts".Pali is the language in which the texts of the Theravada school of Buddhism is preserved...
, Bristol.
The nature of the Netti is a matter of some disagreement among scholars. The translator, supported by Professor George Bond of Northwestern University
Northwestern University
Northwestern University is a private research university in Evanston and Chicago, Illinois, USA. Northwestern has eleven undergraduate, graduate, and professional schools offering 124 undergraduate degrees and 145 graduate and professional degrees....
, holds that it is a guide to help those who already understand the teaching present it to others. However, A. K. Warder
A. K. Warder
Anthony Kennedy Warder is a scholar of Indology, mostly in Buddhist studies and related fields, such as the Pāli and Sanskrit languages. He has written 15 books and numerous articles. He currently holds the title of Professor Emeritus of Sanskrit in the School of East Asian Studies in the...
, Professor Emeritus of Sanskrit at the University of Toronto
University of Toronto
The University of Toronto is a public research university in Toronto, Ontario, Canada, situated on the grounds that surround Queen's Park. It was founded by royal charter in 1827 as King's College, the first institution of higher learning in Upper Canada...
, disagrees, maintaining that it covers all aspects of interpretation, not just this.
The Netti itself says that the methods were taught by the Buddha's disciple Kaccana (also Katyayana or Kaccayana), and the colophon says he composed the book, that it was approved by the Buddha and that it was recited at the First Council. Scholars do not take this literally, but the translator admits the methods may go back to him. The translator holds that the book is a revised edition of the Petakopadesa, though this has been questioned by Professor von Hinüber. Scholars generally date it somewhere around the beginning of the common era.
The Nettipakarana presents methods of interpretation, as explained by Dhammapala, means exposition of that which leads to the knowledge of the good law. It is a Pāli work on textual and exegetical methodology. It has some similarity with the Jñānaprasthāna śāstra because they were composed with an idea to serve the same purpose. Like yāska's Nirukta to the Vedas, it has the same relation to the Pāli canon. According to Mrs. Rhys Davids, the Nettipakarana is an earlier work than the Patthana of the Abhidhamma Pitaka
Abhidhamma Pitaka
The Abhidhamma Pitaka is the last of the three pitakas constituting the Pali Canon, the scriptures of Theravāda Buddhism....
. It is also called the Nettigandha or the Netti.
Petakopadesa
The PetakopadesaPetakopadesa
The Petakopadesa is a Buddhist scripture, sometimes included in the Khuddaka Nikaya of the Pali Canon of Theravada Buddhism.Translation: Pitaka-Disclosure, tr Nanamoli, 1964, Pali Text Society, Bristol...
(petakopadesa: "Pitaka-Disclosure") is a Buddhist scripture, sometimes included in the Pāli Canon of Theravada Buddhism.
Translation: Pitaka-Disclosure, tr Nanamoli, 1964, Pali Text Society, Bristol.
The nature of this book is a matter of some disagreement among scholars. The translator, supported by Professor George Bond of Northwestern University, holds it is a guide to those who understand the teaching in presenting it to others. However, A. K. Warder, Professor Emeritus of Sanskrit in the University of Toronto, maintains that it covers all aspects of interpretation, not just that.
According to the chapter colophons, the book was composed by the Buddha's disciple Kaccana (or Kaccayana). Scholars do not take this literally, though the translator mentions that the methods may go back to him. Scholars tend to give dates around the beginning of the common era.
The text of the book as handed down in manuscript is very corrupt. This book was regarded as canonical by the head of the Burmese sangha about two centuries ago. It is included in the inscriptions of the Canon approved by the Burmese Fifth Council and in the printed edition of the Sixth Council text.
The Petakopadesa deals with the textual and the exegetical methodology. It is nothing but a different manipulation of the subject-matter discussed in the Nettipakarana. In some places there are quotations from the Tipitaka. B.C. Law says, “its importance lies also in the fact that in places it has quoted the Pāli canonical passages mentioning the sources by such names as Samyuttaka (Samyutta Nikāya) and Ekuttaraka (Ekuttara or Anguttara Nikāya)”. The Petakopadesa describes the cattāri ariyasaccāni or the Four Noble Truths as the central theme or the essence of Buddhism.
Milindapañhā
The Milindapanha (also -pañha or -pañhā) is a Buddhist scripture, sometimes included in the Pāli Canon of Theravada Buddhism as a book of the Khuddaka Nikaya. It is in the form of a dialogue between King Menander I (or Milinda) of BactriaBactria
Bactria and also appears in the Zend Avesta as Bukhdi. It is the ancient name of a historical region located between south of the Amu Darya and west of the Indus River...
, who reigned in the second century BCE, and a monk named Nagasena, not independently known.
Rhys Davids says it is the greatest work of classical Indian prose, though Moritz Winternit says this is true only of the earlier parts, it being generally accepted by scholar that the work is composite, with additions made over some time. In support of this, it is noted that the Chinese versions of the work are substantially shorter. The book is included in the inscriptions of the Canon approved by the Burmese Fifth Council and the printed edition of the Sixth Council text
The Milindapañhā. This work is much revered throughout and is one of the most popular and authoritative works of Pāli Buddhism.
What is most interesting about the Milindapañhā is that it is the product of the encounter of two great civilizations - Hellenistic Greece and Buddhist India - and is thus of continuing relevance as the wisdom of the East meets the modern Western world. King Milinda poses questions about dilemmas raised by Buddhist philosophy that we might ask today. And Nāgasena's responses are full of wisdom, wit, and helpful analogies.
Sources
- Hinüber, Oskar von (1996; pbk. ed. 2000). A Handbook of Pāli Literature. Berlin: Walter de Gruyter. ISBN 3-11-014992-3.
- Malalasekera, G.P. (1937–38). Dictionary of Pāli Proper Names . Pali Text SocietyPali Text SocietyThe Pali Text Society was founded in 1881 by T.W. Rhys Davids "to foster and promote the study of Pali texts".Pali is the language in which the texts of the Theravada school of Buddhism is preserved...
. Retrieved 2008-07-11 from "What the Buddha said in plain English!" at http://what-buddha-said.net/library/DPPN/index_dict.ppn.htm.