​IB Exam Material

What significance and authority do sacred texts have in Buddhism?

Theravada

• Theravada Buddhists’s sacred text is the Tipitaka (ti-three; pitaka- basket). The three “divisions”, or more commonly known as “baskets”, of the Tipitaka are the Vinaya Pitaka, the Sutta Pitaka, and the Abhidhamma Pitaka.

• The Tipitaka is of significance to the branch of Buddhism because it is the “earliest surviving record of Buddha’s teaching” (“What is Theravada Buddhism”). Theravadans believe that the works do not have to contain truth, but rather that they have to attain teachings that lead to the truth.

• The teachings of the Tipitaka are meant to be personally assessed and practiced in one’s life in hopes of discovering promising outcomes.

• The Tipitaka is the central authority for Theravadans for their beliefs and practice. It is held to a high authority because it is believed that the Four Noble Truths, the Noble Eightfold Path, and the Threefold Way are very prominently weaved “into the narrative” (“The Pali Canon (Tipitaka)”).

• In addition, an important aspect in the Tipitaka that Theravadans hold to importance is the religious experience of Buddha and his followers. The Tipitaka aids all Theravada Buddhists, including those in the monastic life, on their journey to Enlightenment.

Mahayana

• Mahayana Buddhists also accept the Tipitaka as a sacred text.

• Mahayanist Buddhists accept the Lotus Sutra in addition to the Tripitaka or Pali canon.

• The Lotus Sutra states that “Buddhahood--a condition of absolute happiness, freedom from fear and from all illusions--is inherent in all life” and “makes the attainment of enlightenment a possibility open to all people, without distinction based on gender, race, social standing or education. In this way, it is seen to be a full expression of Shakyamuni's compassionate intention of opening the way to enlightenment to all people” ("Lotus Sutra.")

• The Lotus Sutra expresses the fact that faith and devotion are essential for enlightenment and makes this especially clear for laypeople, who do not live monastically. The Lotus Sutra makes use of parables all throughout the text to make its points in a way comprehensible to its readers.

• Mahayana Buddhists believe this, out of the many Sutras that arose with the growth of the Mahayana branch of Buddhism, to be the most important Sutra and a vital teaching; it is also considered the most important Sutra in Japan and China.

Works Cited

"Buddhist Sacred Texts: The Sutras." Finding Dulcinea. N.p., 2015. Web. 18 Apr. 2016

"Lotus Sutra." Soka Gakkai International. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2016.

"The Pali Canon." Clear Vision Trust. N.p., n.d. Web. 18 Apr. 2016.

"What Is Theravada Buddhism?" Access to Insight. N.p., 2005. Web. 18 Apr. 2016.