Pali scriptures and the preservation of the teachings of the Buddha .VIETNAMESE TRANSLATE ENGLISH BY=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=THICH CHAN TANH.

The teachings of the Buddha were transmitted primarily from word of generation to generation for about three to four hundred years before being comprehensively rewritten at the beginning of the first century BC before the Christian calendar more than 2,000 years ago. , in Matale, Sri Lanka (Sri Lanka).

The reason this dharma is kept almost entirely in terms of content is that it has been drafted in a form that is suitable for oral transmission, meaning that most of it is in summary form. Today, the complete records of the teachings of the Buddha, the Pali Canon, are kept in 37 volumes of the Tipitaka.

The Buddha's teachings, which he spoke in the Magadhi language, were condensed and written; This form of writing is called Pali, but because Pali did not have its own writing system, the teaching was recorded according to the Sinhala writing system.

The Buddha's teachings, which he spoke in the Magadhi language, were condensed and written; This form of writing is called Pali, but because Pali did not have its own writing system, the teaching was recorded according to the Sinhala writing system. This makes it easy to separate Mahayana literature from the Buddha's teaching system, because Mahayana literature is entirely written in the Sanskrit language and never in the Pali language; and thus all Mahayana sutras are composed by Mahayana philosophers. Around the beginning of the first millennium, translations of Tipitaka into Chinese and later into Tibetan were also made. Thus, the original Pali texts may be expected to contain most of the original discourses given by the Buddha himself.

Today, especially for Westerners, it is hard to believe that such a level of accuracy can be maintained for an oral document. However, we need to understand that the traditions and the determination of the monks over thousands of years have helped preserve most of the original teachings of Buddha. Even today, there are many people who memorize large parts of Tipitaka, especially in Myanmar (formerly Burma [Burma]). In Myanmar, there are still special contests to test such rote memorization. During the oral tradition, there were groups of monks who memorized the overlapping parts of Tipitaka; Then, during the meetings,

Pali original texts may be expected to contain most of the original discourses given by the Buddha himself.

One of the main reasons for the first gathering (called the First Gathering Conference) to be convened in about three months immediately after the Buddha's passing into nirvana (around 480 BC) was to reorganize that massive document block. Over the next two hundred years, two more Gathering Conferences were held to recite and verify the content of the Dharma, and also to perfect Tipitaka in the three main components (Tipitaka means three organs).

The second assembly was held almost a century after the first assembly. The third assembly was held in 250 in Pataliputra (Hoa Thanh) under the patronage of Emperor Ashoka (Ashoka). Three legal organs were completed in this third episode. Finally, the entire complete system of Buddhist teachings called Tipitaka was written in 29 BC before the fourth assembly meeting held in Matale, Sri Lanka.

The important point to keep in mind here is that in many cases, each edition is a condensed version of a lecture. For example, the Dharma Wheel of Dharma is taught by the Buddha to the five recluse at Deer Park over a night. Imagine how many pages should be written if every single word of the lecture was recorded! But this sutta has been summarized in a few pages. The same is true of all important suttas. If not, it is not possible to spread all thousands of such suttas. 

The Buddha spoke most of his discourses in the Magadhi language (meaning holy path). Tipitaka was written in the Pali language according to the Sinhala writing system. Pali is a version of the Magadhi (Ma-master-da) language suitable for recording oral lectures in the form of abstracts convenient for propagation. Each Pali word carries a lot of information, so the commentaries (called atthakatha) must be written to clarify the meaning of important Pali words and explain key phrases in the suttas. That means Tipitaka must be used with the glossary. Pali classics are not allowed to translate word for word.

Unfortunately, most of the Sinhala language commentaries were burned during the Anuradhapura period. Fortunately, the three original commentaries were written by the great disciples of the Buddha [Venerable Sariputa (Xa-profit-waving), Venerable Kaccayana (Ca-fried-diên) ...] during the Buddha's time in that has been included in Tipitaka (located in the Khuddhaka Nikaya section) and still exists.

Unfortunately, most of the Sinhala language commentaries were burned during the Anuradhapura period. Fortunately, the three original commentaries were written by the great disciples of the Buddha [Venerable Sariputa (Xa-profit-waving), Venerable Kaccayana (Ca-fried-diên) ...] during the Buddha's time in that has been included in Tipitaka (located in the Khuddhaka Nikaya section) and still exists. The reason for the revival of the current Dharma teaching by the Sri Lankan masters is possible, in part because of the support of these three documents (Patisambhida magga, Petakopadesa and Nettippakarana).

With the loss of most of the glossaries and the remaining three noteworthy glossaries, little ones started translating the three Pali canon in other languages. The problem was further complicated by the increasing use of the Sanskrit language beginning in the 1st century CE. For example, the word "anicca" (impermanence) in the Pali language was first translated into Sanskrit as "anitya" so that later, this "anitya" of Sanskrit was accepted as a word of the Sinhala language. used to translate the word "anicca".

Similarly, the word "anatta" in the Pali language was translated into Sanskrit as "anathma" and then accepted as the word for the Sinhala language used to translate the word "anatta". This alone has been responsible for preventing millions of people from reaching Nirvana for many years. I think there are some key words in the Pali language that cannot be translated into Sanskrit or English or any other language without losing their true meaning. That is why I always use some original words in the Pali language and explain their meaning.

The Buddha foresaw the problem and warned against translating Tipitaka into any other languages, especially the Sanskrit language. There were two Brahmin monk named Yamela and Kekuta who are experts on Vedic texts; they became bhikkhus and asked the Buddha to see if they should translate the Pali texts into Sanskrit. That is when the Buddha advised them that Sanskrit is a language with many connotations developed by brahmins who have high consciousness and therefore cannot convey the true meanings of the words Magadha (Pali). ) in the Sanskrit language. This is noted in Culavagga (The Book of the Vinaya).

In the twentieth century, the whole Tipitaka was written on a well-prepared palm leaf (ginkgo leaf). The leaves used to copy the sūtra will be damaged in about 100 years and so, on an average of about 100 years, one must copy the entire system of this classic once to store.

Another important point to note is that until the twentieth century, the entire Tipitaka scripture was also written on a well-prepared palm leaf (juniper leaf). The leaves used to copy the sutras will be damaged in about 100 years and so, on an average of about 100 years, one must copy the entire classic system once to store. Although it was a laborious process (up to 60 large volumes in the modern print edition of Tipitaka), the transcription served another important purpose: Sinhala language (also Spoken and written languages) have changed greatly over the past 2,000 years. The need to rewrite the Tipitaka script every hundred years ensures that changes in the writing system of the Sinhala language are taken into account, while of course, the Pali language does not change at all.

Shortly before the commentaries in the Sinhala language were destroyed, Buddhaghosa translated and edited them back into the Pali language in his Visuddhimagga (Purification of Path) and many other volumes.

Finally, just before the Sinhala language commentary was burned, Buddhaghosa translated and edited the notes back to the Pali language in his Visuddhimagga (Purification of Virtue) and many volumes of books. other. Although Buddhaghosa left some confusion (for example, adding the method of meditation according to kasina and replacing the method of immediate input into breathing meditation), he actually used the words "anicca" and "anatta" in Pali version of his Visuddhimagga episode. Thus, the misinterpretation of the words "anicca" and "anatta" probably occurred long before him, probably from the first to the second century CE.

Timeline of Dharma preparation for propagation

Not long after the Buddha entered Nirvana, Venerable Mahakassapa (Ma-ha Ca-lettuce), the natural head of the Sangha during the Buddha's time, recruited five hundred monks, all of whom had already reached their destination. Arahant (who has reached the state of Nirvana) to gather and compile an authoritative version of the teaching. This first scripture assembly was held in Rajagaha (Vuong Xa), the capital of Magadha just three months after the Buddha's Great Nirvana. The small piece, one of the Pali Vinaya works, details in detail how the authoritative texts of the dharma were compiled: Based on the recitation of Venerable Upali ly, Vinaya Pitaka, a compilation of disciplinary issues, has been compiled.

Not long after the Buddha entered Nirvana, Venerable Mahakassapa (Ma-ha Ca-lettuce), the natural head of the Sangha during the Buddha's time, recruited five hundred monks, all of whom had already reached their destination. Arahant (who has reached the state of Nirvana) to gather and compile an authoritative version of the teaching.

Next, the Venerable Ananda (Ananda) recited the Dhamma part, called the Sutta Pitaka, which means the discourses on the Buddha's teachings, and on the basis of the recitation of the Sutta That Pitaka, the compilation of all the lectures that were compiled. Venerable Ananda is considered to have a great memory and has memorized all the teachings of the Buddha.

The Abhidhamma (Abhidhamma) has been carefully mulled by all the Arahants present at this first assembly. Although the Abhidhamma organ was also recited at the first and second assembly, it was only at the third assembly that it became known as its content and became the organ. third and the last organ of the scripture system transmitted by the Buddha.

Litigation procedures developed by Elder Moggaliputtatissa in Kathavatthu (Differences) were presented during the Third Meeting and became part of Tipitaka. It was during this Third Gathering Conference that the Abhidhamma organ was completed, and the final version of Tipitaka (as it is today) was completed.

The Eight Heart Sutra (Tâm 般若 波羅蜜 多 經) was discovered at Coc Cau Caves (吐峪溝), an ancient oasis, located on the Takelamagan Shamo Desert (塔克拉玛干 沙漠) Can desert), a desert in Central Asia, in the area of ​​the Xinjiang Uyghur autonomous region of the People's Republic of China. Photo: Prof. Ha Lap Dong (夏立東) /ecns.cn

The layout of the canon Tripitaka Pali (Tipitaka) is as follows:

1. Vinaya Pitaka (Vinaya Pitaka)  consists of five books: Prajika Pali (Gender analysis Bhikkhu-stilts, Real residence, talking about serious errors), Pacittiya Pali (Analysis of Bhikkhu-stilts. about minor errors), Mahavagga Pali (Great Product), Cullavagga Pali (Light Product) Parivara Pali (Essential).

2. The Sutta Pitaka  includes the five Nikaya: Digha Nikaya (The Land), Majjhima Nikaya (The Central), Samyutta Nikaya (Corresponding set), Anguttara Nikaya (The branch and the Sangha) and Khuddaka Nikaya (the Ministry).

3. The Abhidhamma Tripitaka  includes the following works: Dhamma Sangani (Classification of dhammas, namely, citta, mental consciousness and rupa), Vibhanda (Analysis of dhammas mentioned in previous works), Kathavattu ( Dissertation, points out the differences), Puggala Pannati (Human Institution and Classification of Sentient Beings), Datukhatha (Discussion, discussion and references to the components), Yamaka (Duplex) and Patthana (Vi. location, discuss the categories of dependent origination).

The collection of all these works is called the Pali canon. This expanded system of formal documents was completed at the Third Gathering Conference and re-written in 29 BC before the Aluvihara Monastery, Sri Lanka during the fourth assembly meeting. . Materials in Pali language are written in Sinhala writing system.

This massive collection, written on a beech leaf, was prepared with a pen, which was like a steel knife with a sharp nose and carved letters on the surface of a soft leaf. A toner made from succulent fruit is rubbed gently over the entire page and then gently wiped away so that only the remaining ink remains in the carvings. It is said that the Pali Tipitaka is written on gold leaf sheets.

It should be noted that from Sri Lanka, the Buddha's original teachings were introduced into Burma and Thailand during the first century AD; successive two centuries later, this teaching spread to neighboring countries like Laos and Cambodia and still exists in its original form to this day. Particularly in Cambodia (today Cambodia), in the late 1970s, the Khmer Rouge regime killed most of the monks, making the Buddha's teachings in this place almost destroyed.

It is said that the Pali Tipitaka is written on gold leaf sheets.

While the Sangha in Sri Lanka, with the help of many kings, had the honor of preserving the complete teaching of the Buddha, it went through many changes in India as well as in China and Japan. Ban and Tibet, and from about 1200 onwards, the Buddha's teachings disappeared from India.END=NAM MO SHAKYAMUNI BUDDHA.( 3 TIMES ).GOLDEN AMITABHA MONASTERY=VIETNAMESE BUDDHIST NUN=THICH CHAN TANH.AUSTRALIA,SYDNEY.2/6/2020.