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The Importance of the Pāḷi Tipiṭaka
Excerpt from preface to the World Tipiṭaka Edition in Roman script

by
Venerable Phra Dhammapiṭaka
(P. A. Payutto)

The term Buddhasāsana or Buddhism is generally used to convey a wide variety of meanings ranging from the Dhamma, the Saṅgha, their organizations and activities, to all religious sites and objects. However, if we examine the term to penetrate to its core, the meaning of Buddhasāsana is straightforward —its literal reading, “the Teachings of the Buddha,” which is the essence of Buddhasāsanaṇ everything else is an extension or out growth of His teachings.

Once we have grasped the true meaning of the term, we will realize that the continuation of Buddhasāsana means the existence of the Buddha's Teachings. Were they to become vague or disappear, no matter how numerous are devotees and activities or how imposing religious institutions and objects are, it could not be said that Buddhasāsana exists. On the contrary, should those extraneous tangibles disintegrate while the Teachings of the Buddha remain, people can still have an opportunity to know Buddhasāsana. Consequently, Buddhasāsana can truly be upheld through the preservation of the Buddha's Teachings.


Dhamma and Vinaya : Embodiment and Abode of the Buddha

Buddhasāsana or the Teachings of the Buddha refer to the words of the Buddha, or His speech. Therefore, the preservation of Buddhasāsana is essentially the preservation of the words that the Buddha uttered in His sermons and the Discipline He laid down.

All Buddhists are well aware that the Dhamma and the Vinaya represent the Buddha, for the Buddha Himself said:

Ānanda, the Dhamma (Teachings) which I have expounded and the Vinaya (Discipline) which I have established for you all, the Dhamma and the Vinaya will be your Teacher after I am gone...

(M 2500/2548 7D.216)

Buddha's words are, therefore, both the embodiment and abode of the Teacher as they uphold and proclaim the Dhamma and the Vinaya for Him.

Thus, it is most vital to preserve the Buddha's words, the key to the continuation of Buddhasāsana. Attempts to preserve them have been made since the Buddha's lifetime, while the Teacher was still alive.


Saṅgīti : Preservation of the Buddha’s Words

The procedure is to collect all the words that the Buddha had uttered in the course of His teaching and divide them into sections for easy recollection. Those who took part would go over them thoroughly with questions and answers for the purpose of clarification until they reached full agreement. Participants would then chant the words together to vouchsafe their acknowledgement and establish the words thus gathered as the standard of reference to be committed to memory and handed down to future generations. This method is called Saṅgīti, which literally means “chanting together”.

This manner of Saṅgīti, or chanting together, was set as a precedent in the Buddha's lifetime by Venerable Sariputta, the chief disciple of the Buddha. Before the Buddha and the gathering of monks, Venerable Sāriputta collected the words of the Teacher together and arranged them on the basis of the number of items in their composition into groups of one to groups of ten as they now appear in the Saṅgītisutta. When the disciple finished his recitation, the Buddha gave an exclamation of approval.


The First Great Council of the Buddhist Era, B.E. 1

Later, almost immediately after the Buddha passed into Parinibbāna, the greatest and most important Saṅgīti took place. Seven days after the death of the Teacher, the Venerable Mahākassapa asked the monks to assemble for a Saṅgīti. When they all agreed, preparations were made and the First Saṅgīti was held at Rājagaha only three months after the Passing Away of the Teacher.

The gathering of the Buddha's words at this great assembly was done in this manner. The five hundred Arahants who had come in time to attend the last sermon of the Buddha met together and chose those who could recall accurately the Buddha's words in each area. The Venerable Upāli was chosen for the Disciplineṇ the Venerable Ananda, for the Teachings. Then those who were well versed in the area would recite the words of the Teacher to the assembly. The Venerable Mahākassapa, who presided over the meeting, laid down the rules for presentation by grouping and sequencing questions to be askedṇ that is, it was done systematically.

Had the recitation of the Buddha's words, together with their context, taken place in the Buddha's lifetime, He would have endorsed them Himself. However, since the First Saṅgīti took place after the Teacher had passed away, the burden fell on the Arahants who had arrived in time to see the Teacher and listen to His final sermon to ensure their accuracy by means of catechism. When consensus was reached, the assembly chanted the words together and committed them to memory to be passed on. Thus the tradition was established.

The First Saṅgīti is the most important as the Teacher's words that were compiled and memorized then were to be the standard. What remains to be done is to keep the collection of the Buddha's words, the results of the First Saṅgīti, intact in its entirety. Consequently, since then emphasis has been put on recitation as a means of preserving the Buddha's words and the monks who were entrusted with their preservation were allotted sections to memorize.

This implies that the First Saṅgīti is the only one true to the meaning of Saṅgīti -- the sense of compiling and chanting together the words of the Buddha. Subsequent Saṅgītis were only meetings where monks who had committed the Buddha's words to memory convened to cross-examine one another to ensure that the collection of the Teacher's words from the First Saṅgīti was still intact and free from any interpolation.


Saṅgīti and Tipiṭaka : Principles of Theravāda Buddhasāsana

The words of the Buddha and their context preserved through memorization were arranged and classified into what is called the Tipiṭaka, comprising the Vinayapiṭaka6 (Book of Discipline), the Suttantapiṭaka (Book of Sermons), and the Abhidhammapiṭaka (Book of the Higher Teaching).
Later on, the preservation of the Buddha's words meant taking on the burden of excluding interpolations of extraneous teachings and practices. It, therefore, had the additional task of maintaining the Buddha's words as the standard against which instructions and practices were examined. The term Saṅgīti has thus extended its meaning to cover the purging of extraneous instructions and practices.

Moreover, after some time, certain people took the extended meaning as central to the Saṅgīti to the extent that its true meaning fell into oblivion. At present, some people have gone so far as to mistakenly believe that participants of the Saṅgīti have assembled to examine the Teachings in the Tipiṭaka regarding right and wrong views or concepts. This amounts to ruling that the teachings of the Buddha here and there are right or wrong and to setting about to rectify them, while the real import of Saṅgīti is to verify that the words of the Teacher have been preserved intact in their entirety. It is, therefore, imperative in this present age to place emphasis on the true meaning of the term Saṅgīti so that it can be distinguished from other meanings that have accrued.

The history of Saṅgīti in its true though extended meaning of an assembly to go over the words of the Buddha and cross-examine them to ensure that they have remained pure, unaltered and intact can be divided into two periods. In the first, the work was done orally, known as “mukhapāṭha”ṇ in the second, it was put down in writing, known as “potthakāropana”.


Mukhapāṭha : The First Period, before B.E. 460

This period lasted for about 460 years from the Buddha's lifetime. The monks memorized the Teacher's words through recitation called mukhapāṭha, which simply means “by word of mouth,” that is, study-memorize-impart orally. This method meant that preservation was entrusted to individuals. What is good about this is that the Saṅgha realized how vital it was to preserve the Buddha's words. They, therefore, could not afford to be remiss and thus carefully committed the words to memory in their entirety. To them, preservation of the Buddha's words was of utmost importance in upholding Buddhasāsana.

Preservation by mukhapāṭha was carried out through recitation, which could be classified into four levels:

1. The responsibility fell on the majority of monks who followed along the lines of teachers of old, called !cariyaparamparā or Theravaṃsa, established by senior monks who were present at the First Saṅgīti. For instance, the Venerable Upāli, who excelled in the Discipline, had disciples undertake the task of preserving and explaining the words of the Buddha in that section and of handing them down.

2. The study of the Buddha's words was the main activity in the life of a monk, for it served as a basis for right practices, which led to insight. Specialization, however, depended on individual dispositions. Therefore, there were groups of monks who were experts in different sections of the Pāḷi Tipiṭaka. For example, some specialized in Dīghanikāya, the Collection of Long Discourses, as well as its commentary or Aṭṭhakathā, and were called Dīghabhāṇaka or chanters of Long Discourses. Likewise, there were Majjhimabhāṇaka, chanters of Middle-length Discoursesṇ Saṃyuttabhāṇaka, chanters of Connected Discoursesṇ Aṅguttarabhāṇaka, chanters of the Collection of Numerical Sayingsṇ and Khuddakabhāṇaka, chanters of the Various Collections.

3. It was a routine in a temple for each group to meet and recite the Buddha's words in unison. (This practice may have given rise to the routine of morning-evening chanting of today.)

4. It was the practice of a monk as stated in an Aṭṭhakathā or commentary that whoever was free from other activities should sit reciting the Buddha's words. This meant that reciting the words of the Teacher was part of his religious practice.


Saṅgha and Tisikkhā : Buddhist Monks and Tipiṭaka Studies

As Buddhist monks lived in a community called Saṅgha, regulated by the Discipline to proceed along the course of Tisikkhā or threefold learning and practice, every one of them fully realized that the Buddha's words in the Tipiṭaka were the essence of Buddhasāsana and had to be kept whole and pure. The recitation to preserve them, the studious atmosphere in imparting and seeking knowledge, and the question and answer sessions for clarification that would lead to proper practice all ensured that revision and verification were carried out normally, continuously.

That this method has preserved the Buddha's words intact in their entirety has been fully attested. Words on the same topic repeated four or five times under different headings or sections that were entrusted to different groups of experts are generally identical in expression. This also proves how accurately monks in the past memorized the Buddha's words. Moreover, the number of words each committed to memory was astronomical. Instances of this can still be found at present. In Myanmar several monks who have been appointed Tipiṭakadhara, or bearer of the Tipiṭaka, are able to recite the entire Pāḷi Tipiṭaka (2,708,706 words in the Romanised edition).


Potthakāropana : The Second Period, after B.E. 460

This refers to the period when all of the Buddha's words and their context in the Pāḷi Tipiṭaka were put down in writingṇ in other words, they were preserved with external objects. It began about 460 B.E. (83 B.C.), when the Fourth Saṅgīti was held at Aluvihare in old Sri Lanka.

The Fourth Saṅgīti took place because of concern over political and environmental changes at that time. There were misgivings, that they would affect the task of committing the Buddha's words to memory and handing them down. It was also foreseen that future generations would regress in terms of concentration and intelligence. For instance, their will and faith would be so weakened that they would be unable to preserve the Buddha's words by word of mouth. It was, therefore, decided to inscribe the Pāḷi Tipiṭaka on ola leaves.

In one way, preservation in writing seems to assure stability and permanencyṇ that is to say, the text would remain as it is until the material used rots away or is destroyed. However, this method has a weakness. It makes people overconfident, resting assured that the Pāḷi Tipiṭaka is in ola leaves or books. They then become slack in their attention to the recitation, revision, and study of the text, and perhaps reaching the point of negligence.

Furthermore, the writing of texts in the old days depended on scribes. Whenever texts were copied, errors and omissions were bound to occur. Thus, not only letters may have been omitted from words but whole words or lines may have disappeared. Sometimes those who were to preserve the text themselves were not skillful in inscription and so had to have the work done by other scribes. Some of these men might have been inept in Pāḷi and the Buddha's words or ignorant of both. If that was the case, chances of their making mistakes were even greater. Slips of this type were common knowledge in Thai society in the old days regarding the copying of medicinal formulas. Thus, we have a common saying: “taking medicine from the third copy means death.”

Consequently, when preservation of the Pāḷi Tipiṭaka relies on outside materials, not individuals, it is crucial to have a common authoritative volume that has been carefully written and edited. This volume should be kept at a center somewhere to serve as the pillar for the Saṅgha and for the country.

It so happens that in an age when the Buddha's words have been preserved in writing, Buddhasāsana has flourished and become a national faith of several countries. Each has established its own copy of the Pāḷi Tipiṭaka that is the pillar of the country. Measures have been taken to assure that the text remains intact and free from impurities. For example, in this region a Saṅgīti was convened by King Tilakarāja of Lanna and another one was held in the reign of King Rama I the Great of the Ratanakosin period.

Though more than a thousand years have elapsed, comparison of the Pāḷi Tipiṭaka of Buddhist countries has revealed that they agree on the whole with some differences in script. Considering the length of the text, the discrepancies are negligible. This shows that the text has been accurately maintained with full understanding of its great import.


Chaṭṭhasaṅgīti : The Buddhist Era 2500 Great International Council, B.E. 2500

When Buddhasāsana reached the twenty-fifth century of the Buddhist Era, Theravāda Buddhist countries all prepared grand celebrations. The First International Saṅgīti was convened in Myanmar from B.E. 2496 to 2500 (C.E. 1952 - 1956). Buddhist monks and scholars from every country that embraces the Theravāda tradition of Buddhasāsana and countries where Buddhasāsana is taught assembled in Myanmar to go over the text of the Pāḷi Tipiṭaka prepared by the Burmese together with versions in different scripts from other countries. This convocation is referred to as Chaṭṭhasaṅgīti, the Sixth Saṅgīti, and recognized by all Buddhist countries.

However, soon after the Chaṭṭhasaṅgīti was over, there occurred turmoil and political changes in Myanmar. This may have been the reason why the preservation and printing of the Pāḷi Tipiṭaka of the Chaṭṭhasaṅgīti had not proceeded smoothly, causing confusion between the Burmese version that had been used as a draft and the resolution version that was the outcome of the Saṅgīti.


Mahāsaṅgīti Tipiṭaka : the International Romanised Pāḷi Tipiṭaka Edition, B.E. 2545

Now, the M.L. Maniratana Bunnag Dhamma Society Fund under the patronage of His Holiness Somdet Phra Ñāṇasaṃvara the Supreme Patriarch of Thailand is about to publish in Roman script the Chaṭṭhasaṅgīti Pāḷi Tipiṭaka, the version that has been revised and edited by international monks of the Theravāda Buddhist tradition. The Pāḷi Tipiṭaka is thus made accessible to the international community.

With patience, determination and carefully laid-out procedures, the working committee has discovered the Chaṭṭhasaṅgīti Pāḷi Tipiṭaka that was printed at different times and has distinguished between the first edition and an edited version that was printed. Moreover, portions of later printed versions have been noted for what they truly are. The committee has worked hard to get the version that is most accurate. This has then been rechecked against the Pāḷi Tipiṭaka written in various scripts from several countries. It seems that the goal of the Chaṭṭhasaṅgīti has finally been realized. Furthermore, the committee has made full use of the latest technological advances. It is able to set out an efficient system of reference, and has a database that can be used for further studies and research on the Tipiṭaka, such as electronic data storing in CD-ROM with an easy search program.

Nevertheless, the ultimate goal of the task is to keep the Buddha's words that have come to us in the form of the Pāḷi Tipiṭaka intact, free from interpolations. It must be true to the collection that came out of the First Saṅgīti. This will enable the reader to have access to the original words of the Buddha with no interference from the views of others. Even opinions of Dhammasaṅgāhakācariya, or the compiling teachers of the Dhamma, if they occurred, are to be marked and distinguished. They are open for intellectual study to the full.

As it has been pointed out earlier, as long as the Pāḷi Tipiṭaka exists, Buddhasāsana will remain in its true and original form. Therefore, as long as the Pāḷi Tipiṭaka exists, people still have an opportunity to learn and benefit from Buddhasāsana.


Tipiṭaka in the Modern World

Although man has made great progress in the past thousands of years in terms of civilization and reached what is now known as the Age of Globalization, he has not been able to free himself or overcome suffering, oppression, and even war. Man expects that ethics arising from various religious beliefs will help solve these problems. However, most beliefs provide only commandments or orders that man has to observe with faith. By embracing such a belief man rises above problems within himself and those with his fellow men and put his faith in the rewards and punishments meted out by a power believed to be supernatural.

In this respect, Buddhasāsana as embodied in the words of the Pāḷi Tipiṭaka is distinctively different. It teaches the morality and ethics of self-development that will release man of all problems. He will thus attain full freedom, extricating himself from dictates of external forces. Man at present has advanced to a stage that can be considered the peak of civilization. At this point, progress entails problems that bring about suffering on all sides, ranging from lifestyles to social and environmental issues.

It is evident that civilization at this height has brought man the whole range of suffering but is unable to lead him out of it.

More and more people are beginning to realize that Buddhasāsana as expressed in the Pāḷi Tipiṭaka is the answer that can rid mankind of all suffering.

At the core of this is the problem of life, which is the most deeply felt. The suffering in man's mind, even the most rudimentary such as stress, has become a weighty problem of mankind today. Buddhasāsana incorporates the teaching that is deemed most proficient in ridding the ultimate problem of life — mental suffering. It penetrates natural truth by means of intelligence and eradicates the seed of suffering from the mind. Thus, the mind is free, clear and untarnished, and suffering will never recur.


Tipiṭaka as Important Source for Wisdom and World Peace

Out of the self and into a wider circle man is faced with social problems. Suffering comes from erroneous relations, which turn into violence and exploitation of fellow men. At this level, Buddhasāsana is prominent as a religion that spreads without the use of swords. Religious wars have never been fought in its name and none of its precepts can ever be used to justify invasions or wars. Throughout its history Buddhasāsana has truly advocated peace and loving-kindness to all. Thus sages have acknowledged that it is the first and truly pacifistic movement of the world. The Pāḷi Tipiṭaka is, therefore, the most important source from which peace-loving people can study principles and procedures that could secure peace for mankind.

The outermost circle surrounding man and his society is the environment, especially the ecological system, which is in serious trouble, threatening the survival of mankind.

Now it is generally accepted that these environmental problems stem from an erroneous concept, which is at the base of present-day civilization — the belief that man is separate from nature. Because of this man has a negative attitude towards his environment. He is intent on gaining power to overcome nature so that he can manipulate it to his advantage. To solve this problem man needs a new concept to form a new base.

On this matter Buddhasāsana teaches the Middle Way — to know things as they really are. Nature is a system of relations between all things including man, which are components that are interdependent.
Man is a special component in this system as he can be trained and developed. When man improves himself and acquires admirable qualities, he will be refined physically and mentally, inclined to render assistance to others and think creatively. Furthermore, training will develop his intellect, enabling him to gain insight into the system of relations, which are interdependent, and realize that it must proceed smoothly. When man has developed these fine attributes, he will know how to live his life and see to it that all things in nature that are systematically interrelated, proceed in harmony. This is the way that will lead man to a happy world free from exploitation.

In short, Buddhasāsana offers a base for new concepts that will shift the trend in human development from man as an opponent attempting to overcome nature to a component assisting in coexistence of all in nature.

When Buddhasāsana is seen as useful in solving this crucial problem, the Tipiṭaka will be a rich source for research and study to such end.


Tipiṭaka as Dāna : a Gift of Dhamma from Thailand

It is hoped that the Romanised Pāḷi Tipiṭaka Edition, the Buddhist Era 2500 Great International Council Pāḷi Tipiṭaka, published by the M.L. Maniratana Bunnag Dhamma Society Fund under the patronage of His Holiness Somdet Phra Ñāṇasaṃvara the Supreme Patriarch, in honour of Their Majesties the King and Queen of Thailand, to be presented as a Gift of Dhamma worldwide, will serve as a bearer of the Buddha's teachings that travels great distances. This messenger has the mission to deliver the Teacher's words, which are beautiful at the beginning, beautiful in the middle and beautiful at the end, as uttered by the Buddha when He directed the first group of disciples to proclaim His message for the benefit of all mankind.

Venerable Phra Dhammapiṭaka
(P. A. Payutto)

October 9, B.E. 2545 (C.E. 2002)