Teaching of the Buddha & Vinaya Piṭaka

The whole teaching of the Buddha is called as Tipiṭaka since it is codified into three piṭakas (books or baskets) named as Vinaya piṭaka, Sutta piṭaka and Abhidhamma piṭaka. Vinaya piṭaka consists of all the proclamations by Buddha for the monastic communities as the disciplinary rules for the protection of virtue. Sutta piṭaka is the collection of all Buddha’s discourses to various people in various situations. The Buddha, after the enlightenment in the seventh rainy season, went to the Tāvatiṃsa deva world to discourse Abhidhamma to the devas including his mother and whole three months discoursed total Abhidhamma piṭaka. Though in the first Buddhist council, the Tipiṭaka was codified according to the currently existing manner, it is evidenced by several Suttas and Vinaya proclamations that there was a Tipiṭaka even at the time of Buddha.

Vinaya Piṭaka

Etymologically, the word Vinaya is derived from the root √nī (lead) with the prefix of vi which gives a meaning of leading to excellency (visiṭṭha) or purification (visuddhi). Therefore, it is defined as  visiṭṭhaṃ nayatīti vinayo (Vinaya means the leading to excellency) (VbhA, MndA) or visuddhaṃ nayatīti vinayo (Vinaya means the leading to purification) (PtsA). According to the above commentarial interpretation, Vinaya scholars have derived three hidden meanings of prefix vi such as the meaning of different (vividha), the meaning of distinction (visesa) and the meaning of governing (vinayana). Therefore, the commentary defines Vinaya by this stanza.

Vividha visesa nayattā - vinayanato ceva kāya vācānaṃ

vinayatta vidūhi ayaṃ - vinayo vinayoti akkhāto (VinA, p. 18)

(Because it has numerous and distinctive methods, and governs both deed and word, therefore this Vinaya scripture is called as ‘Vinaya’ by Vinaya scholars.)

According to this stanza, because of three reasons, the monastic discipline formulated by the Buddha is called Vinaya. 

1. It has numerous methods. (Vividha naya)
‘vividhā nayā etthāti vinayo’ (Vinaya means here, there are numerous methods) (VnlT). The Vinaya piṭaka consists of different methods of formulations: for example, there are five types of Pātimokkhuddesa such as Nidānuddesa, Pārājikuddesa, etc., seven types of aggregates of offenses such as Pārājika, Saṅghādisesa, etc., divisions of formulations such as Mātikā and Vibhaṅga, etc.
2.      It has distinctive methods (Visesa naya)

‘visesā nayā etthāti vinayo’ (Vinaya means here are distinctive methods) (VnlT). Vinaya formulations have distinctive methods, for example, some formulations make the rule further steady, whereas some formulations make the rule looser.
3.      It governs deed and word (Kāya vācānaṃ vinayanato)

‘vinetīti vinayo’ (Vinaya means training) (VnlT). Vinaya formulations govern the Bhikkhus’ bodily intimation and the verbal intimation that leads to wrong conduct. 

Apart from these three meanings, the word Vinaya has a meaning of allayment (vūpasama) or destroying (Vināsa). The allayment of defilements is called Vinaya. This is described as ‘vinayatīti vinayo, vināsetīti vuttaṃ hoti (Vinaya means destroying) (VinA, p. 135)’.

An account of all the Buddha’s disciplinary proclamations for Sangha is called Vinaya piṭaka. It consists of rules and regulations for the management of the Saṅgha and for the conduct of the daily life of monks and nuns (Law, 1933, p. 68). The Pali word ‘Piṭaka’ has two meanings: the meaning of scripture (pariyatti) and the meaning of basket (bhājana). Piṭaka word used in ‘mā piṭakasampadānena’ has the meaning of scripture, in the discourse ‘atha puriso āgacceyya kuddālapiṭakaṃ ādāya’, the meaning of basket. The word ‘Vinaya piṭaka’ therefore, has both meanings: Buddha’s scriptures of discipline, and a basket containing manuscripts of discipline.

Vinaya piṭaka is called ānā desanā (discourse of orders), yathāparādha sāsana (teaching according to the wrong conduct), and saṃvarāsaṃvarakathā (talk of restraint and unrestraint). Samantapāsādikā VinA explains the ‘Vinaya piṭaka’ as follows:

“Paṭhamasaṅgītiyaṃ saṅgītañca asaṅgītañca sabbampi samodhānetvā ubhayāni pātimokkhāni, dve vibhaṅgāni, dvāvīsati khandhakāni, soḷasaparivārāti idaṃ vinayapiṭakaṃ nāma. (VinA, p. 18)”.

(Having collected all codified and uncodified in first Buddhist council, including both Pātimokkha, two Vibhaṅga, twenty-two Khandhaka and sixteen Parivāra are called Vinaya piṭaka.)

Vinaya piṭaka is codified in five books, categorized into three major parts: Vibhaṅga, Khandhaka, and Parivāra.

1.      Vibhaṅga
         i.            Pārājika Pali
        ii.            Pācittiya Pali
2.      Khandhaka

               i.            Mahāvagga Pali

              ii.            Cullavagga Pali
3.      Parivāra Pali

Abbreviations

MndA : Mahāniddesa Aṭṭhakathā

PtsA    : Paṭisambhidā Aṭṭhakathā

VbhA : Vibhaṅga Aṭṭhakathā

VinA   : Vinaya Aṭṭhakathā, PTS Edition

VnlT    : Vinayālaṅkāra Tīkā

Unless where otherwise mentioned, all abbreviations refer to Chaṭṭha Saṅgāyanā Tipiṭaka 4.0 published by Vipassana Reserch Institute (1995)

References

Chaṭṭhasaṅgāyanā CD-Rom, 1995. Vipassana Research Institute, India

Law, B. C., 1933. A History of Pali Literature. s.l.:s.n.

By: Ven. Maho Gnanaloka