Vinaya Pitaka
Topic: Buddhism, Jainism and Heterodox Traditions · NCERT: Class 12, Ch 4 "Thinkers, Beliefs and Buildings"
Meaning
The Vinaya Pitaka is one of the three "baskets" of the Buddhist Tipitaka. It contains the rules and regulations for monks and nuns who joined the sangha, the Buddhist monastic community. The rules show a community that tried to live simply, avoid storing up things and take responsibility for one another. The oldest version is in Pali.
Example
The Vinaya Pitaka tells a monk to keep a new felt blanket for at least six years before getting another. A monk may accept at most two or three bowlfuls of food at a house and must share it with other monks. He must put his bedding away before leaving a monastery.
Don't confuse with
- Sutta Pitaka: This basket holds the Buddha's teachings and dialogues, including the Therigāthā. It does not hold the monastic rules.
Related concepts
- Tipitaka
- Sutta Pitaka
- Abhidhamma Pitaka
- Abhidhamma Divas
- Pali
- Pali classical language
- Buddhist councils
- First Buddhist council
- Second Buddhist council
- Sthaviravada and Mahasanghika