ABOUT
First we’ll explore the name that was chosen for this website’s body of work “demundanewise,“ and call upon the realised wisdom beings, the dakas and dakinis to help.
“Mundane” here does not refer to the ordinary mind capable of deeper awareness, it refers to unaware habitual automated, self-adherence patterns of lower states of consciousness and emotion.
With a human rebirth, there are the faculties of awareness we have use of, to become aware of mind, perception and reality. The opportunity to utilise a wiser course of action (karma) of the three doors of: body, speech and mind, and develop understanding in practice of the science of phenomena. This is from the point of awareness, in the inner world of being, and raising the level of conscious awareness. This is planting a “seeing path” of awareness and greater well being within. It is necessary to generate the causes of happiness in the mindstream (mental continuum).
What is the canon of the Buddha’s teachings?
(“Buddha,” means awakened to the true nature of mind’s awareness/ reality).
The canon of the historical figure, Siddhartha Gautama Shakyamuni, Buddha’s teachings is called the Tripitaka (or Tipiṭaka in Pali), which translates to the “Three Baskets.”
Structure of the Canon
The teachings are divided into three main categories, historically kept in separate baskets during oral transmission:
- Vinaya Piṭaka (Discipline Basket): Rules and guidelines for monks and nuns in the monastic community (Sangha). Also used in simple form to help the householder (lay) community guide their minds.
- Sutta Piṭaka (Discourse Basket): Sermons, stories, and teachings spoken by the Buddha and his close disciples.
- Abhidhamma Piṭaka (Higher Doctrine Basket): Detailed philosophical and psychological analysis of the mind and reality.
Major Traditions
Different Buddha Dharma traditions preserve versions of these collections:
- Pali Canon: The foundational text for Theravada Buddha Dharma, written in the Pali language. The Pali Canon is a vast collection of the oldest Buddhist texts and teachings, and a valuable resource.
- Chinese Buddha Dharma Canon: A vast collection used in East Asian Buddha Dharma.
- Tibetan Buddha Dharma Canon: Includes the translated teachings alongside esoteric and tantric texts.
We will be exploring key texts inside each basket.
In the oldest tradition of Buddha Dharma (Theravada), the original words of the Buddha and the later commentaries have specific traditional names:
- The Original Teachings: Collectively known as the Pali Canon or the Tipiṭaka (meaning the “Three Baskets”). In scriptural terms, these core texts are referred to as Buddhavacana, which translates directly to the “Word of the Buddha”.
- The Commentaries: Called the Attakatha (a Pali word that means “explanation” or “talk about the meaning”). These are the traditional, secondary texts that provide context, background stories, and word-by-word analysis of the original discourses.
Outline of the texts
To further clarify how these layers of scripture work together, the literature is organized into a clear structure:
| Layer | Pali Name | Purpose | Key Figure / Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. Canonical Text | Pāḷi or Buddhavacana | The core root text containing the original discourses spoken by the Buddha. | The historical figure Siddhartha Gautama Shakyamuni Buddha. |
| 2. Commentary | Aṭṭhakathā | Explains the underlying intent, grammar, and historical setting of the core text. | Synthesised heavily by the 5th-century scholar Buddhaghosa. |
| 3. Sub-commentary | Ṭīkā | A tertiary layer of text written later to explain complex points inside the Aṭṭhakathā itself. | Developed by subsequent generation monastic scholars. |
(Note: In Mahayana and Tibetan Buddha Dharma, the original translated words of the Buddha are compiled in a massive collection called the Kangyur, while the translated commentaries by later Indian masters are kept in a companion collection called the Tengyur.)
Further Explanation of Kangyur and Tengyur
The Kangyur and Tengyur form the two main divisions of the Tibetan Buddha Dharma Canon serving as the foundational collection of sacred texts, scriptures, and commentaries in Tibetan Buddha Dharma.
- Kangyur (meaning “Translated Words”) contains the recorded teachings, sūtras, tantras, and monastic rules spoken or approved by the Buddha himself, spanning roughly 100 to 120 volumes.
- Tengyur (meaning “Translated Treatises”) contains the vast collection of commentaries, philosophical treatises, and practice guides written by later Indian and Tibetan masters to explain the Kangyur, spanning over 220 volumes.
Further investigations will explore:
- The specific sections (like Vinaya or Tantra) inside these collections.