The Tipitaka (Pali: Tipiṭaka, “three baskets”) is the collection of the Buddha’s teachings preserved by the Theravāda tradition. It is written in Pali, a language closely related to the one the Buddha spoke.
The three baskets
- Vinaya Piṭaka — the discipline for monks and nuns.
- Sutta Piṭaka — the discourses of the Buddha and his disciples.
- Abhidhamma Piṭaka — the systematic analysis of mind and matter.
How it was preserved
After the Buddha’s passing, his senior disciples gathered at Rājagaha for the First Council, where the teachings were recited and agreed. For centuries they were passed down orally by groups of monks who memorised them. In Sri Lanka, in the first century BCE, the canon was written down on palm leaves at Aluvihāra near Matale — a treasured moment in Sri Lankan Buddhist history.
Commentaries
Alongside the canon are commentaries (aṭṭhakathā), many compiled in Sri Lanka and later edited by the great scholar Buddhaghosa. They explain difficult passages and preserve the stories behind many discourses.
Where to start: the Dhammapada, then a few suttas from the Majjhima Nikāya. Read slowly — a short passage understood well is worth more than many pages skimmed.