Page 11 - Jul - Sep 2021

VOL. 18 No. 3
DID YOU KNOW?
BUDDHIST MARVELS The oldest surviving Buddhist manuscripts were

found in the Gandhara region (in present-day
Early Buddhist manuscripts include both sacred and non-sacred Afghanistan) in the late 1990s! Written on birch
texts! These works contain the basic principles and tenets of bark, these scrolls were composed sometime
Buddhism, discussions on philosophical matters, and commentaries around 100 BCE.
on the various suttas. Padma Chosdon, Class 8E, Army
Public School, Beas
SACRED ‘TIPITAKAS’
Tipitaka
The various Buddhist schools usually classify their (Three Baskets)
sacred literature into the 3 Pitakas, Tipitaka. The Pali
Tipitaka of the Theravada school is the oldest work
of all, composed between the 5th and 3rd centuries Abhidhamma
Sutta Pitaka Vinaya Pitaka
BCE! Pitaka
The ancient Sanskrit Buddhist texts travelled to
China and South-East, where they were translated Teachings of the Rules for Monks Commentaries
and incorporated in daily cultural life! Buddha and Nuns and Discussions

COLLECTIONS REVISITED
JATAKA TALES Buddhist Details
Manuscripts
The Jataka tales, or
stories of the previous Sanskrit Tripitika Cannot be found in complete
births of the Buddha, Vinaya Vaibhasha, form in India, exists in foreign
were composed more Sutra Vaibhasha, translations
than 2200 years ago! It is Abhidharma
believed that the Buddha Vaibhasha
justifi ed his teachings Mahayana Sutras Teachings from Sanskrit texts
through these stories. were incorporated with ideas
from the Mahayana School of
ACTIVITY: Identify this
Buddhist thought
Jataka story, similar to
Shravana Kumar's story
Tantric Buddhist Texts Contain ideas from Tantric
in Ramayana, depicted
Buddhism
at the Sanchi Stupa.
Tibetan Sacred Texts Consists of Kanjur (Tantric
Write about it.
Texts) and Tanjur (Writings on
medicines)
ACTIVITY: MANUSCRIPT JOURNEYS

Ancient Buddhist manuscripts have travelled…. JEWELS OF JAINISM
Mark the following: Gilgit, Bamyan Caves, Kizil Caves,
Jain manuscripts were
Kandy
primarily written on palm
leaf and paper, while cloth
was used for large paintings.
The collection includes the
sacred books Siddhanta or
Agama and the Jain Puranas.
Ahmedabad and Patan in
Gujarat were major centres of
Jain manuscript production.

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