Glimpses Of World Religions

Author(s): Gunvant Barvalia
Publisher: Navbharat Sahitya Mandir

Page 79

Glimpses of World Religions
Buddha was a rationalist. He has proclaimed to the people to submit not to a particular person but to the tactfulness or to the intellect or reason.
62
On the last moment of 80 years, bidding farewell, he said to the mendicants, "Oh, you mendicants! only Dharma is your Guru; no other person is your teacher. All things are subject to destruction. Be industrious and go ahead towards realising the goal of freedom from ills." With these deeply meaningful words, a great Divine Torch bearer left the perishable body on the full moon day (i.e. again the same day! of Vaishakh's brighter half-sud). Buddha, the man full of compassion, has obliged humanity tremendously. Buddhist Scriptures - Shastras like Tripitakas
In the Tripitak books, there is a collection of religious sermons given by Lord Buddha, right from the enlightenment of Sambodhini to the hour of death. After a long time since he took 'Nirvana', we get enough knowledge from the books compiled. Pitak means a box, a basket. Thus, Tripitakas means three baskets or three boxes of the rules. This Tripitakas or Agamas are of three types and are sometimes called the Bible of religious writings. (1) Vinay Pitak (2) Sutta (Sutra) Pitak (3) Abhidhamma (Dharma) Pitak. The details of all these three are, in brief, as follows :
(1) Vinay Pitak :
The rules regarding good conduct according to Buddha are collected in this. In addition to the rules of Bauddha Dharma - mendicants' union, the nature of repentence, the remedies of small and big as well as the ways of being freed from the mistakes - all this discription is available.
(2) Sutta Pitak :
The legends of Bauddha Dharma and the stories are