Book Title: Studies in Buddhist and Jaina Monachism
Author(s): Nand Kishor Prasad
Publisher: Research Institute of Prakrit Jainology & Ahimsa Mujjaffarpur
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INTRODUCTORY
whose time the Canon is alleged to have been committed to writing, or even if not so, then to the composition of the Milindapañho, a work of the first century AD., in which the Pali Canon or some portions of them are referred to. Thus probably the Pāli Canon was compiled and composed in between 600 B, C. and 100 A.D.
It may aptly be remarked that for the history of the Buddhist Sargha the books on the Vinaya are of supreme importance while those of Sutta are of some profit, but those of Adhidhamma are of little account Naturally our knowledge of the Buddhist Sargha will be based on the books of the Vinayapitaka of the Theravada School, though an effort to utilise the Vinaya texts of the Sarvāstivāda school will also be made with a view to make the study comprehensive.
What is true of the Pitakas is, of course, applicable in case of their commentaries as well, i. e., the commentaries on the Vinaya are more useful for our purpose than the commentaries on the other Pitakas. The utility of the commentaries lies in the fact that they explain the unintelligible terms and expressions, remove the vagueness of the original rule and somestimes also suppleroent it.
Among the good number of commentaries on the Vinaya, those written by Buddhaghosa and Buddhadatta Mahātheras are the most ancient and reliable. Others ascribed to a date much later than the former are steriotyped, for either they are sub.coin nentaries, or simply contain the Vinaya rules in an abridged form, or presuppose the commentaries of Buddhaghosa. Consequently it would be advisable to exploit the Atthakathäs of Buddhaghosa only. Nevertheless, with a view to facilitate the task of the readers and the scholars, a list of the important commentaries and sub.commentaries on the Vinaya is appended here. The Commentaries
The Commentators 1. Samantapăsădika
–Buddhaghosa Mahathera (A Commentary on the Vinaya) 2. Saratthadīpanī Tīkā
-Sāriputta Thera of Ceylon (A Commentary on Samantapāsādika) 3. Samantapāsädika Yojana
-Jagara Thera 4. Kankhävitarans or
-Buddhaghosa Mahāthera Matikatthakatha
(A Commentary on the Patimokkha) 5. Karkhăvitarani Tikā or
-Buddhanāga Thera Vinayatthamañjūsă
1. Law, A History of Pali Literature, pp. 11.12.
