RAS question
The Buddhist canonical texts are collectively known as the Tripitaka. Which Pitaka contains the rules of monastic discipline?
Correct answer: (B) Vinaya Pitaka.
The Vinaya Pitaka is the section of the Buddhist Tripitaka that contains the rules of monastic discipline.
Explanation
The Vinaya Pitaka is the disciplinary basket of the Buddhist canon. Britannica identifies it as the section of the Tipitaka that regulates monastic life and the daily affairs of monks and nuns, with rules attributed to the Buddha. That matches the question's focus on monastic discipline: the Sangha needed a code for admission, ceremonies, conduct, offences and disputes, so those rules belong to the Vinaya Pitaka. By contrast, the Sutta Pitaka is associated with the Buddha's discourses, while the Abhidhamma Pitaka is associated with philosophical analysis and commentary. Therefore, when an RAS question asks which Pitaka contains rules and regulations for the Buddhist monastic order, the answer is Vinaya Pitaka.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) Jataka Pitaka is not one of the three core Tripitaka divisions identified in the explanation, so it does not name the basket of monastic rules.
- (C) Sutta Pitaka is linked with the Buddha's discourses, not with the rules and regulations governing the monastic order.
- (D) Abhidhamma Pitaka deals with philosophical analysis and commentary, not the disciplinary code for monks and nuns.
Concept
This tests the Ancient Indian History concept of Buddhist literature, especially the three divisions of the Tripitaka. It recurs in RAS because canonical texts help distinguish doctrine, discipline and philosophical analysis in early Buddhism.