Early Buddhist scriptures were composed in?
Buddhism-Jainism-Question 4
Daily Online General Knowledge Quiz:Previous year paper gk questions with answers and explanation in English on Buddhism and Jainism.
❓4.The early Buddhist scriptures were composed in
A.
Pictographical texts
B.
Sanskrit texts
C.
Pali texts
D.
Prakrit texts
Pali texts
Note: The Pali texts are the oldest collection of Buddhist scriptures preserved in the language, in which they were originally written.
🔑Key Points
✔Pali is a Middle Indo-Aryan liturgical language native to the Indian subcontinent which is closely related to Sanskrit, and one of the major languages of Buddhist scriptures and literature.
✔Pali language has been used for over 2000 years by Theravada Buddhists of India, Sri Lanka, and South East Asia, who traditionally believed it to be the very language spoken by the Buddha.
✔Pali is widely studied because it is the language of the Pali Canon or Tipitaka as well as the sacred language of Theravada Buddhism. In early time, it was written in Brahmi script.
✔Theravada is the most commonly accepted name of Buddhism's oldest existing school.
✔Theravada (School of elders) Buddhism emphasises attaining self-liberation through one's own efforts. Meditation and concentration are vital elements of the way to enlightenment. The ideal road is to dedicate oneself to full-time monastic life.
✔The Pali Canon is the standard collection of scriptures in the Theravada Buddhist tradition, as preserved in the Pali language.
✔The Pali Canon is the most complete extant early Buddhist canon. It derives mainly from the Tamrashatiya school.
✔Tamrashatiya school was one of the early schools of Buddhism and a branch of the Vibhajyavada school based in Sri Lanka. It is thought that the Theravada tradition has its origins in this school.
✔The Canon is traditionally described by the Theravada as the Word of the Buddha, though this is not intended in a literal sense, since it includes teachings by disciples of Buddha.
✔The language of the original texts of Pali Canon was a hybrid of several ancient Prakrit dialects that came to be called Pali, a word that actually means “text.” Although it’s not a language the Buddha spoke, it’s closely related.
✔The word 'Pali' is used as a name for the language of the Theravada canon.
✔The Pali Tipitaka or Pali canon consists of three parts: the Vinaya Pitaka, Sutta Pitaka and Abhidhamma Pitaka
✔Abhidhamma Pitaka is believed to be a later addition to the collection, its composition dating from around the 3rd century BCE onwards.
*This Question is a part of previous year paper gk questions on Buddhism-Jainism.
References
1.Pali-language-Britannica Online Encyclopedia2.Pali-wikipedia
3.Pali Canon-wikipedia
4.what-is-the-pali-canon-lionsroar.com
5.Theravada-wikipedia
6.Theravada Buddhism-wikipedia
7.NCERT text book History class XII-ncert.nic.in
8.Tamrashatiya-wikipedia
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