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"Texts can be divided up in a number of ways, but the most fundamental division is between canonical and non-canonical texts. The former, also called the Sutras (Sanskrit) or Suttas (Pali) are believed to be, either literally or metaphorically, the actual words of the Buddha. The latter are the various commentaries on canonical texts, other treatises on the Dharma as well as collections of quotes, histories, grammars, etc. However it should be remembered that any divisions are arbitrary, and that there will always be texts that cross boundaries, or that belong in more than one category.

1 Canonical texts

These are, in some way or other, associated with Gautama Buddha. Different schools, however, are not always in agreement on which texts are canonical, and the various recensions of the Buddhist Canon contain widely varying numbers and types of texts. Broadly speaking, the texts come in three types: sutras (i.e. discourse), vinaya (relating to the rules of monastic discipline), and abhidharma (analytical texts). Together these three make up what is known in Sanskrit as the Tripitaka and in Pali as Tipitaka. Both the sutras and the vinaya of every Buddhist school contain a huge variety of documents including: discourses on the Dharma; commentary on other teachings; cosmological, and cosmogonical texts; stories of the Buddha's former and births; lists.

The Theravada and other Nikaya schools believe, more or less literally, that these texts contain the actual words of the Buddha. The Theravada canon, also known as the Pali Canon after the language it was written in, contains some four million words.

Later texts, such as the Mahayana Sutras, are also considered to be the words of the Buddha, but were transmitted either in secret, via lineages of mythical beings (such as the Nagas), or came directly from other Buddhas or bodhisattvas. Some 600 Mahayana Sutras have survived in Sanskrit, or in Chinese and/or TibetanThe Tibetan language is typically classified as member of the Tibeto-Burman branch of the Sino-Tibetan linguistic family. It is a mildly tonal language using two to four tones depending on dialect. It is described as primarily isolating but agglutinative translation. The only complete Mahayana Canon surviving is in Chinese translation, though it was originally in Sanskrit. It contains texts from many strands of earlier tradition.

The earliest Mahayana texts were composed in a 'Middle Indo-Ä€ryan' language which was Sanskritised during the Gupta era when Sanskrit became the official language of the Indian court. Most of the Mahayana sutraSutra in Sanskrit is derived from the verb âˆšsiv, meaning to sew''. It literally means a rope or thread, and more metaphorically refers to an aphorism (or line, rule, formula), or a collection of such aphorisms in the form of a manual. In Hinduism th texts are composed in what is called Buddhist Hybrid SanskritBuddhist Hybrid Sanskrit (BHS) is the language in which most of the Buddhist Sutras, such as the Perfection of Wisdom literature, were written. BHS is a Middle Indo-Aryan language, a " Prakrit", to which have been added superficial elements designed to ma, a Middle Indo-ryanThe Indo-Aryan languages form a subgroup of the Indo-Iranian languages, thus belonging to the Indo-European family of languages. Another term used to refer to the same group is Indic . Note that in opposition to the generic adjective Indian Indic is the t Prakrit with ornaments and flourishes designed to imitate Sanskrit. Some later Buddhist texts, particularly those originating at the university at Nalanda, where composed in true Sanskrit.

The Tibetan canon which belongs to the various schools of Tibetan Vajrayana Buddhism, in addition to containing the earlier three classes of texts, also contain tantric texts, and commentaries on them.

The division of texts into the traditional three yanas may obscure the process of development that went on. For instance there are so-called proto-Mahayana texts, such as the Ajitasena Sutra which are missing key features which are associated with Mahayana texts. Some Pali texts also contain ideas that later became synonymous with the Mahayana. Some Mahayana texts are also thought to display a distinctly tantric character - particularly some of the shorter Perfection of Wisdom Sutras. An early tantric, the Mahavairocana Adhisambodhi Tantra, is also known as the Mahavairocana Sutra.

Some Buddhist texts evolved to become a virtual canon in themselves, and are referred to as vaipulya or extensive sutras. Scholars think for instance that the Golden Light Sutra constellated around the celebrated third chapter. The Avatamsaka Sutra is another example of a single Sutra made up of many other sutras, many of which, particularly the Gandhavyuha Sutra still circulate as separate texts. The Avatamsaka Sutra and the White Lotus Sutra are associated with the idea of the Ekayana or One Vehicle. The texts claim to unify all the teachings that have come before into a greater whole.

Shingon Buddhism developed a system which assigned authorship of the early sutras to Gautama Buddha in his physical manifestation; of the Ekayana sutras to the Buddhas as Sambhoghakaya; and the Vajrayana texts to the Buddha as Dharmakaya.

Sutras primarily associated with Buddhism

Pali Suttas

Anapanasati Sutta , a discourse on the method of being mindful of the breath
Brahmajala Sutta , a critique of 64 'wrong views' current at the time of the Buddha
Dhammacakkappavattana Sutta , the Buddha's first discourse on the nature of his enlightenment
Dhammapada, a collection of sayings and aphorisms thought to be amongst the oldest texts
Goshinga Sutta
Kalama Sutta
Mahaparinibbana Sutta , the last days of the Buddha, Theravada version
Metta Sutta , a rhapsody on the quality of universal loving-kindness
Satipathana Sutta
Upanisa Sutta , on the two types of conditionality

Mahayana Sutras

Amitabha Sutra , or Smaller Pure Land Sutra
Avatamsaka Sutra or Flower Garland Sutra (Chinese: Huayan Jing)
Contemplation Sutra , important in Pure Land Buddhism
Diamond SutraThe Diamond Sutra Vajracchedika-prajnpramit-sutra , "The Perfection of Wisdom Sutra that Cuts like a Thunderbolt," is a short Mahayana sutra of the Perfection of Wisdom genre, which teaches the practice of the avoidance of abiding in extremes of mental at
Heart SutraThe Heart of Perfect Wisdom Sutra or Heart Sutra ( Sanskrit: Prajn Pramit Hridaya Sutra) is a well known Mahyna Buddhist scripture. Notable for its brevity, concision and clarity, the Heart Sutra is considered to represent the core teachings of the much l, important in Zen Buddhism
Infinite Life SutraThe Infinite Life Sutra or Longer Pure Land Sutra is a Mahayana Buddhist text associated with Pure Land Buddhism. It was translated in to Chinese by Po-Yen, a royal Kuchean monk, in 258 at the famous White Horse Temple in Luoyang, which was then the capit, or Large Pure Land Sutra
Lankavatara SutraThe Lankavatara Sutra is one of the most important sacred texts of Mahayana Buddhism. According to tradition, these are the actual words of the Buddha as he entered Sri Lanka (formerly called Ceylon). This sutra figured prominently in the development of C
Lotus SutraThe Lotus Sutra or Sutra on the White Lotus of the Sublime Dharma (Sanskrit: Saddharmapundarika-sutra; Chinese: or Miaof Lianhu Jing Japanese Myoho Renge Kyo is one of the most popular and influential Mahyna sutras in East Asia and the basis on which the, foundational text of TiantaiTiantai (, Wade-Giles: T'ien T'ai is one of the thirteen schools of Buddhism in China and Japan, also called the Lotus Sutra School. It was founded by Zhiyi ( 538- 597) during the Sui dynasty in China. Tiantai is a Mahyna school established at Tiantai mou and NichirenNichiren ( February 16, 1222 October 13, 1282), born Zennichimaro, later Zesho-bo Rencho and sometimes called Nichiren Shonin or Nichiren Daishonin was a Buddhist monk in 13th century Japan, and founder of Nichiren Buddhism, a Buddhist movement which cont sects
Mahaparinirvana Sutra, the last days of the Buddha, Mahayana version
Perfection of Wisdom or PrajÃ±Äparamita Sutras
Platform Sutra of the Sixth Patriarch
Sutra of Perfect Enlightenment (Chinese: Yuanjue Jing)
Shurangama Sutra
Sutra in Forty-Two Sections
Sutra of Golden Light, important in Japanese Buddhism"

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