Buddhist literature

Buddhist literature available in india, can be divided into two prominent categories

1. Prakrit and pali literature.
2. Sanskrit literature.

Note: lord Buddha gave his sermons in Pali and hence the early Buddhist literature developed in Pali.

Tripitaka

The most important among the early Buddhist literature is the tripitaka.

Also known as the Threefold basket, they include; Vinaya pitaka,sutta pitaka and Abbhidhamma pitaka.

These, contain several books in them.

Vinaya pitaka

Contains the rules of the order of Buddhist monks which must be observed for achiving purity of conduct. 

Hence it is also called the book of discipline. 

It, in turn has three books which are suttavibhanga, khandhaka and parivara.

Sutta pitaka

Lays down the principles of religion.

It is divided into five groups called the Nikayas. 

These include, Digha,majjhima, samyatta, Anguttara and Khuddaka.

Abbhidhamma pitaka

The latest of the tripitaka. 

It contains explosion on the scholastic philosophy.

which include discourses on various subjects, such as ethics, psychology, theories of knowledge and metaphysical problems.

Jatakas

Give an account of the former existences of the Buddha. They contain 547 poems.

These are mentioned in the Khuddaka nikaya. 

In sanskrit, they are known as the jatakamala, in Chinese they are known as sadok.

Milindapanha

It means "questions of milinda". 

It contains a dialogue between milinda who was the Graeco-bactrian King menander and the monk nagasena over some problems of Buddhism. It was originally written in Sanskrit.

The two famous ceylonese chronicles

Mahavamsa and dipavamsa. The former deals with the royal dynasties of Indian subcontinent including Sri Lanka and its known as the world's.

Largest unbroken historical accounts while the latter deals with the arrival of the Buddha's teachings and preachers in Sri Lanka.

Sanskrit literature

Sanskrit literature became prominent in Buddhism with the rise of mahayana Buddhism.

However, some of the sanskritic works were produced by the hinayana school as well.

Mahavastu

Believed to be the most important work of the hinayana school. It is collection of stories and different parts of it were composed in different periods.

However, by including the details of miracles and earlier lives of the Buddha, it also displays some mahayanic thought.

Lalitavistara

Believed to be one of the most sacred of mahayanic texts. It deals with the biography of the Buddha.

Buddhacharita

Written by Asvaghosa. It's an epic style sanskrit work. It tells the life history of gautam buddha.

Mahavibhasa sastra

Written by vasumitra.

It's also linked to the samkhya and vaisheshikha philosophies of Hinduism, a port from Buddhism.

Udanavarga

It contains verses which are attributable to the Buddha and his disciples.

Vajrayana Buddhist literature

Its known as the Buddhist tantras. They are subdivided into -

1. Kriya tantras: focus on ritual action.
2. Charya tantras: centred on the workship of Buddha vairocana (celestial Buddha).
3. Yoga tantras: they too focus on vairocana.
4. Anuttara tantras: focus on mental transformation rather than on ritual actions.