Buddhism/Catalogs

Collections of authoritative literature

There is no complete translation of any of these in any Western language.

Southern branch

Burma, Thailand, Laos, Cambodia; neighbouring parts of Bangladesh, China, Vietnam, Malaysia; Ceylon. Language: Pali.

• Pali Canon; regarded as the Word of the Buddha; collected editions published in Burma, Cambodia, Ceylon/Sri Lanka and Thailand
• commentaries: collected editions published in Burma, Ceylon/Sri Lanka and Thailand
• subcommentaries (i.e. commentaries on commentaries); collected edition published in Burma

Northern branch

Tibet, Bhutan, Mongolia; neighbouring parts of India, Nepal, China, Russia; Kalmykia.

• Kanjur: Tibetan translations of Indian texts regarded as the Word of the Buddha
• Tenjur: Tibetan translations of Indian texts not so regarded (including some works of Indian missionaries written in Tibet)
• Nyingma Gyuwum: texts similar to both the above, but recognized only by the Nyingma school
• collected editions of the works of many Tibetan teachers

Eastern branch

China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, Singapore, Christmas Island.

• the standard collection is the Taisho Shinshu Daizokyo, which includes (not grouped in separate sections)
  • Chinese translations of Indian texts regarded as the Word of the Buddha
  • Chinese translations of Indian texts not so regarded
  • Chinese texts
  • Japanese texts
• In addition, major divisions of Japanese Buddhism have produced collected editions of literature important to them, overlapping the above.