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Homage to that Blessed One, Arahant, Perfectly Enlightened Buddha. The Lesser Chronicle of the Lineage of Texts 1. The Division of the Three Piṭakas Having paid homage to the Perfectly Enlightened One, The foremost, excellent, supreme of lineages; Having bowed to the Dhamma born of the Buddha, And to the Sangha, stainless. Relying on the lineage of texts, I shall relate the lineage of texts; A compilation of the Three Piṭakas, A foot-servant for the good. An undertaking to dispel doubt, Listen to it, good people; All the Buddha's words, And liberation with its cause. Is of one kind, And of three kinds by Piṭaka; And all of it, entirely, Is of five kinds by Nikāya. And of nine kinds by constituent part, By the count of Dhamma-sections; Eighty-four thousand, Are the divisions of Dhamma-sections. How is the Piṭaka of three kinds by Piṭaka? The Vinaya Piṭaka, the Abhidhamma Piṭaka, the Suttanta Piṭaka. Among these, what is the Vinaya Piṭaka? The Pārājika section, the Pācittiya section, the Mahāvagga section, the Cullavagga section, the Parivāra section. These sections are called the Vinaya Piṭaka. What is the Abhidhamma Piṭaka? The Dhamma-saṅgaṇī treatise, the Vibhaṅga treatise, the Dhātukathā treatise, the Puggalapaññatti treatise, the Kathāvatthu treatise, the Yamaka treatise, the Paṭṭhāna treatise. These seven treatises are called the Abhidhamma Piṭaka. What is the Suttanta Piṭaka? The Sīlakkhandhavagga and so forth, the remaining words of the Buddha are called the Suttanta Piṭaka. How by Nikāya? The Nikāyas are of five kinds. The Dīgha Nikāya, the Majjhima Nikāya, the Saṃyutta Nikāya, the Aṅguttara Nikāya, the Khuddaka Nikāya. Among these, what is the Dīgha Nikāya? The Sīlakkhandhavagga, the Mahāvagga, the Pāthikavagga, these three sections are called the Dīgha Nikāya. In these three sections, there are thirty-four suttas. [Indeed, those thirty-four suttas, beginning with the Sīlakkhandhavagga, that is what is called the Dīgha Nikāya.] What is the Majjhima Nikāya? The Mūlapaṇṇāsa, the Majjhimapaṇṇāsa, the Uparipaṇṇāsa, these three fifties The Majjhima Nikāya is its name. In these three sections, there are one hundred and fifty-two suttas. [One hundred and fifty suttas, two suttas of which there is a collection, the Majjhima Nikāya is named, beginning with the Mūlapaṇṇāsa.] What is the Saṃyutta Nikāya? The Sagāthā Vagga, the Nidāna Vagga, the Khandha Vagga, the Saḷāyatana Vagga, the Mahā Vagga— these five sections are called the Saṃyutta Nikāya. In these five sections, there are seven thousand, seven hundred, and sixty-two suttas. [Sixty-two, seven hundreds, and seven thousands.] He who has suttas, beginning with the Sagāthā Vagga, the Saṃyutta Nikāya is known by the wise. What is the Aṅguttara Nikāya? The Eka Nipāta, the Duka Nipāta, the Tika Nipāta, the Catukka Nipāta, the Pañcaka Nipāta, the Chakka Nipāta, the Sattaka Nipāta, the Aṭṭhaka Nipāta, the Navaka Nipāta, the Dasaka Nipāta, and the Ekādasaka Nipāta— these eleven sections are called the Aṅguttara Nikāya. In these eleven sections, there are nine thousand, five hundred, and fifty-seven suttas. [Nine thousand suttas, and five hundred in number, and fifty-seven more, suttas of which there are, that is the Aṅguttara Nikāya, beginning with the Eka Nipāta.] What is the Khuddaka Nikāya? The Khuddakapāṭha, the Dhammapada, the Udāna, the Itivuttaka, the Suttanipāta, the Vimānavatthu, the Petavatthu, the Sayings of the Theras, the Sayings of the Therīs, the Jātaka, the Mahāniddesa, the Paṭisambhidāmagga, the Apadāna, the Buddhavaṃsa, the Cariyāpiṭaka, the Vinaya Piṭaka, and the Abhidhamma Piṭaka. In these seventeen texts, there are many thousands of suttas. [Many thousands of suttas, declared by the Great Seer, in this fifth Nikāya, thus known as the Khuddaka.] How is it ninefold in terms of its parts? Sutta, Geyya, Veyyākaraṇa, Gāthā, Udāna, Itivuttaka, Jātaka, Abbhutadhamma, Vedalla— it is of nine divisions. Therein, both the Vibhaṅga, Niddesa, Khandhaka, Parivāra, in the Suttanipāta, the Maṅgala Sutta, the Ratana Sutta, the Tuvaṭṭaka... clear. Any other discourse named 'sutta', is to be known as 'sutta'. All that is with verses, is to be known as 'geyya' (chant). In the section connected with distinctions, the entire verse-section, the entire Abhidhamma Piṭaka, and the discourse without verses, and any other Buddha-word not included in the eight divisions, that is to be known as 'veyyākaraṇa' (exposition). Dhammapada, Theragāthā, Therīgāthā, in Suttanipāta, the pure verses not named 'sutta', are to be known as 'gāthā' (verses). The eighty-two discourses connected with joy and knowledge-filled verses, are to be known as 'udāna' (inspired utterances). The one hundred and ten discourses beginning with "This was said by the Blessed One," are to be known as 'itivuttaka' (thus said). Apaṇṇaka Jātaka and others, the five hundred and fifty Jātakas, are to be known as 'jātaka' (birth stories). "Monks, these four amazing and wonderful things," and all discourses connected with amazing and wonderful things beginning with "Ānanda," are to be known as 'abbhūtadhamma' (amazing things). Cūḷavedalla, Mahāvedalla, Sammādiṭṭhi, Sakkapañha, Saṅkhārabhājaniya, Mahāpuṇṇamasutta and others, all discourses where questions were asked after gaining knowledge and satisfaction, are to be known as 'vedalla' (analytical discourses). What are the eighty-four thousand Dhamma-sections that are difficult to know? If I were to explain the eighty-four thousand Dhamma-sections in detail, it would be too extensive. Therefore, I will explain them by way of method. One subject, one Dhamma-section. One origin, one Dhamma-section. One question asked, one Dhamma-section. One question answered, one Dhamma-section. By whom were the eighty-four thousand Dhamma-sections spoken? Where were they spoken? When were they spoken? Concerning whom were they spoken? For what purpose were they spoken? By whom were they preserved? By whom were they brought forth? For what purpose should they be learned? Here is the answer: By whom were they spoken? They were spoken by the Buddhas and their followers. Where were they spoken? They were spoken among devas and humans. When were they spoken? Bh spoken by the Blessed One during his lifetime and in his last period. Concerning what were they spoken? Concerning the five-group and other relatives to be tamed, they were spoken. For what purpose were they spoken? Knowing both fault and faultlessness, abandoning fault, practicing faultlessness, unto the end of Nibbāna, to attain the aims of this life and the next. By whom were they preserved? By the enlightened ones and by their disciples and successive disciples, they were preserved. By whom were they brought forth? By the succession of teachers, they were brought forth. For what purpose should they be learned? Knowing both fault and faultlessness, abandoning fault, practicing faultlessness, unto the end of Nibbāna, to attain the aims of this life and the next. Thus, for the attainment of the aims of this life and the next, leading to Nibbāna, they are beneficial. Therefore, by whom should they be learned diligently, preserved, recited, and chanted there? [Thus ends the first chapter, "The Illuminator of the Three Piṭakas," in the Cullaganthavaṃsa.] 2. Chapter on the Authors and Teachers There are teachers. There are ancient teachers, there are commentary teachers, there are author teachers, teachers with three names. Who are the ancient teachers? At the First Council, five hundred Arahants performed the work of naming, meaning, intention, and textual purification of the five Nikāyas, and other remaining tasks. At the Second Council, seven hundred Arahants again performed the work of the meaning of words and so on for those same texts. At the Third Council, a thousand Arahants again performed the work of the meaning of words and so on for those same texts. Thus, two thousand two hundred Arahants, excluding Mahākaccāyana, are called the ancient teachers. Those who are the ancient teachers are also called the commentary teachers. Who are the author teachers? The great commentators and many other teachers are called the author teachers. Who are the teachers with three names? Mahākaccāyana has three names. What texts were made by Mahākaccāyana? Kaccā Yanagantha, Mahāniruttigantha, Cullaniruttigantha, Yamakagantha, Nettigantha, Peṭakopadesagantha— these six texts were made by Mahākaccāyana. Which are the texts made by many teachers? The teacher Mahāpaccarikā made a text named Mahāpaccariya. The teacher Mahākurundikā made a text named Kurundi. Another teacher made a commentary on the Mahāpaccariya text. Another teacher made a commentary on the Kurundi text. The teacher named Mahābuddhaghosa made: the Visuddhimagga; the commentary named Sumaṅgalavilāsinī on the Dīghanikāya; the commentary named Papañcasūdanī on the Majjhimanikāya; the commentary named Sāratthappakāsinī on the Saṃyuttanikāya; the commentary named Manorathapūraṇī on the Aṅguttaranikāya; the commentary named Samantapāsādikā on the five Vinaya texts; the commentary named Paramatthakatha on the seven Abhidhamma texts; the commentary named Kaṅkhāvitaraṇī, also known as Visuddhi, on the Mātikā called Pātimokkha; the commentary on the Dhammapada; the commentary on the Jātaka; the commentary on the Khuddakapāṭha; the commentary on the Suttanipāta; the commentary on the Apadāna— these thirteen texts. The teacher named Buddhadatta made: the Vinayavinicchaya; the Uttaravinicchaya; the Abhidhammāvatāra; the commentary named Madhuratthavilāsinī on the Buddhavaṃsa— these four texts. The teacher named Ānanda made a sub-commentary named Mūṭīka on the commentary of the seven Abhidhamma texts. The teacher Dhammapāla made: the commentary on the Nettippakaraṇa; the commentary on the Itivuttaka; the commentary on the Udāna; the commentary on the Cariyāpiṭaka; the commentary on the Theragāthā; the commentary on the Therīgāthā;