The Pali Canon

The Pali Canon, or Tripitaka, consists of ‘three baskets’. They are the Basket of Discipline (Vinaya Pitaka), the Basket of Discourses (Sutta Pitaka), and the Basket of Ultimate Doctrine (Abhidhamma Pitaka).

1...Vinaya Pitaka
......A…Suttavibhanga or Sutta Vibhanga = The monastic code (Patimokkha).
.............1...Mahavibhanga or Maha Vibhanga = The 227 rules for monks.
.............2...Bhikkhunivibhanga or Bhikkhuni Vibhanga = The 311 rules for nuns.
......B…Khandaka = Matters concerning the organization of the order.
............1...Mahavagga or Maha Vagga = Regulations for ordination, retreats, clothing, food, and
.................other matters.
............2...Cullavagga or Culla Vagga = Procedural matters and the history of the first two councils.
......C…Parivara = An appendix summarizing the rules.

2...Sutta Pitaka
.....A…Digha Nikaya = The Long Discourses of the Buddha. 34 discourses.
.....B…Majjhima Nikaya = The Middle-Length Discourses of the Buddha. 154 discourses.
.....C…Samyutta Nikaya = The Connected Discourses of the Buddha. 56 groups of discourses
.......... arranged by subject matter.
.....D…Anguttara Nikaya = The Numerical Discourses of the Buddha. Discourses grouped by
............incremental lists of subject matter.
.....E…Khuddaka Nikaya = The Minor Collection
...........1...Khuddakapatha = Short suttas.
...........2...Dhammapada = The Way of Truth. 423 verses. The most beloved collection.
...........3...Udana = 80 solemn utterances of the Buddha Paeans of Joy.
...........4...Itivuttaka = “Thus said” discourses. 112 short suttas recorded by a servant woman.
...........5...Sutta Nipata = 70 suttas in verse.
...........6...Vimanavatthu = Accounts of the heavenly rebirths of the virtuous.
...........7...Petavatthu = 51 stories of the Petas.
...........8...Theragatha = Verses by 264 male Elders.
...........9...Therigatha = Verses by 100 female Elders.
...........10...Jataka = 547 stories of the Buddha’s previous lives.
...........11...Niddesa = Commentary of portions of the Sutta Nipata.
...........12...Patisambhidamagga = Analytical knowledge. Abhidhamma-style analysis of points of
..................doctrine.
...........13...Apadana…Verse stories about the former and present lives of monks and nuns.
...........14...Buddhadasa = An account of the 24 previous Buddhas.
...........15...Cariyapitaka = Modes of conduct.

3...Abhidhamma
....A…Dhammasangani = Psychological analysis of ethics.
....B…Vibhanga = Analysis of various doctrinal categories.
....C…Dhatukatha = Classification of points of doctrine.
....D…Puggalapannatti = Classification of human types.
....E…Kathavatthu = Doctrinal disputes among sects.
....F…Yamaka = Pairs of questions about basic categories of the teachings.
....G…Patthana = Causation analyzed into 24 groups.