Non- Canonical Texts include:
Dipavamsa (Chronicle of Island): It is historical record of
Sri Lanka in Pali language.
Mahavamsa (Great Chronicle): It is the most important Pali epic poem. Its tone is historical, and it describes the kings of Sri Lanka.
Milinda Panha (Questions of Milinda): It is written in Pali. It is a conversation of Indo-Greek King Menander I or Milinda of Bactria and sage Nagasena or Nagarjuna (founder of Madhyamika School). It is part of Khuddaka Nikaya of Sutta Pitaka. It is written by an unknown author in the first and second century AD.
Buddha Charita by Ashavaghosa in Sanskrit language. It depicts primarily the life of Buddha.
Other Buddhists Texts include:
By Ashwaghosha- Buddha Charita, Saundarananda, Sutralankara, Sariputra Prakarana and Vajra Suchi.
He was a poet, dramatist, musician, scholar and was contemporary to Kanishk.
By Nagarjuna or Nagsena Madhyamika Siddhanta, Madhyamika Sutralankara, Saddharma Pundarika, Subhalekha and Rasaratnakara.
He propounded the Madhyamika Buddhist philosophy popularly known as Shunyavaad. He was a contemporary of Satvahan ruler Yagyashri Gautamiputra.
Amarakosa, the first dictionary in Sanskrit by Amar Simha.
Abhidharmakosa, first dictionary on Buddhist philosophy by Vasubandhu.
Asand and Vasubandhu – They were brothers who existed during 4th century A.D. Asand was the most important teacher of Vigyaanvaad.
Visuddhimagga or Vishuddhimarga, Sumangalvasini, and Atthakathayen by Buddhaghosh who lived during 5th Century AD.
Pramanasmuchaya (Theory of Logic) by Dignaga.
Dignanga created the first system of Buddhist logic and epistemology.
• Nyaya Bindu by Dharmkirti.
• Catuhsataka (four hundred verses) by Aryadeva become an important source for Madhyamaka (centrism) philosophy also called Sunyavada. It is a school of Mahayana Buddhism.
• Avadanasatak ““Century of Noble Deeds” is an anthology in Sanskrit of one hundred Buddhist legends, approximately dating to the same time as the Ashokavadana.
• Ashokavadana is an Indian Sanskrit-language text that describes the birth and reign of the third Mauryan Emperor Ashoka.
• Nettipakaran written in Pali is a mythological test of Burmese Theravada tradition.
Eight-Fold Path:
Tenets of Budhhism
• The ultimate goal of Buddha’s teaching was the attainment of Nibbana or Nirvana (i.e., ending the flame of desire) which was not a place but an experience, and could be attained in this life.
• To avoid extremes of life, whether it is addiction to worldly pleasures or a life of painful asceticism and self-mortification.
• Buddhism does not concern itself with metaphysical
controversies.
• Buddha emphasized on moral progress which was independent of any creator of the universe.
• The essence of Buddhism lies in the realization that life is transient.
• Buddhism’s take on Vedic Tenets:
• Buddha seems to have accepted the idea of Transmigration and theory of Karma.
• Buddhists do not believe in any kind of omnipotent creator God or permanent unchanging Soul.
• They clearly rejected the caste system and rejected the authority of the Vedas.
• They opposed elaborate rituals in achieving liberation.
Similarities between Jainism and Buddhism
• Both are compassionate for living entities.
• Both believe in transmigration of soul.
• Both aim at liberation or salvation and deliverance from
human anxieties.
• Both attach importance to karma.
• Both emanated from Hinduism.
• Both originated in the same region during the same period
• Both deny the authority of Vedas.
Differences between Jainism and Buddhism
• Jains acknowledge caste but Buddhists reject it.
• Jains follow Tirthankars while Buddhists follow Buddha.
• Jains have faith in Hindu pantheon of gods while Buddhists completely reject it.
• Jainism is confined in India only while Buddhism is a global religion
Four Noble truths of Buddha:
