Tibetan Buddhist Canon - Five Traditional Topics of Study

Five Traditional Topics of Study

Study of the Tibetan Buddhist canon is a focal point of the monastic curriculum. All four schools of Tibetan Buddhism generally follow a similar curriculum, using the same Indian root texts and commentaries. The further Tibetan commentaries they use differ by school, although since the 19th century appearance of the widely renowned scholars Jamgon Kongtrul, Ju Mipham and Khenpo Shenga, Kagyupas and Nyingmapas use many of the same Tibetan commentaries as well. Different schools, however, place emphasis and concentrate attention on different areas.

The exoteric study of Buddhism is generally organized into "Five Topics," listed as follows with the primary Indian source texts for each:

  1. Abhidharma (Higher Knowledge, Tib. wylie: chos mngon)
    • Compendium of Higher Knowledge (Abhidharma Samuccaya) by Asanga
    • Treasury of Higher Knowledge (Abhidharma Kosha) by Vasubandhu
  2. Prajna Paramita (Perfection of Wisdom, Tib. wylie: shes rab phar phyin)
    • Ornament of Clear Realization (Abhisamaya Alankara) by Maitreya as related to Asanga
    • The Way of the Bodhisattva (Bodhicharyavatara, Tib. wylie: sPyod-‘jug) by Shantideva
  3. Madhyamaka (Middle Way, Tib. wylie: dbu-ma)
    • Fundamental Wisdom of the Middle Way (Mulamadhyamakakarika, Tib. wylie: rTsa dbu-ma) by Nagarjuna
    • Four Hundred Verses on the Yogic Deeds of Bodhisattvas (Catuhsataka) by Aryadeva
    • Introduction to the Middle Way (Madhyamakavatara,’’ Tib. wylie: ‘’dBu-ma-la ‘Jug-pa) by Chandrakirti
    • Ornament of the Middle Way (Madhyamakalamkara) by Shantarakshita
    • The Way of the Bodhisattva (Bodhicharyavatara, Tib. wylie: sPyod-‘jug) by Shantideva
  4. Pramana (Logic, Means of Knowing, Tib. wylie: tshad-ma)
    • Treatise on Valid Cognition (Pramanavarttika) by Dharmakirti
    • Compendium on Valid Cognition (Pramanasamuccaya) by Dignaga
  5. Vinaya (Monastic discipline, Tib. wylie: 'dul-ba)
    • The Root of the Vinaya (Vinaya Mula Sutra, Dülwa Do Tsawa, 'dul-ba mdo rtsa-ba) by Gunaprabha

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