The Tipitaka
The Tipitaka or, in Sanskrit, Tripitaka, often called the Pali Canon, is a set of books from the Theravada branch of Buddhism. It is also used by the Mahayana branch of Buddhism in their schools, but in different ways than the Theravada schools. The books of the Tipitaka were written entirely in India approximately 500 years after the time of the first Buddha, Siddharta Gautama. Not only are they used by these two main branches of Buddhism, they are also used by groups that exist primarily in places such as Southeast Asia since they were forced out of India as Buddhism succumbed to Hinduism. Each of the three sections in the Tipitaka varies on which branch of Buddhism uses it. The first book describes the guidelines for a monastic life; the second contains sermons and discourses used by the Buddha or sometimes his disciples; and the third contains doctrines of Buddhism. All three contain many legends and other narratives.
The Kangyur
The Bka'-'gyur, also spelled Kangyur, is a collection of Tibetan Buddhist teachings that contains over 1,000 works, most translated from Sanskrit after the 8th century. The Kangyur has been published in 100 volumes. It begins with a vinaya, or “monastic discipline” section, which is the only group of works that has much in common with Pali Buddhism further south. After the vinaya are a few hundred sutras, which mostly come from the Mahayana schools. Lastly, there are several hundred tantras, which describe special rituals and meditation.
The Tangyur
The Bstan-'gyur, also spelled Tangyur, is another collection of Tibetan Buddhist teachings that goes hand-in-hand with the Kangyur, composed of more than 3,600 works and published in 225 volumes. The Tangyur contains translations of works by Indian authors and is divided into two main sections. Some of the texts contain adaptations of sutras from the Mahayana branch of Buddhism, but the rest are oriented around the Tantras, which are texts containing rituals and meditations from the Vajrayana branch of Buddhism. The Tangyur also contains seemingly random works on topics such as grammar, logic, medicine, and astrology.
The Eightfold Path
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The Eightfold Path is a Buddhist doctrine that goes hand-in-hand with the Four Noble Truths and explains how to reach enlightenment, or nirvana—however, it is discussed less. It is often said that what is noble about the Eightfold Path and the Four Noble Truths is not the Path or Truths themselves, but those who understand and follow them, seeing as it often takes many lifetimes to achieve nirvana. The eight parts to taking the Eightfold Path are: right view, right intentions, right speech, right action, right livelihood, right effort, right mindfulness, and right concentration. It is said that if one does each and every one of these eight requirements, over the course of many reincarnations, one can achieve nirvana.