CHRONOLOGY
Of Early Buddhist Texts (EBT)
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Comparison between Rhys Davids and the BORI (Bhandarkar OrientalResearch Institute)
| RHYS DAVIDS | BORI | ||
| 1 | The simple statements of Buddhist doctrine now found, in identical words, in paragraphs or verse recurring in all the books. | 1 | The simple statements of Buddhist doctrines now found, in identical words, in paragraphs or verses recurring in all the books. |
| 2 | Episodes found, in identical words, in two or more of the existing books. | 2 | Episodes found, in identical works, in two or more of the existing books. |
| 3 | Silas Parayana Octades (Atthaka) Patimokkha. |
3 | Silas Parayana group of sixteen poems without the prologue, Atthaka group of four or sixteen poems Sikkhapadas. |
| 4 | Digha Majjhima Anguttara Samyutta |
4 | Digha (Vol. l) Majjhima Samyutta Anguttara Earlier Patimokkha code of 152 rules. |
| 5 | Sutta-Nipata Thera-and Theri-Gathas Udanas Khuddaka Patha |
5 | Digha (Vols. II & III) Thera-Theri-Gatha Collection of 500 Jatakas Suttavibhanga Partisambhidamagga Puggala-pannatti Vibhanga |
| 6 | Vibhanga Khandhkas |
6 | Mahavagga Cullavagga Patimokkha code completing 227 rules Vimanavatthu and Petavatthu Dhammapada and Kathavatthu |
| 7 | The Jatakas Dhammapadas. |
7 | Cullaniddesa Mahaniddesa Udana Itivuttaka Suttanipata Dhatukatha Yamaka Patthana. |
| 8 | Niddesa Itivuttakas Patisambbhida. |
8 | Buddhavamsa Cariyapitaka Apadana. |
| 9 | Peta and Vimana-Vatthus Apadana Cariya-Pitaka Buddha-Vamsa. |
9 | Parivarapatha. |
| 10 | Abhidhamma books (the last of which is the Katha-Vatthu, and the earliest probably the Puggala-Pannatti.) |
10 | Khuddakapatha. |
This comparison between two great scholars on the Tipitaka shows that you can rely on early sources of Buddhism as follows:
1. The simple statements of Buddhist doctrine now found, in identical words, in paragraphs or verse recurring in all the books.
2. Episodes found, in identical words, in two or more of the existing books.
3. Parayana group of sixteen poems. & Atthaka group of four poems
4. Digha (Vol. l)
5. Majjhima
6 or 7. Samyutta
6 or 7. Anguttara
8. Thera-and Theri-Gathas
This is still subject to debate; yet a good start.